If you’re looking for a traditional German apple cake recipe, you’re in the right place! Our German apple cake with streusel topping (Apfelkuchen mit Streuseln) is always a crowd-pleaser.

Apple cake is a classic German cake that comes in many different versions. Ours is made with a buttery base, an apple-cinnamon layer, and lots of delicious crumbles on top (which are my favorite part).

Other German apple cakes are covered and slightly resemble an apple pie (called gedeckter Apfelkuchen), while others even have a soft pudding layer in the middle. We might add recipes for some of these in the future.

In some German apple cake recipes, the dough for the base and the crumble topping is the same. In our recipe, they are made from slightly different mixtures so you’ll have to make them separately.

It should only take a couple of extra minutes though, so don’t worry! We like this version better since creating them separately makes it easier to get the exact amount of ingredients that you need for each.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter – Use unsalted butter; some room-temperature butter for the cake base and some cold butter for the crumbles.
• Sugar – Some for the cake base and some for the crumbles.
• Vanilla extract – Adds some extra flavor; if you have it available, you can also use vanilla sugar.
• Egg – One egg for the dough; medium or large both work.
• All-purpose flour – Regular all-purpose flour for the dough and the crumbles.
• Baking powder – For the dough; check to make sure that it hasn’t expired.
• Salt – A pinch of regular table salt for the dough.
• Apples – You can use whichever apples you have on hand. Boskop and Elstar are popular in Germany. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Gala and Golden Delicious also work well.
• Lemon juice – Use real lemon juice for the best flavor (not store-bought artificial lemon juice); prevents browning of the apples and balances the overall flavor.
• Ground cinnamon – Adds extra flavor to the apples; use ground cinnamon that is relatively fresh for the best flavor.

How to Make German Apple Cake – Step by Step Instructions

First, grease and flour a 9.5 or 10-inch springform pan. You can also line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with your hand mixer (regular beaters) until combined.

Add the egg and beat again.

In a different bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Add the mixture to the butter mixture in small increments, mixing on low.

You may have to stop using your mixer about halfway through, so use your hands for the last bit and don’t overmix!

Stop once everything is well combined, and there are no white flour spots visible.

At this time also preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

Place the dough into the springform pan and evenly press it into the bottom of the pan and up the sides (approximately 1 to 1.5 inches / 2.5 to 3.5 cm).

Make sure the dough has an even thickness. Refrigerate the pan with the dough while you prepare the apples.

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into small cubes.

Add the apple cubes to a bowl along with the lemon juice and ground cinnamon. Mix well.

Remove the dough from the fridge and evenly place the apple cubes over the cake base.

For the crumbles, press together the butter (cut into small cubes), sugar, and flour with your hands until evenly combined and crumbly without any flour spots visible.

This might take a couple of minutes.

Then evenly spread the crumbles over the apples.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for approximately 50 – 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Since every oven is different, your baking time may vary slightly.

Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the springform pan. Release the ring once the cake has cooled sufficiently.

Then cut it into slices and enjoy!

Storage Tips

This apple cake stores well in a sealed container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

If you don’t like to eat the cake cold after taking it out of the fridge (I personally think it’s delicious), you could let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes or heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds or in the oven for a few minutes.

Related Recipes

This apple cake is always a real hit when we make it, so here are some more German cakes that you may want to try out!

• Streuselkuchen (Crumb Cake)
• Butterkuchen (Butter Cake)
• Mohnkuchen (Poppy Seed Cake)
• Erdbeerkuchen (Strawberry Cake)
• German Cheesecake (Käsekuchen)
• Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich)