German Apple Cake (Wiener Apfelkuchen)

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 12/26/21
German Apple Cake (Wiener Apfelkuchen)

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 50 mins
Cook: 75 mins
Total: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
485 Calories
31g Fat
50g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 485
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 19g 93%
Cholesterol 111mg 37%
Sodium 241mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 26g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 60mg 5%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 175mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

German wiener apfelkuchen (apple cake from Vienna) is an apple cake recipe with a shortcrust base, chopped apples, and a lemon-flavored cake layer.

The sugar and almonds sprinkled on top make a delightfully crunchy topping. It's a great change from a pie.

This authentic recipe calls for an 11-inch (26-centimeter) springform pan but a 10-inch pan will suffice. You just might need to bake the cake a little longer.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces) cold unsalted butter

  • 1 large egg, room temperature, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

For the Apple Filling:

  • 2 1/4 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced

For the Cake:

  • 13 tablespoons (6 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 2/3 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg, room temperature

  • Lemon zest

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 15 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For the Topping:

  • 4 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds

For the Pan:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, or all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

Make the Crust

  1. Gather the crust ingredients.

    crust ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.

    Whisk together flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Cut in cold butter for pie dough until small crumbs form.

    Cut in cold butter for pie dough until small crumbs form

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Use 4 to 6 tablespoons of the egg-water mixture to moisten the crumbs. Stir just until the mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

    crust wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Cake Batter

  1. Gather the batter ingredients.

    cake batter ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Cut each quarter apple into 3 long pieces, then cut crosswise into small trapezoids. Sprinkle with lemon juice, toss and set aside.

    diced apples with lemon juice in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Beat together softened butter with sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and lemon zest.

    Beat together softened butter with sugar in a mixing bowl with egg and lemon zest

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Whisk together flour with baking powder (and a dash of salt if using unsalted butter) in a separate small bowl. Add to creamed butter mixture alternately with whipping cream and beat until smooth. Set aside.

    cake batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Assemble and Bake the Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter an 11-inch springform pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or flour, shaking out excess.

    buttered springform pan with breadcrumbs

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Roll out the crust and line the pan, piecing crust as necessary to form a 1- to 1 1/2-inch lip.

    cake crust in a springform pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Place drained apple slices in the crust.

    Place drained apple slices in the crust

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Spoon cake batter over apple slices as if setting dumpling batter on a stew, then smooth over apples to edges.

    Spoon cake batter over apple slices in the cake pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons almond slices then 4 tablespoons granulated sugar evenly over batter.

    sugar and almond slice on top of the cake batter in the cake pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, then turn off the oven and leave the cake for another 15 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and filling should be moist but set.

    German Apple Cake (Wiener Apfelkuchen) in a springform pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan for best taste. Serve with whipped cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.

    German Apple Cake (Wiener Apfelkuchen)

    The Spruce / Christine Ma