Apfelkuchen — German Apple Cake
Originally featured in the August 2025 Corn Moon Issue of our monthly newsletter, the Liminal.
A rustic German butter sponge cake with roots in the 18th century, Apfelkuchen (apple cake) is simple, fragrant, and deeply comforting. With crisp apples, warm cinnamon, and a tender crumb, it’s the kind of old-world dessert that feels both humble and celebratory—perfect for an afternoon coffee or a cool autumn evening.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 4–5 small crisp, tart apples, thinly sliced
- Lemon juice
- Cinnamon & Sugar (for sprinkling)
Shortening & Flour (to prepare pan)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F if using a dark pan). Grease a 9" pan with shortening and dust with flour.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
- Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then fold into the batter just until combined.
- Toss sliced apples with a squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of sugar, and a dusting of cinnamon.
- Spread batter evenly in the pan, then press apples gently into the dough without hitting the bottom.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.
- Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack before serving.
*pitted, unpeeled plums make a terrific substitution for apples.
This recipe was originally featured in the Kettle & Crumb section of the August 2025 Corn Moon issue of our newsletter, the Liminal.
