Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)

Name: Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups flour ( (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US all-purpose flour) ); 2 tsp baking powder; 1/3 cups corn flour/ corn starch; 1 pinch salt; 4 apples (about 1 kg/ 2 lbs - use tart apples like cox, braeburn, or granny smith); 2 tsp fresh lemon juice; 1/2 cups butter ( (at room temperature) ); 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 3 eggs ( (medium size, at room temperature)); 1 tsp lemon zest; 1/2 cups butter (at room temperature ); 1 1/4 cups flour ((Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US all purpose flour) ); 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 2 tsp vanilla sugar ((alternatively 1 tsp vanilla extract) ); 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

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This Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen) has been the most popular recipe on My Dinner for years, and every bite of this German Apple Cake tells you why. The slightly tart apples are nestled in a buttery, pillowy dough and then topped with cinnamon-flavored streusel. It is soft, it is moist, and it is so easy to make. Let me show you how to make this apple coffee cake so you can wow your guests too.

A German apple streusel cake on a glass plate. One of the slices is being lifted out with a cake slice. In the background there are some red apples. One red apple is sliced.

I received this recipe from my friend's mom over a decade ago. I have fond memories of stepping into her home, with the smell of apples and cinnamon greeting me, and knowing the best apple streusel cake was waiting for me. Today it is one of my favorite recipes to bring to potlucks because it travels well and everyone loves it.

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What is Apfelstreuselkuchen?
Ingredients you'll need
Recipe Variation
How to make cinnamon streusel
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
More German Cake Recipes
Have you made this recipe?
Recipe

What is Apfelstreuselkuchen?

Apfelstreuselkuchen is known in English-speaking countries as apple crumb cake or apple crumble cake, and in the US you might also hear it called an apple streusel coffee cake

It consists of a base, which is either a yeast dough, a sponge, or a shortcrust base. The filling is made with apples. The main characteristic of this cake is the streusel topping, a crunchy crumble that consists of flour, butter, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.

This German apple cake recipe uses a soft sponge cake batter as its base, which means no waiting for a yeast dough to rise. On top of the batter, we place sliced apples, and the cake is finalised with a thick layer of cinnamon streusel. I give some suggestions on how to adapt the recipe further down.

Other German apple cakes

Apples are much loved in the German kitchen, and every family has their favorite apple cake. If you love apples, try these too:

Versunkener Apfelkuchen (sunken apple cake): apple halves sink into a buttery sponge as it bakes
Gedeckter Apfelkuchen (covered apple cake): a spiced apple filling baked between two layers of shortcrust pastry

More German streusel cakes

Streusel doesn't only go with apples. The original Streuselkuchen is a simple yeast cake with nothing but streusel on top, and you'll find it in every German bakery. Once you've made the streusel, it works with almost any fruit:

Ingredients you'll need

For the detailed instructions and exact measurements, please jump to the printable recipe card

For the cake base, you'll need all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK, type 405 in Germany), baking powder (affiliate link), cornstarch, lemon zest, eggs, butter, and granulated sugar. The cornstarch is my little secret for a light, tender sponge. For the filling, you'll need tart apples and a splash of fresh lemon juice to stop them from browning. The streusel topping is made from just butter, flour, granulated sugar, vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract (affiliate link)), and cinnamon. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start.

Which apples are best for German apple cake?

The best apples for this cake are tart ones that hold their shape and don't turn mushy or watery in the oven. Tart apples develop their flavor to the fullest when baked, so they balance the sweet streusel perfectly. In Germany, I use Boskop or Elstar. In the US, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp all work beautifully, and a mix of two varieties gives the cake even more flavor. Avoid soft apples like McIntosh or Red Delicious, as they turn mealy and release too much juice.

German Apple Streusel Cake Recipe Steps

Step 1: Make the streusel and prep the apples. Grease your springform pan, line the base with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Mix the room-temperature butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon, then stir in the flour until thick, crumbly clumps form. Pop the streusel in the fridge. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples (about ¼ inch), and toss them in lemon juice so they don't brown.

Step 2: Make the cake batter. Beat the room-temperature butter and sugar until light and smooth, then add the eggs and lemon zest. Fold in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder (affiliate link), and salt on low speed, mixing only until just combined so the sponge stays light.

Step 3: Spread the batter in the pan and arrange the apple slices in circles on top. Crumble the cold streusel loosely over the apples with your fingertips, without pressing it down. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake (not into an apple slice) comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan before you release the springform, then dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

German apple cake on a glas platter. The cake plate is on a grew background. A piece of apple crumble cake is placed on a cake slicer. Lower down you can see two forks. A piece of apfelstreuselcake is on a glas plate. Above and around the plate are apples. Some of the apples are sliced.

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Recipe Variation

Use applesauce instead of apple slices: Why not try cooking the apples down to a smooth applesauce? Then spread it over the cake base. This makes an even moister apple cake.
Swap the apples for other fruit: You can replace the apples in this recipe with a variety of fruits. Stone fruits like plums, peaches, and cherries work beautifully, and so do pears. For something a little more tart, try blueberries, raspberries, red currants, or rhubarb. If you use frozen berries, don't thaw them first. Scatter them straight onto the batter so they don't bleed into the cake.
Make an apple streusel sheet cake: This recipe is so versatile. If you have a lot of bellies to fill, why not double the quantities? You can bake this apple cake in a sheet pan and it will be just as delicious. A 10x15-inch jelly roll pan works well for a double batch. Because the cake is thinner, start checking it a little earlier with a skewer.
For a standard 18x13-inch half sheet pan, triple the recipe. Baking in a 9x13-inch pan? Set the servings in the recipe card to 18 (that's 4 large eggs) and bake for about the same time. No 10-inch springform? A 9-inch pan works too; the cake will be a little taller, so add a few minutes to the baking time.

A piece of apple streusel cake on a grey background. A fork is breaking off a piece. in the background you can see the german apple streusel cake with some apples in the background. There are also some apple slices.

How to make cinnamon streusel

There are two ways to make it. My favorite method is to mix soft butter with the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon, and flour, then carefully crumble the dough between my fingers while sprinkling it over the cake. This gives you a mix of big and small clumps, which is exactly what you want. Another way is to melt the butter first, stir in the sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and then let the mixture cool in the fridge until firm before you crumble it.

Why you should chill the streusel

Whichever method you use, always chill the streusel before baking. Cooling makes the butter firm again, so the crumbs keep their shape in the oven instead of melting into a flat layer. Cold butter also makes the streusel crisp and crunchy rather than greasy. When the streusel is mixed quickly, some of the sugar stays in crystals, and chilling stops it from melting too early, which gives you that lovely crunch later. And because cold streusel is firmer, it sits on top of the cake instead of sinking into the soft batter underneath.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

Make ahead: You can bake this German apple cake with streusel topping one day in advance. It still tastes great the next day, so it's perfect when you're baking for a party or a potluck.

Storage: This apple cake of course tastes best fresh out of the oven or the next day. However, in the unlikely event that you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container. To bring back the crunch of the streusel, warm a slice in the oven for a few minutes.

Can you freeze This cake?

Yes, this cake is great for freezing. Place it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it in slices, so I can take out just one or two at a time. Let them thaw at room temperature, then warm them briefly in the oven so the streusel turns crisp again.

More German Cake Recipes

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I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a rating and comment below.

You'll help fellow readers enjoy it too and help me spread the word about German cuisine. - Marita x

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Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)