Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)

Published: Sep 3, 2021 · Modified: Oct 17, 2022 by Marita Sinden · 49 Comments

This deliciously moist and crumbly German apple streusel cake is so easy to prepare and tastes amazing. You will find this Apfelstreuselkuchen, as this apple crumble cake is called in German, everywhere in Germany. It is one of the classic German coffee cake recipes and can be found in bakeries, cafes, and is popular with home bakers.

German Apple cake with streusel topping on a glass platter. One of the slices is being lifted out with a cake sliver. Next to the glass platter there is a slice of apple cake on a glas plate. Underneath you can see two forks and some slived apples and green leaves. Above the apple cake you have some red apples situated.

I was given this recipe by my friend’s mother, and this is one of her specialities. I have fond memories of stepping into her home, with the smell of the apples and cinnamon greeting me. This is when I knew that the best apple streusel cake is waiting for me.

What is Apfelstreuselkuchen?

Apfelstreuselkuchen is known in English-speaking countries as apple crumb cake. It consists of a base, which is either yeast or 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.

If you love apples then this apple cake with a streusel topping is for you. Apples are much loved in the German kitchen and I have many recipes that include apples on my blog. Here are a few:

This German apple cake recipe with streusel topping uses a sponge cake batter as its base. On top of the batter, we place some sliced apples. The cake is finally topped with some cinnamon crumble. I give some suggestions on how to adapt the recipe further down.

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.

German Apple Streusel Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

150 g/ 5 oz flour (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, USA pastry flour)
2 teaspoon baking powder (affiliate link)
50 g/ 1.7 oz corn flour/ corn starch
1 teaspoon lemon peel
3 eggs (medium size, at room temperature)
100 gr/ 3.5 oz butter (at room temperature)
100 gr/ 3.5 oz granulated sugar
6 apples (about 2 kg)
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.

For the streusel topping

100 gr/ 3.5 oz butter (at room temperature)
150 gr/ 5 oz flour
100 gr/ 5.5 oz granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla sugar (alternatively is 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link))
½ teaspoon cinnamon.

Step by Step Instructions

Prepare your cake tin by greasing the sides with butter and covering the base with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 356°F top and bottom heat.
Sieve the flour, baking powder (affiliate link), salt and corn flour/ starch into a bowl and set aside.
Peel the apples, core them and cut into slices. Cover them in the lemon juice so they don’t brown.
Make the streusel topping: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla sugar, cinnamon and butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour. The streusel topping should be thick and crumbly. Place in the fridge until needed.
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, which should take around 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix well for a further minute. Pour the flour mixture into the batter and mix on a low speed until everything is combined.
Spoon or pour the apple cake batter into your baking tin. Spread out the batter to form an even surface with the rubber spatula if needed.

Place the apple slices in a circular arrangement on top of the base.
Now remove the streusel topping from the fridge. With your fingers crumble the dough over the cake.
Place in the oven and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on your oven. To check if your cake is done, prick a strewer into the middle of the cake - if it comes out clean it is done.
Keep the cake at room temperature until it is ready to serve. If you like you can dust the cake with some icing/ confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Recipe Variations

Replace the fresh apple slices with boiled apples

Why not try boiling the apples down to a smooth apple sauce. Then spread it over the cake base. This makes an even moister apple cake.

Substitute the apples for other fruit

You can substitute the apples in this recipe with a variety of fruits. Here are some suggestions:

Plums
Pears
Peaches
Blueberries
Red Currants
Raspberries

Try making an apple streusel sheet cake /tray bake

This recipe is so versatile. If you have a lot of bellies to fill then why not double the quantities? You can bake this apple cake in a sheet pan/ baking tray and it will be just as delicious.

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.

Tips for the BEST German Apple Streusel Cake

How to make cinnamon streusel

The success of any Apfelstreuselkuchen for me is the quality of the “Streusel”. The streusel topping on the cake can make or break the recipe. I like the cinnamon streusel to be extra crunchy, and there needs to be plenty of it.

My favourite method of making the cinnamon streusel is carefully crumbling the dough between my fingers when sprinkling the crumble over the cake.

Which apples are best for apple cake?

Of course, the quality of an apple cake also depends on the apples themselves. Ideally, they don't disintegrate entirely when baked or become too liquidy. Tart apples work best, as they develop their flavour to the fullest when baked. Here are some examples:

Boskop
Elstar
Jonagold
Granny smith
Braeburn
Bramley

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 serve this German Apple Crumble Cake?

In Germany, you would enjoy this cake with a cup of coffee. Kaffee und Kuchen (Coffee and Cake time) usually takes place in the afternoon. A spoon of freshly whipped cream is a great accompaniment for this crumbly cake. You can serve it warm, straight out of the oven or cold.

Prepare in advance

You can prepare this German apple cake with streusel topping one day in advance. It will still taste good the next day.

Storage Instructions

This apple cake tastes of course 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 it with cling film or keep it in an airtight container.

To serve, you can reheat it in the oven if desired.

Can you freeze apple cake?

Yes, this cake is great for freezing. Place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.

More German Cake Recipes you might like:

Did you try this recipe?

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