Streuselkuchen is a classic German coffee cake that consists of a yeast base and delicious buttery "crumble". You will find this cake in every bakery in Germany. This is the basic recipe for plain old-fashioned German crumb cake. But you will also find it made with fruit such as my German Apple Streusel Cake.
Some find Streuselkuchen too dry- but this recipe makes it lovely and moist by pouring over a butter cream sauce. Do not worry it will not make it soggy, as you pour the sauce over when the cake comes out hot from the oven. The base will absorb all the moisture and the streusel will stay nice and crunchy.
What is Streuselkuchen?
Streuselkuchen is a classic German sheet cake made with yeast dough. In order to create the streusel, you create crumbles from a mixture of butter flour and sugar.
It is one of the classic German yeast cake recipes. Yeast is a popular choice for cake bases in Germany. Other traditional yeasted cakes are Butterkuchen, Bienenstich and German Red Currant Cake.
Translation to English
The word "Streusel" is derived from the verb "streuen" which means "to scatter or spread" in English. It refers to the crumbs being scattered on top of the cake base. It is also the word used for "crumble or crumbs" "Kuchen" is the German word for "cake". Hence the name "Streuselkuchen" can be literally translated means Crumb Cake.
Pronounciation
As an English speaker pronounce it "STREW-SELLE-COOK-EN".
History
Streuselkuchen has a special history in the German part of Silesia, where it appears in the 19th century in various literary sources. There are various legends about Silesia and the origin of this German crumb cake.
It was first mentioned in 1819 as a popular cake at fairs (Kirmes). During the harvest season, the recipe was varied with ingredients such as poppy seeds and seasonal fruits such as apples and cherries.
It also was an important cake for wedding festivities in East and West Prussia. In the Rhineland, on the other hand, people know it better as a to bring to funerals.
Until now you will find that Streuselkuchen remains a popular coffee cake that appears in most German cookbooks. (source, Irene Krauss 1999 - Chronik bildschöner Backwerke)
Silesian Legends of the Origin of Streuselkuchen
Let me tell you the charming charming legend of how the German Streusel cake was discovered. In Silesia, there were so-called goblins called "Fenismänner"- who knew the secret to baking delicious cakes.
Once upon a time, there was a poor maid who was in love with a young boy from one of the richest families. During the time of the Twelfth Night (which is around New Year) she met the goblins who invited her to their mountains. There she learned how to make Streuselkuchen. For the next Fasching (carnival) she baked a fabulous cake. It was so delicious that her reputation started to spread across the country. The rich farmer and his wife were now more than happy to wed their son to the maid. From then on the German streuselkuchen recipe spread across Silesia.
(source, Irene Krauss 1999 - Chronik bildschöner Backwerke)
How to make Streuselkuchen
This is an easy recipe, however, you need to factor in the time it takes for the cake to rise to ensure an extra fluffy cake.
Ingredients:
- flour Germany type 405, UK plain flour, USA pastry flour
- instant yeast
- sugar
- butter at room temperature
- egg
- salt
- whipping cream
- vanilla sugar or vanilla extract (affiliate link).
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the yeast dough
- Heat the milk to a lukewarm temperature. Stir in the sugar and yeast and leave to rest for 10 minutes. The yeast should activate and you will be able to see bubbles appearing on the surface. If the bubbles do not appear, the milk might have been too hot and damaged the yeast.
- Preheat your oven to the lowest setting.
- In a separate bowl, add together the flour and salt. Pour over the yeast mixture and add the butter and egg. With a hand or stand mixer, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until you achieve a smooth, not too-sticky dough.
- Turn off the oven. Place the dough in a bowl, and cover it with a moist tea towel. Leave to rise for about an hour in the warmed-up oven. After an hour, the dough should have doubled in size.
To make the streusel
- Melt the butter on low heat on the stove. Move it off the heat. Now add in the flour, sugar, and vanilla sugar. First stir the mixture with a spatular, until combined. Then you can crumble the mixture with your fingers. Place in the fridge and set aside for later.
Assembling the cake
- Remove the dough from the oven and preheat your oven to 180°C / 356°F top to bottom heat.
- Using a rolling pin (affiliate link), roll out the dough on some baking parchment (this will make it easier to transfer it to the tray later on).
- Transfer the dough and baking parchment to the tray (approx 28cm x 32 cm / 11" x 12")
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the dough. The cake needs to rest for another 30 minutes.
- Bake the cake for appoximatley 25 to 30 minutes. The streusel should turn golden in color.
- In the meantime place the cream, butter, and sugar in a saucepan. Gently warm up the mixture until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. The mixture should not boil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and while the cake is still warm, evenly pour over the cream sauce.
- I recommend enjoying this cake warm. You can sprinkle the cake with icing/confectioners sugar before serving.
Recipe Variations
There are many ways to make this cake. The main challenge is for the cake not to end up becoming too dry. This is why there you will find different layers between the base and the streusel. Here are some ideas.
- make the cake with fruit- see my Apfel Streusel cake recipe as an idea. But you can use other fruit such as plums, pears, and cherries instead.
- Add a layer of German Vanilla Pudding. - this is also a popular variation. Instead of the cream sauce, you place a layer of cooled vanilla pudding between the base and the streusel layer. This will add a delicious jucy layer.
- Add streusel on top of your cheesecake. Here your German streusel recipe from this cake and add it on top of your German cheesecake for the best of both worlds.
- Make the streuselkuchen without yeast. Instead, you can use a simple sponge base. I used a similar base in may Apfelstreuselkuchen.
- Vary the streusel flavoring. You could for example also add some cinnamon to your streusel.
How to serve Streuselkuchen
In Germany, this yeasted coffee cake is served in the afternoon for "Kaffee and Kuchen". Which is the traditional afternoon tea in Germany. Sprinkle the cake with some icing/ confectioners sugar just before serving. If you want you can also serve it with a dollop of freshly whipped-up cream.
Storage Instructions
The German Crumb Cake will stay good, stored in an airtight container, for up to three days. The cake tastes the best lukewarm. You can warm it up in the microwave or oven.
You can freeze this cake and keep it in an airtight container for up to three months.
More Cake Recipes:
Recipe
Moist Streuselkuchen (German Crumb Cake)
Equipment
- 1 baking tray (approx 28cm -32 cm / 11" x 12") It is not exact. I always say better too much dough than to little and you can always divide this cake into two smaller trays.
Ingredients
- 500 g flour 17.5 oz Germany type 405, UK plain flour, USA pastry flour
- 1 sachet instant yeast 7 g/ 2 teaspoon
- 200 ml milk 6.7 fl oz
- 100 g sugar 3.5 oz
- 80 g butter 2.8 oz, at room temperature
- 1 egg medium size and at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the streusel topping
- 250 g flour 8.8 oz Germany type 405, UK plain flour, USA pastry flour
- 150 g butter 5.2 oz, at room temperature
- 120 g sugar 4.2 oz
- 2 teaspoon vanilla sugar can be substituted with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link)
For the cream sauce
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 75 g butter 2.6 oz at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla sugar or use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (affiliate link).
To serve
- 50 g icing/confectioners sugar 1.7 oz
Instructions
To prepare the yeast dough
- Heat the milk to a lukewarm temperature. Stir in the sugar and yeast and leave to rest for 10 minutes. The yeast should activate and you will be able to see bubbles appearing on the surface. If the bubbles do not appear, the milk might have been too hot and damaged the yeast.
- Preheat your oven to the lowest setting.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour and salt. Pour over the yeast mixture and add the butter and egg. With a hand or stand mixer, knead the dough for about 10 minutes until you achieve a smooth, not too sticky dough.
- Turn off the oven. Place the dough in a bowl, and cover it with a moist tea towel. Leave to rise for about an hour in the warmed-up oven. After an hour, the dough should have doubled in size.
To make the streusel
- Melt the butter on low heat on the stove. Remove it from the heat. Now add in the flour, sugar, and vanilla sugar. First stir the mixture with a spatular, until combined. Then you can crumble the mixture with your fingers. Place in the fridge and set aside for later.
For the cream sauce
- Place the cream, butter and sugar in a saucepan. Gently warm up the mixture until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat. The mixture should not boil.
Assembling the cake
- Remove the dough from the oven and preheat your oven to 180°C/356°F top to bottom heat.
- Using a rolling pin (affiliate link), roll our the dough on some baking parchment (this will make it easier to transfer it to the tray later on).
- Transfer the dough and baking parchment to the tray (approx. 28cm -32 cm / 11" x 12")
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the dough. The cake needs to rest for another 30 minutes.
- Bake the cake for appoximately 25 to 30 minutes. The streusel should turn golden in colour.
- Remove from the oven and while the cake is still hot, evenly pour over the cream sauce. Do not worry it will not make it soggy, as you pour the sauce over when the cake comes out hot from the oven. The base will absorb all the moisture and the streusel will stay nice and crunchy.
- This cake is best enjoyed warm. You can sprinkle the cake with icing/confectioners sugar before serving.
Notes
Storage Instructions
This cake will stay good, stored in an airtight container, for up to three days. The cake tastes best lukewarm. You can warm it up in the microwave or oven. You can freeze this cake and keep it in an airtight container for up to three months.Baking with Yeast: Steps for Sucess
Baking with yeast is not rocket science. Here are my best tips to ensure that your yeast dough rises every time.- Use lukewarm milk. The microorganism in the yeast will activate through heat and sugar. The ideal temperature of the milk should be around 30-35°C / 86-95 °F. If the temperature rises above 45°C/113°F, the cells will die and your dough will not rise.
- Make sure your yeast is in-date. Using out-of-date yeast is a common reason for the dough not rising.
- 35°C/95 °F is the perfect temperature for the dough to rise. The temperature should not get hotter than 40 °C. If your kitchen is cooler, then preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Turn the oven off and place the dough in the oven. Cover it with a moist tea towel so it does not dry out. (If your lowest setting is hotter than 40 like mine 50, leave the door open for a couple of minutes before placing the dough in)
- Knead the dough thoroughly - To ensure that the cake becomes light and fluffy you need to knead it for a long time. A well-kneaded dough hardly sticks. After the dough rises it is important to knead it again, as during the rising process gas bubbles form. This will ensure that your bread bakes evenly.
Christina says
I made this cake yesterday and I cannot get over how delicious it came out. It’s very authentic German for sure. I have one question…should the cake stay in the pan when the cream/butter sause is poured over the cake? I was afraid the cake would become soggy if I left it in the pan so I took it out before pouring it. Although it’s still delish, it’s a bit dryer than I think it should be so I have a feeling it lost a lot of moisture because I did that.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Christina,
thank you for making the recipe and I am glad you enjoyed it. I usually put the cream on the cake while still on the tray. Never did it any other way so that could be the reason your cake was drier. However it is traditionally a dry cake - just more moist with the cream - if that makes sense 🙂
Drea says
The cake is delicious and easy to make and freeze. I have a couple of tips.: double or triple the recipe for the Streusel (crumbs). Portion and freeze the prepared Streusel and freeze. That way, when you need Streusel for any type of cake, you have them quickly in hand. You don’t have to thaw them, they bake from frozen, too.
If you are worried that you don’t have a steady hand pouring the cream from the sauce pan on the cake, use a ladle.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Andrea! Thanks so much for your comment and your helpful tips! I am glad you enjoyed it. Marita
JP says
I am looking forward to making this. I have a query before starting. Should the cream sauce be cold when pouring over the streusel cake when it comes out of the oven?
Marita says
I think warm would be better, as otherwise it ends up making the cake cold.
Neil says
I made this for the first time and wow it’s absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out exactly as promised. Makes a lot of 🍰 cake!!
Marita says
Hi Neil,
thanks for your feedback! I am glad you enjoyed it