Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)

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.

4.70 from 65 votes

Easy German Apple Streusel Cake (Apfelstreuselkuchen)

A delicious German apple cake with cinnamon streusel topping. A very easy recipe that tastes great with a dollop of whipped cream

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine German

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 232kcal

Author Marita

Equipment

10 inch / 26 cm cake spring form

Ingredients

150 g flour 5 oz (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US all purpose flour)
2 teaspoon baking powder
50 g corn flour/ corn starch 1.7 oz
1 pinch salt
4 apples about 1 kg/ 2 lbs - see post for which varities work best.
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon peel
3 eggs (medium size, at room temperature)
100 g butter 3.5 oz (at room temperature)
100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz

For the cinnamon streusel topping

100 g butter 3.5 oz at room temperature
150 g flour 5 oz (Germany type 405, UK plain flour, US all purpose flour)
100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz
2 tsp vanilla sugar (alternatively 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
½ tsp ground cinnamon

Metric - US Customary

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, salt, and corn flour/ starch into a bowl and set aside.
150 g flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 50 g corn flour/ corn starch , 1 pinch salt
Peel the apples, core them and cut them into slices. Cover them in lemon juice so they don’t brown.
4 apples, 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
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.
100 g granulated sugar , 100 g butter, 2 teaspoon vanilla sugar , ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 150 g flour
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together at high speed until smooth and creamy, which should take around 2 minutes. Add the eggs and mix well for a further minute. Add the lemon peel. Pour the flour mixture into the batter and mix at a low speed until everything is combined.
3 eggs, 100 g butter, 100 g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon peel
Spoon or pour the 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 skewer 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.
You can serve this cake warm or cold. It goes well with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Video

Notes

I advise you to look at the recipe video to see the steps.

Adjust quantities for 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.

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.

Freezing Instructions

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

Nutrition