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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.
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4.68 from 62 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 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 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 pastry flour)  
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 50 g corn flour/ corn starch  1.7 oz
  • 1 teaspoon lemon peel
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 3 eggs  (medium size, at room temperature)
  • 100 g butter 3.5 oz (at room temperature) 
  • 100 g granulated sugar  3.5 oz
  • 4 apples about 1 kg/ 3.3 lbs - see post for which varities work best.
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the cinnamon streusel topping

  • 100 g butter 3.5 oz at room temperature
  • 150 g flour 5 oz
  • 100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar  (alternatively 1 teaspoon vanilla extract) 
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

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. 
  • Peel the apples, core them and cut them into slices. Cover them in 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 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. 
  • 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 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 step by step recipe photos in the post. 

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

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg