German Apple Cake

Name: German Apple Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 4 tsp baking powder; 2 tsp fine sea salt; 1½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground nutmeg; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1 cup packed brown sugar; ⅔ cup granulated sugar; 4 large eggs, lightly beaten; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 2 granny smith apples or apples of choice, peeled and sliced thin; ½ cup granulated sugar for topping; 1 tsp ground cinnamon for topping

Recipe GLPRb82075557e4a1d

German

Dessert

60 min

343 cal

Servings: 12

Oven

SNAP eligible

A classic German-style apple cake with a moist, tender crumb flavored with warm spices and topped with fresh apple slices dusted in cinnamon sugar. Perfect for afternoon coffee or a simple dessert.

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Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp fine sea salt

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

⅔ cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 granny smith apples or apples of choice, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup granulated sugar for topping

1 tsp ground cinnamon for topping

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan or similar cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, fine sea salt, 1½ tsp ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set the dry mixture aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and 2/3 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes of beating.
Add the lightly beaten eggs to the butter mixture gradually, beating well after each addition to ensure thorough incorporation.
Stir in the vanilla extract until combined.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Peel, core, and slice the apples thinly. Arrange the apple slices over the top of the batter in overlapping rows or a decorative pattern.
In a small bowl, combine the ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle this cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the apple slices.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

This is a straightforward cake that will cost nothing extra at any Charlotte grocer—everything from flour to apples is in stock everywhere, year-round. A dozen servings at around $0.80 per serving (driven mainly by butter and eggs) makes it economical for a dessert. The stated 60 minutes is honest if you count cooling, but active work is closer to 15 minutes; the real stumbling block is that this is a same-night dish and does not reheat well, so you need an audience ready to eat cake the day it bakes. It's a reliable, fuss-free crowd-pleaser for a family dinner or potluck, but the poor reheating and single-use window keep it from being a five-star weeknight staple.