I kept seeing Apfelkuchen pop up while learning German on Duolingo, so I finally decided to make it—and I’m so glad I did. This classic German apple cake turned out wonderfully light and not too sweet, with tender apple slices baked right into the top. I made a few small tweaks to the original Green Healthy Cooking recipe, using plant-based butter and swapping in a tablespoon of honey for part of the sugar. Next time, I might use larger apple slices for even more fruit in each bite.
Ingredients
| Apples (Honeycrisp, SugarBee, or similar) | 4 | Small |
| Dairy-free butter (at room temperature) | 1 | Stick |
| Granulated sugar | 120 | Grams |
| Lemon | 1 | – |
| Eggs (at room temperature) | 3 | – |
| Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract | 2 | Teaspoons |
| All-purpose or cake flour (spooned and leveled) | 200 | Grams |
| Baking powder | 2 | Teaspoons |
| Sea salt | 1/4 | Teaspoon |
| Raw sugar (Demerara or Turbinado) | 1 | Tablespoon |
Instructions
- Butter a 9-inch round cake pan on the bottom and sides, then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Peel one apple at a time, cut in half, and remove the core (try not to cut away too much apple). Lay the halves flat and make several slits across without cutting all the way through, then cut each half in half again—you’ll have slitted quarters. Lightly brush with lemon juice to prevent browning and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and zest of one lemon until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix in the eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate before adding the next. Keep the speed on low and avoid overbeating.
- Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Gently mix on low just until combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Arrange the apple quarters on top of the batter without pressing them down. Sprinkle a little raw sugar over the apples for a light caramelized finish.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes before removing. Sprinkle with a bit more raw sugar if you like, and serve with homemade whipped cream—or enjoy as is!
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