Apfelkuchen ( Bavarian Apple Cake) for #TwelveLoaves
A lightly sweetened yeast raised German apple cake like my Austrian grandma used to make.
Ingredients
- For the Cake Batter:
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour 281 g
- ½ cup sugar 100 g
- 1 packet of rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk 178ml
- ⅓ cup butter softened (76g)
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 ml
- 2 cups baking apples peeled, cored and sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice 5 ml
- 1 tablespoon sugar 14g
- 4-8 small baking apples such as Granny Smith or Pink Lady peeled, cored, halved, and tops sliced thin but not all the way through (8 if using a larger pan)
- Topping:
- ½ cup sugar 100g
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon .68 g
- 2 tablespoon cold butter 30g, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Grease either 2 8X4 loaf pans or a 9X13 pan with butter.
- Combine the thin apple slices with the lemon juice and sugar,stirring to coat well and set aside.
- Combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until crumbly.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer combine half of the flour, sugar, yeast and salt and mix to combine.
- Heat the butter and milk together until the butter is melted and the temperature is 120 deg f. Slowly add this to the flour mixture. Beat on medium until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add in the egg, vanilla and mix well again and then add the rest of the flour and mix on low until a stiff batter forms.
- Spread a little less than half the mixture on the bottom of the prepared pans, it is pretty stiff and stretchy so work slowly to not over work the batter. Place the apple slices over the batter and cover with the remaining batter. Gently press the apple halves into the top of the batter, arranging in any pattern desired. Sprinkle the topping over the batter avoiding the tops of the sliced apples. Cover pan with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft free area until batter has doubled in size, at least an hour
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F
- Uncover the pan or pans and bake for 20-30 minutes or until done. Let cool in pans on a wire rack. If made in loaf pans carefully remove from pans and set on a plate to cool. Can be served room temperature or warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Use firm sweet-tart baking apples such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Fuji.
Traditional German or Bavarian baking uses Vanillezucker or vanilla sugar. It may be hard to find the packets of it here in the states, perhaps at specialty bake shops or places like Cost Plus World Market. I substituted it for a little more sugar and the vanilla extract.
This was traditionally made in a bowl and mixed with a spoon. I saved your arm by using a stand mixer. Electricity is a good thing. But it still can be mixed the traditional way.