Apples are available all year round, which is why cakes with apples are also in season all year round. This delicious German Apple Cake (with Quark-Oil-Dough) is a cake we like to bake over and over again, because it’s such a quick and easy bake. And really tasty, of course. That’s actually always reason number one! ;P
Even though a lot of people here in Germany love to bake apple cakes with a yeast dough as base, I am not the biggest fan of that. If you want a cake quickly on the table, a simple quark-oil-dough is always the better option. Nobody wants to wait 2 hours for a yeast dough to get ready to be worked with when you can do this cake here from start to finish in the same time ;)
Baking often requires patience. Especially when working with yeast. Normally, I am fine with that – you can do other things while waiting for the yeast to get ready. But not always. Sometimes you want your cake/bread/or whatever to be ready as soon as possible. For example, when unexpected guests are coming over for a coffee in the afternoon ;P
We love to use quark-oil-dough for cakes and other bakes. This type of dough is easy to prepare and quickly ready to use. The bakes have a great texture, equally to yeast dough – so why using yeast and waiting longer than necessary. Just sayin’ ;P If you are in a hurry, a simple dough like the one used here is definitely a great option. If you don’t believe it, you should take a look at my Damson Plum Cake Tray Bake or my Easter Bunnies with Quark-Oil-Dough (or even better, make them!). These are just two examples to show you, what you can do with this type of dough.
When a dough does not need a lot of attention, you got more time for the filling, right? Peeling apples needs time – especially when you add so many apples to the filling like you do here ;P More than 1 kilogram of apples ended up in this cake here. Not my absolute record for a cake/pie with apples, but close… Without the custard, I could have even used more apples here, but then the custard would be missing. Something you don’t want to happen here. The combination of the vanilla custard and the apples makes this cake here so delicious!
Speaking of vanilla custard. I always make it from scratch, but you can, of course, use custard powder from the supermarket to make some vanilla custard. If you want to do so, just replace the cornstarch with the custard powder and leave out the egg yolk and vanilla extract. The result should be quite similar (if you use a product that needs to be cooked – not the instant custard stuff). I am not a big fan of the stuff from the supermarket because it is pretty much just cornstarch with added aromas – sold as an expensive convenient product. Save some coins and use regular cornstarch instead ;P
Anyway. Apart from that, there’s not really much else to talk about here. Make sure you let the finished cake cool down completely. I know… it’s not easy when the whole kitchen smells so good, but the cake simply needs time to cool and set. If you cut it too early, the filling will still be wobbly/runny, and you won’t get a nice cut. If you prefer the apple cake to be slightly warm, I recommend warming the single slices for a few seconds in the microwave before serving. That will do the trick.
Well. I got much more recipes for bakes featuring apples here on the blog. Two of my favorites are definitely my Invisible Apple Cake aka. Gateau Invisible Aux Pommes and my Easy Apple Frangipane Tart. If you love to bake with apples, these two recipes are just perfect. They showcase really well what you can do with apples. No matter which of these two you put on the table – your guests will be delighted ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
For the vanilla custard:
1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
7 oz. (200g) heavy cream
1.4 oz. (40g) cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium egg yolk
For the apple filling:
about 46 oz. (1.3 kg) of apples
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. cornstarch
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups (200g) spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1 pinch of salt
4.4 oz. (125g) quark (low-fat)
4 tbsp. milk
4 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the almond topping:
3.5 oz. (100g) almonds, sliced
some coarse sugar
Für den Vanillepudding:
300ml Milch
200g Schlagsahne
40g Speisestärke
2 EL Zucker
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
1 Eigelb (M)
Für die Apfel Füllung:
etwa 1,3kg Äpfel
2 EL Zitronensaft
2 EL Wasser
1 EL Zimt
2 EL Speisestärke
Für den Teig:
200g Dinkelmehl (Type 630)
2 TL Backpulver
50g Zucker
1 Prise Salz
125g Speisequark (Magerstufe)
4 EL Milch
4 EL Sonnenblumenöl
1 TL Vanille Extrakt
Für das Mandel Topping:
100g Mandeln, gehobelt
etwas grober Zucker
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the vanilla custard for the filling. Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract with a little of the milk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the heavy cream to a saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as you can see the bubbles come up, add the cornstarch mixture and stir in. Let cook for a moment while stirring constantly until nicely thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool down for a moment, then add the egg yolk and mix in. Set aside and keep stirring from time to time to prevent skin from forming on top of the custard.
2. Peel and quarter the apples, remove the cores, and cut into small cubes. Add the apples together with the lemon juice, water, cinnamon, and cornstarch to a large saucepan/pot and mix to combine. Let the apples simmer over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes until the apple pieces are softer but not mushy. Remove from the heat, remove excess liquid from the saucepan, then add the custard and mix well. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°). Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) springform tin with baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside.
4. Add the flour for the dough to a large bowl and mix with the baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the quark, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix (quickly) to create a soft and smooth dough. You can use a handheld mixer (with dough hooks) or a simple wooden spoon to mix everything. Transfer the dough to the prepared springform tin and press to the bottom and sides to create a nice base. The dough should be at least 1.6 inches up on the sides of the baking tin.
5. Add the apple custard filling and spread evenly. Sprinkle the almonds and some coarse sugar on top and bake the cake for about 70-75 minutes. The edges of the cake should have a nice golden color, but make sure the almonds are not getting too dark. Cover the cake with a piece of baking parchment if necessary. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down completely inside the springform tin. When cooled down, remove from the tin and place on a serving plate. Dust with some confectioners’ sugar (optional) and serve with whipped cream or additional vanilla sauce.
1. Mit dem Vanillepudding für die Füllung starten – dazu Stärke, Zucker und Vanille Extrakt mit ein wenig der Milch glatt rühren. Die restliche Milch und Sahne in einen kleinen Topf geben und einmal aufkochen lassen, dann die Stärkemischung dazugeben und einrühren. Den Pudding unter ständigem Rühren kurz blubbern lassen, bis er schön angedickt ist. Vom Herd ziehen und einen Moment stehen lassen, dann das Eigelb unterrühren. Den Pudding zur Seite stellen und bis zur weiteren Verwendung immer wieder einmal durchrühren, damit sich keine Haut bildet.
2. Die Äpfel schälen, vierteln, die Kerngehäuse entfernen und in kleine Würfel schneiden. Die Äpfel zusammen mit Zitronensaft, Wasser, Zimt und Stärke in einem großen Topf vermengen und dann bei mittlerer Hitzezufuhr etwa 6-8 Minuten köcheln lassen – die Äpfel sollen weicher, aber nicht matschig sein. Den Topf vom Herd ziehen und überschüssige Flüssigkeit abgießen, dann den Pudding zu den Äpfeln dazugeben und alles gut vermengen.
3. Den Ofen auf 170°C (340°F) Ober-/Unterhitze vorheizen. Eine 24cm Springform mit Backpapier auslegen und leicht einfetten. Zur Seite stellen.
4. Für den Teig das Dinkelmehl mit Backpulver, Zucker und Salz in einer großen Schüssel vermischen. Quark, Milch, Öl und Vanille Extrakt dazugeben und alles zügig zu einem glatten Teig verarbeiten – kann man mit einem Handrührgerät (mit Knethaken) erledigen, oder man verwendet einfach einen Kochlöffel. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Springform geben und dann am Boden und den Seiten festdrücken. Der Rand sollte min. 4cm (1.6 inches) hoch sein.
5. Die Apfel-Pudding-Masse gleichmäßig auf dem Teig verteilen und dann Mandeln und etwas groben Zucker darüber streuen. Den Kuchen für etwa 70-75 Minuten backen. Der Teig sollte am Rand schön Farbe bekommen haben, die Mandeln sollten allerdings nicht zu dunkel sein. Sollte es notwendig sein, gegen Ende einfach ein Stück Backpapier auf den Kuchen legen und weiter backen. Aus dem Ofen holen und in der Form komplett abkühlen lassen. Vor dem Servieren aus der Form lösen und auf eine Servierplatte setzen – wer mag, kann auch noch etwas Puderzucker darüberstreuen (optional). Schmeckt prima mit etwas Schlagsahne oder Vanillesoße.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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German Apple Cake (with Curd-Oil-Dough)
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 01:15
- Total Time: 02:00
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: Germany
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A classic apple cake you can find all over Germany – this German Apple Cake is packed with a huge amount of apples and vanilla custard. Just the best!
Ingredients
For the vanilla custard:
1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk
7 oz. (200g) heavy cream
1.4 oz. (40g) cornstarch
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium egg yolk
For the apple filling:
about 46 oz. (1.3 kg) of apples
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. cornstarch
For the dough:
1 1/2 cups (200g) spelt flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
1 pinch of salt
4.4 oz. (125g) quark (low-fat)
4 tbsp. milk
4 tbsp. sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
For the almond topping:
3.5 oz. (100g) almonds, sliced
some coarse sugar
Instructions
1. Start with the vanilla custard for the filling. Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract with a little of the milk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the heavy cream to a saucepan and bring to a boil. As soon as you can see the bubbles come up, add the cornstarch mixture and stir in. Let cook for a moment while stirring constantly until nicely thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool down for a moment, then add the egg yolk and mix in. Set aside and keep stirring from time to time to prevent skin from forming on top of the custard.
2. Peel and quarter the apples, remove the cores, and cut into small cubes. Add the apples together with the lemon juice, water, cinnamon, and cornstarch to a large saucepan/pot and mix to combine. Let the apples simmer over medium heat for about 6-8 minutes until the apple pieces are softer but not mushy. Remove from the heat, remove excess liquid from the saucepan, then add the custard and mix well. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°). Line a 9.5-inch (24cm) springform tin with baking parchment and grease lightly. Set aside.
4. Add the flour for the dough to a large bowl and mix with the baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the quark, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix (quickly) to create a soft and smooth dough. You can use a handheld mixer (with dough hooks) or a simple wooden spoon to mix everything. Transfer the dough to the prepared springform tin and press to the bottom and sides to create a nice base. The dough should be at least 1.6 inches up on the sides of the baking tin.
5. Add the apple custard filling and spread evenly. Sprinkle the almonds and some coarse sugar on top and bake the cake for about 70-75 minutes. The edges of the cake should have a nice golden color, but make sure the almonds are not getting too dark. Cover the cake with a piece of baking parchment if necessary. Take the cake out of the oven and let cool down completely inside the springform tin. When cooled down, remove from the tin and place on a serving plate. Dust with some confectioners’ sugar (optional) and serve with whipped cream or additional vanilla sauce.
Notes
Time to get your hands dirty in the kitchen!
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I love my job, but in between I love to bake and try new things in the kitchen. A lot of my friends and colleagues encourage me to bake - for a very simple reason: they get the leftovers - and it seems they like it most of the time ;) 
