Versunkener Apfelkuchen (German Sunken Apple Cake)
A buttery vanilla and lemon batter spread in a springform, topped with a ring of peeled apple quarters scored on top so they fan open and sink as the cake rises around them, baked at 350°F for about 45 minutes and brushed hot with apricot jam.
In German, apple pie and apple cake are the same word. Wikipedia's apple pie article says "Kuchen" covers what English speakers call pie, so apple pie falls under Apfelkuchen, and that a fully pastry-covered one is a gedeckter Apfelkuchen. German Wikipedia lists the family: the covered cake on shortcrust, a lattice-topped Apfel-Gitterkuchen, a yeast-dough sheet cake with apples and raisins that it calls one of the most common in the countryside, and the versunkener Apfelkuchen, quartered apples set on a batter in a springform, which it calls one of the simplest and fastest of all.
This is that sunken apple cake, from Dr. Oetker, the German baking company, whose recipe "Apfelkuchen, sehr fein" (apple cake, very fine) has more than 2,400 reader ratings on its site. There is no crust at all: a plain butter cake batter, apple quarters scored on their rounded backs, and a brush of apricot jam to make them shine. It is the German answer to the question every apple pie asks, how to keep the bottom from going soggy: leave out the pastry.
Why it works the kitchen science
Scored apples
The cuts let heat into the thick quarters so they cook through in the same 45 minutes as the cake, and they fan open into the ridged look the cake is known for (Dr. Oetker gives both reasons).
A batter instead of pastry
The cake rises up around the heavy apples as it bakes, so they sink in and are held by soft crumb instead of sitting on a crust that could turn soggy.
Step by step
- Step 1
Butter the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C), conventional heat, with a rack in the lower third.
- Step 2
Peel, quarter and core the apples. With a small knife, score the rounded top of each quarter lengthwise several times, cutting about halfway into the fruit.
- Step 3
Beat the butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and lemon zest until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, about 30 seconds each on high speed.
- Step 4
Mix the flour and baking powder and beat them in on medium speed briefly, in two additions, alternating with the milk. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Step 5
Lay the apple quarters, scored side up, in a ring on the batter.
- Step 6
Bake about 45 minutes, until the cake is golden, a toothpick in the cake between the apples comes out clean and the apples are tender when pierced.
- Step 7
Push the jam through a sieve, bring it to a boil with the water, stirring, and brush it over the hot cake at once. Remove the ring and let the cake cool on the springform base.
Versunkener Apfelkuchen (German Sunken Apple Cake)
Serves 12 · one 10-inch (26 cm) cake · 1 hr 25 min total
Topping
- 750 g (about 1 2/3 lb) firm apples, such as Elstar, Braeburn or Jonagold
Batter
- 125 g (1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) soft unsalted butter
- 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 1 packet (8 g) vanilla sugar, or 2 tsp sugar plus 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon (in place of Dr. Oetker's lemon flavoring)
- 3 eggs
- 200 g (1 2/3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 level tsp baking powder
- About 2 tbsp milk
- Butter for the pan
Glaze
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp water
Method
- Butter the bottom of a 10-inch (26 cm) springform. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C), conventional heat, with a rack in the lower third.
- Peel, quarter and core the apples. With a small knife, score the rounded top of each quarter lengthwise several times, cutting about halfway into the fruit.
- Beat the butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and lemon zest until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, about 30 seconds each on high speed.
- Mix the flour and baking powder and beat them in on medium speed briefly, in two additions, alternating with the milk. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Lay the apple quarters, scored side up, in a ring on the batter.
- Bake about 45 minutes, until the cake is golden, a toothpick in the cake between the apples comes out clean and the apples are tender when pierced.
- Push the jam through a sieve, bring it to a boil with the water, stirring, and brush it over the hot cake at once. Remove the ring and let the cake cool on the springform base.
Adapted from Dr. Oetker, "Apfelkuchen, sehr fein" (about 12 pieces), in German. We follow it as written: a 26 or 28 cm springform with a greased bottom; 750 g apples such as Elstar, peeled, quartered, cored and scored lengthwise several times on top; a batter of 125 g soft butter or margarine beaten smooth with 100 g sugar, 1 packet vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt and half a vial of Dr. Oetker lemon flavoring, 3 medium eggs each beaten in about 1/2 minute on high, then 200 g flour mixed with 2 level tsp baking powder added alternately with about 2 tbsp milk; the apple quarters laid in a ring; about 45 minutes at about 180°C (160°C fan) in the lower third; 2 tbsp apricot jam pushed through a sieve and boiled with 1 tbsp water, brushed on right after baking; cooled on the springform base. Lemon zest for the flavoring, the 350°F rounding and the toothpick test are ours. History from German Wikipedia, "Apfelkuchen". oetker.de. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Dr. Oetker: use apples with firm flesh, such as Elstar, Boskoop or Jonagold, which hold their shape and taste strong.
- The cake freezes well, Dr. Oetker says, and keeps about 2 days in the refrigerator.
- Serve it slightly warm with a spoonful of whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- In a convection oven, Dr. Oetker gives about 160°C (325°F).
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- In German, an apple pie is a cake. Documented as Wikipedia's account: "Kuchen" covers what English speakers call pie, so apple pie is Apfelkuchen.
- The sunken cake is the easy one. Documented as German Wikipedia's account: one of the simplest and fastest kinds of Apfelkuchen.
- The apples have to be scored. Documented as Dr. Oetker's method, for looks and even cooking; other sunken cakes skip it.
- Butter or margarine. Documented: Dr. Oetker's recipe allows either.
Every other apple pie
English Apple Pie (Cooking Apples Under a Pastry Lid)
Chunks of tart cooking apples with honey, cinnamon and mixed spice piled into a deep pie dish under a single lid of butter shortcrust, glazed with egg and baked hot at 400°F until golden and bubbling.
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Eight cups of thin-sliced apples tossed with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, thickened with flour and cornstarch and dotted with butter, sealed between two flaky butter and shortening crusts, baked at 425°F and then 375°F until the filling bubbles hard through the vents.
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Fried Apple Hand Pies (Inspired by McDonald's, Not Official)
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