German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake

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German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake is extra moist and fruity! It’s made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce plus a crumb topping.

You guys, today I have a special cake for you! It’s a cake from my home country and it tastes so good! You definitely have to make this Bavarian apple cake! In Germany, we call it Apfelkuchen.

The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!

I love apple desserts like my Puff Pastry Walnut Apple Strudel. Apple cake is one of my favorites especially with crumbs on top. My grandmother used to bake a big sheet pan with half crumb cake and half apple crumb cake when there were family gatherings.

Many crumb cakes are more on the dry site and are made to be eaten with a big dollop of cream. But I like my cake moist, so it can be eaten without cream for a quick snack.  This Apple Crumb Sheet Cake is great to eat without a fork!

The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!

The filling is a mixture of apple chunks and apple sauce which guarantees a moist cake even on the next day! This cake is a perfect combination of a normal German crumb cake and a Covered Bavarian Apple Cake.

But this cake is much easier to make! No need to roll out the dough and to try to get the cover nice and without holes. Just scatter the crumbs with your hands on top of the apple filling and you are done!

The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling! The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!

The secret of extra delicious crumbs, in my opinion, is to make them bigger, otherwise it’s a little bit like eating sand. Use your hands and rub the dough between your fingers, press the smaller crumbs together and sprinkle them over the cake.

No need to press the crumbs onto the cake, they will melt while baking and stick together!

And no, you don’t need baking powder or soda for the dough! Many German sheet cakes are made with yeast dough like my Vanilla Pastry Cream Almond Cake Recipe, which I really like but you need to have time to let the yeast rise and do its work. So this German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake without yeast is much more time friendly!

– Julia

The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!



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The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!
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German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake

German Apple Streusel Sheet Cake is extra moist and fruity! It's made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce plus a crumb topping.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12
Author Julia

Ingredients

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour divided (500g)
  • 1 1/2 cups butter divided (340g)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (70g)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 apples see Note 3
  • 1 1/3 cup apple sauce sweet or unsweetened
  • 1 tsp lemon zest freshly grated
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar see Note 4 (100g)

Instructions

  1. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and preheat your oven to 350F (180C).

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla extract, 2 cups all-purpose flour and egg. Beat until everything is incorporated. Spread the dough onto the baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the fridge while you make the apple and crumble layer.

  3. Leave the remaining 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter on the kitchen counter to get to room temperature.

  4. Peel and core the apples and chop them into small chunks. Mix the apple chunks with the lemon zest, lemon juice, cinnamon and apple sauce. Set aside.

  5. For the crumb topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the remaining soft 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter with 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup sugar (see Note 4). The mixture will be crumbly.

  6. To assemble the cake, spread the apple mixture onto the dough layer. Then use your fingers to crumble the crumbs on top. Press some crumbs together to form bigger crumbs, you don't want the crumbs to be too fine.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes until the crumbs are lightly golden.
  8. Let the cake cool off completely. It will be a little bit soft while hot.
  9. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Recipe Notes

1. I recommend putting the cake in the fridge after it is completely cool. It tastes great cold and will hold its shape better.

2. This cake keeps fresh, covered with plastic foil, for a few days in the fridge.

3. I like to use Elstar or Jonagold apples for this recipe but Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, or Pink Lady would work, too.

4. You can use granulated sugar or brown sugar for the streusel topping. I prefer granulated sugar!


The best Apple Streusel Sheet Cake - made with fresh apple chunks and apple sauce for an extra moist filling!

More Recipes you have to try!

And if you’re a big apple dessert fan like me you’ll love my Puff Pastry Walnut Apple Strudel which is really easy to make.

This Puff Pastry Walnut Apple Strudel is made with a Walnut Raisin Apple filling and doesn't get a soggy bottom because of my secret ingredient!

 

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