Once you have gorged yourself on biers and Schweinsbraten at Oktoberfest, you should continue your path of indulgence onto the sweets. That is where Apfelkuchen comes in!
While Apfelkuchen is literally translated Apple Cake, you will find the term used to refer to a number of German desserts, some resembling more of a pie or crumble while others more closely fit what we think of as a cake. Either way, they are all delicious and perfect for fall!
This vegan version of German Apple Cake features a layer of moist cake topped with tart apples and smothered with sweet, toasted almonds.
There are so many ways to make apple cake. In fact, I previously made an Apple Chunk Cake with chunks of apples mixed into the batter.
This cake is unusual in that it has a staggered baking process. You bake it initially for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven, add the almond topping, and put it back into the oven to finish baking. The first step ensures that the apples have enough time to dry out before they get covered with the almond topping. It also prevents the almonds from browning too much before the cake underneath is cooked. The end result is a lovely German Apple Cake that’s perfect for Oktoberfest!
This recipe is adapted from Lands and Flavors.
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German Apple Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-inch cake 1x
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup nondairy milk
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons of water
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 large apples (peeled, cored and sliced thin (I used grannysmith))
For the Almond Topping:
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons nondairy milk
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the nondairy milk, sugar, chia seed mixture, oil, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until completely blended. Set both bowls aside and peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
- Combine the flour mix into the wet mixture and whisk until combined. Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch round springform pan. Scatter the sliced apples evenly over the top of the batter and bake for 20 minutes.
- After the cake has been in the oven for 15 minutes, make the almond topping by combining the sugar, nondairy milk, coconut oil, and sliced almonds in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Stir it occasionally and let it simmer on low until the cake timer goes off.
- Gently remove the cake from the oven and place on the counter. Pour the very hot almond mixture evenly over the top of the apples and immediately put it back in the oven for another 25 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, the topping should be golden brown and bubbling. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on the counter completely before slicing and serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
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