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German

Versunkener Apfelkuchen

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

A buttery lemon sponge with scored apple halves that sink into the batter as it bakes. The everyday German Sunday apple cake.

Versunkener Apfelkuchen is a German cake from Germany, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with apple and all-purpose flour. It serves 12 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
12
Level
Easy
Calories
268

Ingredients

12 slices

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C and grease a 26 cm springform tin. Score the rounded side of each apple (opens in a new tab) half several times lengthways and toss with lemon juice (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Beat the butter (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab), vanilla (opens in a new tab) and lemon zest (opens in a new tab) until fluffy, then beat in the eggs (opens in a new tab) one at a time.

  3. Step 3

    Fold in the flour, baking powder (opens in a new tab) and salt alternately with the milk (opens in a new tab) to make a thick batter. Spread it in the tin.

    • 4 min

  4. Step 4

    Press the apple (opens in a new tab) halves, scored side up, lightly into the batter and bake until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

  5. Step 5

    Brush with warm jam (opens in a new tab) while hot, cool in the tin, then dust with powdered sugar (opens in a new tab).

    About this dish

    Origin
    Germany · Well documentedAlso popular in AustriaMore food from Germany
    Dish
    Snack · Dessert · Cakes
    Cooking method
    Oven-baked
    Taste
    sweet, fruity, buttery
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Make-ahead · Child-friendly
    Cook more with
    Apple · All-purpose flour · Lemon juice · Butter · Sugar · Vanilla extract
    Techniques
    Baking

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom butter, milk
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour, baking powder

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    268 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 126 g · recipe makes 12

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 6%
    • Carbohydrate 55%
    • Fat 39%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy268 kcal212 kcal
    Protein4.2 g3.3 g
    Carbohydrate37.4 g29.7 g
    Net carbohydrate35.4 g28.1 g
    Sugars19.2 g15.2 g
    Added sugars12.5 g9.9 g
    Fibre2 g1.6 g
    Fat11.8 g9.4 g
    Saturated fat7 g5.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol74 mg59 mg
    Sodium193 mg153 mg
    Salt equivalent0.5 g0.4 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    116 mg
    Calcium
    66 mg
    Iron
    1.4 mg
    Magnesium
    10 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    110 µg
    Vitamin C
    3 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.3 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    69 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: jam, icing sugar.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Common mistakes

    • Pressing the apples deep into the batter — set them on lightly; they sink as the cake bakes.

    Serve with

    • Serve with lightly whipped cream and coffee.

    Storage

    • Keeps 3 days at room temperature, covered.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 2, 3

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 20 min

      Mix only until no dry flour remains — overmixing makes it tough and tunnelled.

    2. Bake · about 45 min at 180 °C

      Risen and golden; a skewer in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; the top springs back.

    3. Cool · about 30 min

      Cool on a rack before slicing — the crumb is still setting; cutting hot bread makes it gummy.

    4. Start to finish: about 1 h 35 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    If something goes wrong

    • Gummy or wet crumb

      Likely causes

      • Under-baked
      • Sliced while hot
      • Hydration too high for the flour

      What to do

      • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
      • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
      • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
    • Collapsed or sunken middle

      Likely causes

      • Oven door opened too early
      • Too much leavening or sugar
      • Under-baked centre
      • Over-proofed yeast dough

      What to do

      • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
      • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
      • Test the centre before removing
      • Proof less
    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Cracked or domed top

      Likely causes

      • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
      • Too much leavening
      • Overmixed batter

      What to do

      • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
      • Use the exact leavening amount
      • Fold just until combined
    • Big holes or tunnels

      Likely causes

      • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
      • Air trapped while shaping bread
      • Uneven proof

      What to do

      • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
      • Degas gently and shape tightly
      • Proof covered in an even, warm place
    • Dry or crumbly

      Likely causes

      • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
      • Over-baked
      • Too little fat or sugar

      What to do

      • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
      • Check 5 minutes early
      • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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