German Butter Cake

 

When I was just a toddler my family moved to Germany for four years. My sister was actually born there.  We were privileged to live in the Black Forest region down in the South near Bavaria. It was a beautiful country and the people were friendly and very helpful to my mother who was away from her Nova Scotian home and did not speak the language.  

I was very happy to have been able to visit the country three times while I was living in the U.K.  All three times to the Black Forest area.  I fell in love with the food, the people and the scenery.

It is such a beautiful country, and the food is amazing.  Especially the baked goods.  They do the most wonderful cakes and pastries, and their bread rolls (brotchen) are amazing.  We enjoyed one or two of these each morning with a selection of cheeses and meats for breakfast. Amazing.

 

A really delicious cake which was offered at many coffee shops was Butter Kuchen, or Butter Cake. A fabulously moist and buttery cake with a sweet baked on almond topping. You could have this just plain as is or topped with whipped cream.  It was really wonderful.  There was nothing more delicious than a slice of this served with a hot chocolate doused in mounds of whipped cream. Trust me on this.

I was really happy to find a recipe for German Butter Cake, Butter Kuchen on a page called All Tastes German.  I cut the recipe in half as I just didn't need a full-sized cake, even if I was sending half of it next door.  

I was really pleased with the way it turned out.  Exactly as delicious as the cakes I had enjoyed in Germany.  Buttery and moist with an almond topping to die for!  I hope you will want to bake it yourself and see what I mean when I say that this is one of the most delicious cakes!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GERMAN BUTTER CAKE

A few simple baking cupboard ingredients. There is nothing outrageously different in this cake. Simple things put together in the most delicious way!

For the cake:

• 1 cup (125g) plain all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 TBS vanilla extract
• 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

For the almond topping:

• 2 TBS whole milk
• 4 1/2 TBS (65g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170g) flaked almonds

To serve:

• icing sugar to dust

 

There is no need to sift your flour. If cooking by volume, just spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off before dumping it into your bowl. I tend to cook by weight as it is more accurate.

I just used regular granulated white sugar.  (I do use organic.) If you are in the U.K. use castor sugar. Heavy cream is whipping cream here in North America. 

I make my own vanilla extract from scratch.  Do use pure vanilla extract if possible.  

Flaked almonds are best for this topping, although if all you can get are slivered, then you must use what you must use!  It won't look quite the same, but it will still be delicious!

 

HOW TO MAKE GERMAN BUTTER CAKE

This is a really simple cake to make. It only looks complicated. I promise!

Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. (If your pan is dark reduce the temperature to 375*F/190*C/gas mark 5.) Butter an 8-inch square baking dish/pan.

Add all of the ingredients for the cake batter to a bowl and whisk together just until combined. Do not over whisk as it may cause the cake to collapse during baking.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan, leveling off the top.

Place the butter and milk into a saucepan over medium low heat to melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the sugar.

Cook and stir to dissolve the sugar, without boiling.

Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Stir in the almonds.

Spoon this mixture over top of the cake batter, spreading it out evenly. (I spooned it over the cake evenly spaced in small dollops. It was very easy to spread it out then.)

 

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. When done it will be set and beautifully golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Allow to cool completely in the pan.  Dust with icing sugar to serve.

 

This cake was every bit as delicious as the ones I had enjoyed when we were traveling in Germany. The crumb was lovely and moist, and that topping was nutty and sweet.  Together they made the perfect teatime treat!

The almond topping is at its best on the day of baking, but the cake itself will still be deliciously moist and moreish the day after.

  

Are you someone who enjoys having a piece of cake with your mid-morning or afternoon hot drink? If so, then you will also enjoy the following tasty offerings!

GLAZED COFFEE CRUNCH CAKE - Deeply flavored with strong coffee, this is a moist cake, with a beautiful crumb. Indeed, you will find yourself collecting the crumbs on the tips of your fingers to eat. You will not want to waste even the tiniest scrap of it. There is a fabulously moreish streusel topping loaded with toasted walnuts. As well the streusel contains chocolate chips and is delicately flavored with cinnamon. Its crowning glory is a sweet coffee drizzle icing.  This gets flicked all over the top. 

BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE - This is the type of cake that is as equally at home on the breakfast table as it is on the teatime table.  It's a great brunch cake. It's delicious buttermilk batter, generously studded with fresh blueberries, is layered in a pan with cinnamon and brown sugar. This gets swirled throughout before topping the cake with flaked almonds. The end result is a cake you will be proud to serve anyone. A fabulously tasty cake with a lovely thread of cinnamon sugar swirl throughout, and studded with plenty of plump sweet berries.

Yield: 6 slices

Author: Marie Rayner

German Butter Cake (the small batch)

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

With it's lush and moist vanilla lemon batter and crunchy almond topping this is a cake that goes wonderfully with a hot drink!

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (125g) plain all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 TBS vanilla extract
• 1/2 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract

For the almond topping:

• 2 TBS whole milk
• 4 1/2 TBS (65g) butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (170g) flaked almonds

To serve:

• icing sugar to dust

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. (If your pan is dark reduce the temperature to 375*F/190*C/gas mark 5.) Butter an 8-inch square baking dish/pan.
2. Add all of the ingredients for the cake batter to a bowl and whisk together just until combined. Do not over whisk as it may cause the cake to collapse during baking.
3. Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan, leveling off the top.
4. Place the butter and milk into a saucepan over medium low heat to melt the butter. Once the butter has melted add the sugar.
5. Cook and stir to dissolve the sugar, without boiling.
6. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla. Stir in the almonds.
7. Spoon this mixture over top of the cake batter, spreading it out evenly.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. When done it will be set and beautifully golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
9. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
10. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

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