Get ready to explore a world of deliciousness! I’m diving into the realm of German baking to share 20 cake recipes that are sure to be a hit. From fruity delights to chocolatey decadence, there’s a German cake here to satisfy every sweet craving.
1. German Strawberry Roll
Let’s take a breather from those rich, dense desserts and make way for this light and tasty erdbeerrolle. It’s a delicate and fluffy pastry packed with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
It’s the perfect summery dessert for picnics and BBQs. While the recipe traditionally calls for strawberries, feel free to try other berries.
2. German Chocolate Cake
Let’s give it up for the one dessert on this list that isn’t truly German. It is easy to understand why people assume this dessert to have German heritage, but German chocolate cake has American roots.
Layers of decadent, moist chocolate cake are coated with a gooey pecan and coconut filling, plus a chocolate buttercream frosting. No matter where it comes from, it’s irresistible.
3. Butterkuchen
Don’t allow its humble presentation to fool you. Butterkuchen is so tasty you’ll be reaching for a slice every day. This cake has a super moist texture and is crowned with almond slivers and delicious buttery goodness.
In Germany, yeast is often used in baking cakes, and this cake is no exception. So, get ready to proof and knead some dough for this well worthwhile recipe.
4. Apfelkunchen
Apfelkuchen is a light and tasty cake that highlights delicious apples, as the name might suggest. The gedeckter apfelkunchen is comparable to apple pie but uses a dense sponge cake as the crust. Or, try the apfelkuchen mit Mürbeteig, which is like an apple pie with a thick shortcrust, a spiced apple center, and a crumble on top.
With this recipe, you can also make versunken apfelkuchen, also known as the sunken apple cake. This moist, buttery cake is topped with an artfully arranged layer of crisp apple slices.
This cake is a stellar choice for autumn celebrations. Enjoy a slice alongside a cup of coffee or tea for a fantastic afternoon treat.
5. Danube Waves Cake
Donauwellen kuchen, or Danube waves cake, is a yummy combination of cherries, chocolate, and vanilla. A chocolate batter and a vanilla batter are swirled together to make the cake’s signature waves. The cake also has cherries studded throughout for extra flavor.
After that, a blanket of creamy buttercream is spread on top, with a layer of chocolate ganache. This cake will take the cake.
6. German Cheese Cream Cake
Don’t confuse it with German cheesecake. Käsesahnetorte features a biscuit base and topping that sandwiches a creamy cheese filling.
The delightfully refreshing filling is crafted with whipped cream, quark, and lemon and tangerine juices. This cake is so delicious, it’s a favorite to enjoy alongside an afternoon coffee.
7. German Apple Sheet Cake
German apple sheet cake is another variety of apfelkuchen made in sheet form. Vanilla and lemon flavor a light and tender sponge cake at the bottom, while the topping features apples soaked in cinnamon and sugar.
This recipe will make a large cake, so it’s tailor-made for afternoon get-togethers with your friends. If you need to feed a crowd, a sheet cake is the way to go.
8. Baumkuchen
Baumkuchen is a showstopping cake that has the appearance of a tree log slice. Its distinctive look is made up of countless thin crepe-like rings rolled into a log. This recipe may be labor-intensive, but it is well worth it.
Did you know that the baumkuchen is super popular in Japan? This cake is commonly sold in Japanese pastry shops and even convenience stores.
9. Bee Sting Cake
Its name suggests something painful, but don’t worry: the only feeling you’ll get when eating this pastry is pure joy. Bienenstich, or bee sting cake, has a creamy pudding filling, plus a topping of honey glazed almonds.
The legend goes that a bee was so drawn to the honey topping that it stung the pastry chef who came up with it, hence the name.
10. German Red Currant Cake
This refreshing summer dessert features a tender and crumbly yeasted dough cake crowned with bright red currants. If you don’t love sweets, you’ll appreciate that this dessert isn’t overly sweet.
The sweet-tart currants offer a wonderful blend of flavors. Currants are abundant in Northern Europe and make a tasty addition to this recipe.
11. German Poppy Seed Cake
If you appreciate the crunchy and nutty flavor of poppy seeds, then mohnkuchen is a must try.
Mohnkuchen includes any dessert with poppy seeds. This recipe features a crispy base, a creamy poppy seed ricotta filling, and a golden crumble topping.
12. German Plum Cake
Zwetschgenkuchen, or plum cake, is a very popular dessert in Germany. It is known by many names and takes various forms depending on the region of Germany. Some versions call for yeast dough, while others call for shortcrust pastry.
This recipe creates a mouthwatering yeast dough plum cake with streusel served in bar form. While versions of this cake may differ, they all celebrate the sweet European plum.
13. German Sunken Apple Cake
The Germans have a special appreciation for apples in their desserts.
This sunken apple cake recipe (versunkener apfelkuchen) features slices of apple on top of a soft, buttery cake. The cake is topped with raw sugar for extra crunch.
14. Marmorkuchen
Marmorkuchen is a tender, marbled cake made by swirling a chocolate cake with a vanilla cake. While marbled cakes are common around the world, Germany and Austria introduced the recipe to us.
Swirls were originally made with spices and molasses. These days, kid-friendly chocolate is used instead.
15. German Cheesecake
Cheesecakes are famous in the US and across the globe. Many countries have their own spin on this simple, tasty treat, including Germany.
The German version, or käsekuchen, is a lighter and fluffier style of cheesecake than the kind found in America. This is thanks to quark, a dairy product made from straining and curdling sour milk. The recipe also uses shortbread in place of graham crackers.
If you can’t find quark, whole milk ricotta makes a great substitute.
16. Black Forest Cake
It’s not hard to love the classic black forest cake. This cake makes a stunning birthday party centerpiece.
It is bursting with amazing textures and flavors, including shaved chocolate, brandy-soaked cherries, layers of chocolate cake, and whipped cream. A single bite of this classic cake gives your tastebuds an out of this world experience.
17. German Apple Custard Cake
This applekunchen features a warm vanilla custard drizzled on top of the cake. The bottom layer features a moist apple cake flavored with cardamom and cinnamon.
This cake and custard make magic together.
18. German Advocaat Cake
This eierlikörtorte, or German advocaat cake, features a base layer of flourless almond chocolate cake that is followed by a cream frosting and a topping of advocaat custard.
Advocaat, a German egg liqueur, can easily be prepared from the comfort of your kitchen. Simply combine sugar, rum, egg yolks, and cream to make this delicious cake topping.
19. Streuselkuchen
If you love streusel, this cake is a must try.
Streuselkuchen, a German crumb cake, is baked with a yeast dough that becomes super soft. Large butter crumbles top the cake for amazing flavor and texture.
20. Bremer Klaben
Bremer klaben is a holiday bread that features dried or candied fruit. This fruitcake-like treat has a dense yeast dough that is flavored with vanilla, cardamom, and lemon zest, and filled with candied lemon and orange peels, raisins, and almonds.