Caramelised Apple Sponge Cake with Streusel Topping

An epicurean adventure to: Germany

This caramelised apple sponge cake recipe with streusel topping truly reigns as the king of all apple cakes.

We've put a wonderful spin on the classic German apple cake, Apfelstreuselkuchen. This isn't your average apple sponge cake though, it's moist, rich and full of flavour and warmth. A true gem.

In our version, we're caramelising the apples, adding a whole variety of spices, incorporating dark brown sugar into the sponge and doubling the average amount of crunchy streusel topping, all contributing to a sumptuously rich, moreish cake.

For those unfamiliar with Apfelstreuselkuchen, it's known as apple crumb cake in English-speaking countries. It typically consists of a base which can be yeast-based, sponge or shortcrust and a delicious apple filling.

The standout feature is the streusel topping - a crunchy blend of flour, butter, sugar, nuts and a hint of cinnamon.

To make your baking journey as enjoyable as possible, we've divided the recipe into four easy-to-follow parts. Each step is accompanied by clear instructions and helpful photos, making it accessible even for those new to baking.

So, whether you're an experienced baker or just getting started, this stunning cake is within your reach.

Fast Facts - Germany

Location	Germany is located in central Europe, sharing borders with several countries including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.
Capital	Berlin.
Language	The official language of Germany is German.
Population	Circa 83 million people.
Trivia	In Germany, it's seen as a basic instinct to want to be free. So, if a prisoner tries to escape from jail, they won't get extra punishment just for trying. But if the prisoner damages things, hurts anyone, kills someone or does any other crimes while trying to escape, they'll be charged for those crimes separately.

Key ingredient notes and substitutions

**Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients.

Butter

You can use either salted or unsalted butter, but omit the salt in the recipe if you are using salted butter.

We use butter in three steps of this cake:

• Caramelising the apples - This butter will be melted, so you can use butter at any temperature.

• The streusel - This portion of butter needs to be fridge-cold.

• The sponge - Butter needs to be softened at room temperature.

Dark brown sugar

Dark brown sugar imparts a complex, caramel-like flavour to the recipe.

You can substitute it with muscovado sugar. If you don't have either of these sugars on hand, you can use light brown sugar as a reasonable alternative, although the result won't be exactly the same.

Fresh apples

For this recipe, you don't need cooking apples. You can use your favourite eating apples like Pink Lady, Cox, Fiji, Royal Gala, Granny Smith apples etc.

You can use cooking apples like Bramley apples, the cake might just be less sweet and the pieces of apple will have more of a bite.

The 400g of apples you'll need is after the apples have been peeled, cored and diced.

As for the size of the apple pieces, we tend to quarter the apples and then quarter each of the quarters. That provides nice bite-sized chunks of apple for the cake.

Pecan nuts

Pecan nuts are an excellent choice for this recipe. They provide a mild, sweet and buttery taste.

While you can substitute them with walnuts, it's important to note that walnuts have a slightly more bitter and tannic taste in comparison.

Eggs

You will need two large eggs at room temperature, each weighing about 62g with the shell on. Eggs a few grams over or under will still work fine.

Using room-temperature eggs is an important detail for making sponge cakes. When eggs are at room temperature, they blend into the batter more smoothly and uniformly. This helps the cake rise evenly and achieve a delicate, tender crumb.

To warm fridge-cold eggs quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.

Demerara sugar

We will use demerara sugar as the final touch on top of the streusel before the cake goes into the oven.

Demerara sugar has larger crystals than regular sugar. When you bake with it, those crystals don't fully dissolve, providing your baked treats with a lovely, crispy crunch.

How to make apple sponge cake: Step-by-step

Prepping

1. Begin by putting the sultanas in a small bowl. Pour enough freshly boiled water over to cover them completely. Set aside until needed.

2. Line the base of a 23cm springform pan with baking paper/parchment paper and lightly butter the sides.

Step 1: Caramelising the apples

1. Add the butter and dark brown sugar to a large frying pan.

2. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the butter is fully melted and the sugar begins to dissolve, which should take approximately 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the diced apples and stir until all the apples are fully covered in the sauce.

4. Still on medium heat, cook the apples for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they become lightly browned and the sauce transforms into a rich caramel.

5. Remove the apples from the heat and leave to cool.

Step 2: Making the streusel

1. Add the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cold, cubed butter and cinnamon to the bowl of a food processor.

2. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly. A few pea-sized pieces of butter are perfectly fine.

3. Transfer the streusel mixture to a mixing bowl and stir through the chopped pecan nuts. Set aside until needed.

Step 3: Making the apple sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/338F/gas mark 3.

2. Add the brown sugar and softened butter to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

3. Beat the butter and sugar for a minimum of 5 minutes until very light and creamy. You can do this with either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer.

4. Add the first egg and vanilla extract, then beat on medium-low speed until mostly combined. Follow with the second egg and beat again until well incorporated.

5. Add half of the all-purpose flour along with all the baking powder, salt (if using), ground cinnamon, mixed spice, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to the butter and sugar mixture.

6. Carefully fold the dry ingredients into the mixture until they are mostly combined.

7. Add half of the milk and gently fold it in until mostly combined. Then, add the second half of the flour, fold it in and follow with the second half of the milk.

8. Continue folding very gently until everything has been fully incorporated.

9. Drain the water from the sultanas and gently squeeze them to remove excess moisture.

10. Add the caramelised apples and sultanas to the sponge mixture.

11. Gently fold them together until well combined.

12. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared pan and level the top.

13. Sprinkle the streusel crumbs evenly over the cake batter, making sure they cover the entire surface evenly.

Step 4: Add the sprinkle

1. Finally, sprinkle over the demerara sugar and chopped pecan nuts.

2. Place the cake on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, loosely cover the tin with a piece of foil. This will prevent the streusel topping from burning. Bake for a further 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake the cake for a further 5-10 minutes until the top of the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool in its tin for 15 minutes. Then, remove the tin's collar and place the cake on a wire rack to cool down completely. You can then transfer the cake to a serving plate.

6. Serve your tasty cake as is or with a dollop of custard or cream.

Variations

• Swap out the pecan nuts for walnuts or almonds.

• Try a different spice combination like adding a pinch of ground cloves, omitting the spices you don't like, or adding more of the ones you do like.

• Swap the sultanas for raisins.

• Add orange or lemon zest to the sponge batter for a citrusy twist.

• After baking, drizzle warm caramel sauce over the cooled cake for extra sweetness and decadence.

How to serve apple sponge cake

This cake is fantastic served as is with a cup of tea or coffee. You can also...

• Serve it warm with custard.

• A dollop of whipped double cream.

• Vanilla ice cream.

• Caramel sauce.

• A dusting of icing sugar.

If you love an apple dessert, have a look at our apple crumble tart. It's made with condensed milk, stewed apples and desiccated coconut for a great twist on traditional apple pie.

Storage

For short-term storage, keep the cake at room temperature in an airtight container or loosely covered with foil or plastic wrap for up to 2-3 days.

For extended freshness, transfer it to the fridge after the first day or two. You can keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze, ensure the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or foil and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, label it with the date and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.

More cakes and bakes from Europe to try

Chocolate shortbreads

3-Ingredient scones

Toscakaka - Swedish almond cake

Tingynis - Luthuanina lazy cookies

Hallongrotter - Swedish thumbprint cookies