VeganMoFo 2013, it’s on! If you don’t know what I am talking about, check out the VeganMofo site here. You can browse all participating blogs by category and by country. For this years VeganMoFo I decided to blog about German desserts from A to Z. For this purpose there’s a new page on this blog with some advice on (German) baking. And this is my first entry:
Apple cake is probably one of the most popular cakes in Germany. There is not one single traditional apple cake recipe though. Crusts and fillings vary, yeasted apple cakes are popular, but there are lots of recipes calling for batter leavened with baking powder or cakes made with shortbread crusts. A common version available at most bakeries is gedeckter Apfelkuchen, a cake made with a shortbread crust, an apple raisin filling, which covered with a second crust glazed with sugar. It’s not the most beautiful cake on this blog but is very delicious. So delicious that it surprises you. (I totally fucked up that picture! The top crust fell off, the light was terrible, etc. But since it’s VeganMoFo and I can’t spend two hours on taking a picture – why, yes? I do that sometimes – we have to make do with this one.)
The combination of tart apples, lemon juice, mild nuts, and cinnamon is just perfect! I made this in a 18 cm (7 inch) springform pan and the cake can easily be eaten by four hungry people. You can also freeze it. (I recommend to cut it into pieces and freeze the pieces individually.) I chose to add chickpea flour to the shortbread crust because like eggs, it helps binding the crust.
Gedeckter Apfelkuchen
adapted from this recipe
For the dough:
150 g (1 1/4 cups) flour
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 tablespoon chickpea flour
1 pinch salt
25 g (3 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
55 g (1/4 cup) cold refined coconut oil, chopped into little cubes
3 tablespoons cold soymilk
For the filling:
25 g (1/4 cup) oats
25 g (3 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
300 g apples (2 medium)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons raisins
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze:
75 g (2/3 cup, unsifted) powdered sugar
4-5 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
To make the dough:
Place the flour in a bowl. Add sugar, chickpea flour, salt, and hazelnuts. Mix well. Add the coconut oil cubes and use your hand to mix everything quickly and form crumbs. Make sure to knead in the fat properly. Add the liquid and form into a dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Grease a 18 cm (7 inch) springform pan and sprinkle with flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
Roll 1/3 of the dough into a disk. Use your springform pan to cut out a circle. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge. Roll out the remaining dough and place in the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides (4 cm or 1.6 inches).
Combine oats and hazelnuts and place on the bottom of the cake.
Cut the apples into small cubes and mix with lemon juice. Add almonds, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well and pour into the cake pan. Remove the remaining dough from the fridge and place on top of the cake. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and use a knife to loosen the cake from the pan. Remove and let cool.
Combine powdered sugar and lemon or lime juice and glaze the cake top. Wait until the glaze has dried and serve. Whipped cream goes great with this cake, by the way!
P.S. Check out my recipe index for more German cakes and desserts!
36 comments
Hmmm, I wonder if chickpea flour would help with veganising my mom’s apple pancake recipe. It has so many eggs I’ve never bothered trying… but oh how I’d love to eat it again!
This looks really good too.
If you try, please let me know!
I love this theme! My parents were in the Air Force, and were stationed in Germany when I was little. I went to a German nursery school and kindergarten, and although I’ve mostly forgotten the language, I haven’t forgotten the food, especially the sweets. I can’t wait to see what you come up with the rest of the month!
I do miss Apfelkuchen and your version is simply divine. The glaze on the top makes me drooling!
I think the picture is great, and the cake sounds delicious!
I left Germany a few years ago and have been missing real bread and cake. Your mofo posts are already a big favourite! Thanks!
Oh my! A blog on vegan German desserts! I will be following this! I hope you will check out my entry for vegan coconut ice cream :)
I love your theme!! I’m so excited to learn more about German desserts.
Also, you didn’t fuck up anything! That crust likes to die for! Mmm… :D
Yay! This is the most amazing mofo theme! I am just going to have to bookmark your whole entire website! I love these flavors!
Your theme is AWESOME!! Oh, the weight you’re going to make me put on! I have not made anything in advance for MoFo, so I’m looking forward to checking out your German desserts. It’s a beautiful picture and a yummy cake! As a raisin-hater, I would have to leave them out. People think I’m weird because I don’t like raisins or pickles, two very popular foods. Weird indeed! :)
Oh Yum!! I am so looking forward to trying this and all the goodies you make this mofo!
Yum! I love your theme this year, Mihl! This apple cake looks delish and I love the little flag!
gorgeousness! i hear about all the mishaps this month. we have to keep moving on :)
Totally beautiful! The other day I dropped the last slice of pie that I was planning on photographing. Sometimes these things happen.
Looks delicious! I am so excited about your theme. :)
Wow, this looks sensational and I love the sound of your theme. Apple based desserts are my favourite by a mile!
Spinningly delicious! Thanks for the chickpea flour tip…that might help my future baking adventures. ;)
Happy MoFo!
Your blog is going to be my favorite MoFo blog at this rate! I love German desserts and your food and photography are always amazing!
I’m a pastry nut so cake with a crust sounds perfect for me! I would never have thought of something like this.
Von wegen, nicht hübsch geworden, schaut doch wunderbar aus :-)
Oh man I cannot wait to make this! So excited to see what else you impress us with.
Oh my goodness, I love Apfelkuchen and I love your theme! happy MoFoing!
Mihl brings it for mofo. Looking forward to your blog this month.
This looks delicious–thank you! Any advise on making this gluten-free as well?
I hope you make a strudel soon–walnut strudel was always our family’s favorite. :)
This should work with a gluten-free pie crust or shortbread recipe! And I already have a strudel recipe on this blog. http://seitanismymotor.com/2011/09/apple-fig-strudel-with-pistachios-from-scratch/
A traditional strudel dough recipe is probably very hard to make gluten-free. Do you have access to gluten-free phyllo dough or puff pastry? Maybe that works.
Excellent!
Ah, wunderbar!!
LOVE your theme! I’m never was a big fan of German cuisine (I had a horrible experience as a child with sauerkraut in Germany :-p), but I’m eager to see which desserts you will veganize!
Ha, I totally get that. German cuisine is not the best in the world. (And I used to hate sourkraut, too!. I can stand it now in small servings.) But we have great desserts:)
We tried this recipe on friday and fell in love! I’ll def make this again :-)
That is wonderful. Thank you!
Doing the dance of joy here, C. Three cheers for you! And Kuchen for me, bitte.
I always safe some for you!
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