Covered German Apple Cake – Gedeckter Apfelkuchen

The Covered German Apple Cake is a cake prepared with a shortcrust, filled with apple sauce and covered with a shortcrust in a lattice pattern. It is kind of an American Apple Pie.

Ingredients for a Covered German Apple Cake:

• 300 g (10.58 oz) of all-purpose flour
• 125 g (4.4 oz) of sugar
• 150 g (5.29 oz) of butter, soft
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 pouch of vanilla sugar OR 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 egg, XL
• 1 egg yolk, XL
• pinch of salt
• 800 g (1.76 lb) of applesauce
• 2 apples (optional)

Preparation of Shortcrust Pastry:

Mix the flour with the baking powder and sift it into a bowl. Add sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt and mix well. Make a hole in the center and add the egg and egg yolk. Cut the butter in small pieces and spread on top. Use the electric hand mixer with the kneading hooks and beat the ingredients until they are mixed. Continue kneading with your hands. The dough is ready when it is no longer sticky. Wrap the dough in cellophane foil and keep it in the refrigerator for 30 Minutes.

      

Preparation of the top for the cake:

Cut a piece of baking paper and sprinkle some flour on it. Place the half of the dough on top of the baking paper. Roll the dough about ¼ in and cut a circle using your baking pan. Use a cookie cutter as shown in the picture below and create a lattice pattern. Place the cake with the baking paper underneath on a plate or a baking sheet. Keep it for about 10 Minutes in the freezer to harden. Combine the rest of the dough with the other half of the dough.

      

Finishing off the Covered German Apple Cake:

Cut a circle of baking paper about 2 inches larger in diameter than your springform (10 or 11 inches). Cover the springform on the bottom and sides with the paper and fold it every few inches on the sides of the baking pan. Use about 2/3 of the dough and spread it on the bottom of the springform by hand. Divide the rest of the dough in half for the outer crust. Form two rolls and place them around the inside of the pan. With your fingers, press the rolls against the sides of the springform (1½ – 2 inches high) and connect it with the bottom part (crust) of the dough. Use a fork to make holes in the dough/crust.

Fill the apple sauce even into the baking form. The apple sauce should not be higher than the crust. If you want to use the apples, peel and core the apples, cut them in small pieces and mix them with the apple sauce. Place the frozen cover on top of the apple sauce. Mix an egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of condensed milk. Brush the top with the egg wash.

                     

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F) and bake the cake on the middle roast for 50-60 minutes. After the cake cooled down, sprinkle some powdered sugar or cinnamon on top.

Find also the recipes for the Authentic Apple Crumb Cake, German Apple Cake, German Apple Dessert (Apple Tiramisu), German Apple Cider Cake, and the Homemade Applesauce.