German Apple Pudding Cake – Heidi's Apfel-Puddingkuchen

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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Apple pudding cake with whipped cream. The PERFECT afternoon dessert for Kaffeeklatsch.

This apple pudding cake, aka Apfel-Puddingkuchen, tastes just like a traditional Apple Bread Pudding recipe. It's one of those easy dessert recipes that's delicious served warm with ice cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

It's also one of those dessert recipes because it's a "quick clean-up" version. It's made right in the baking dish, so it's really quick and easy. 

This Apple Pudding Cake is best served warm, right from the oven. Top it with whipped cream or ice cream for an extra special treat and sprinkle extra cinnamon over it if you wish.

The history of Apple Pudding Cake

This recipe comes from my German friend, Heidi. It was a recipe she tweaked from a newspaper years ago. She would often treat us to this warm apple pudding cake and was very willing to pass on the recipe for you AND me to enjoy!

Apple-based desserts have been a traditional part of German cuisine for a LONG time, particularly in regions like Bavaria and Thuringia where apple orchards are abundant.

The apple pudding cake is a newer addition to this tradition and reflects the love for comforting desserts.

How to serve Apple Pudding Cake

This dessert is best served warm, so pop it into the oven just before your company arrives. Then, serve it warm, right from the oven.

Don't forget to serve this along with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I'm thinking some vanilla sauce would be wonderful as well!

Thankfully, clean up is so easy since the dough is mixed right in the baking pan. I prefer to use a 9 × 9-inch glass baking dish because it looks pretty enough to serve from. A fancy casserole dish would be a beautiful presentation.

You'll enjoy serving this all year long. Since apples are readily available and the rest of the ingredients are probably in the pantry already. So, this is perfect of that unexpected company that pops by.

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Choose the right Apple

For a well-balanced flavor, use a mix of tart and sweet apples. Varieties like Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Jonagold hold their shape well when baked.

However, let me admit, I usually use whatever apples I happen to have in my crisper. I've found they all work. Sometimes the apples hold their shape more than at other times, but the resulting dessert always tastes good.

How to make Apple Pudding Cake

Gather all your ingredients and pre-measure your amounts. I love that the dough is made right in the baking dish.

Prep your ingredients used for German Apple Pudding cake

Peel, remove the cores and then cut up your apples into thick slices. 

(Don't leave the peels on the apples. They don't soften when they are baked.)

Cut up the apples in even slices.

Mix the apples with the flour mixture.

Pour your milk mixture over the apples and stir until everything has been moistened. 

Adding milk to the apple pudding mixture and then stirred till it's mixed

Smooth out the top with a spatula. Dot the top with butter.

Dotting button on top of apple pudding cake

Place the baking dish onto a baking sheet into the hot oven. Or, put that baking sheet on the rack under your baking dish. Carefully pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the top.

DO NOT STIR. No matter how much you really think you should mix some of it, DON'T.

Add boiling water to apple pudding cake in the oven and do NOT stir!

40 - 50 minutes later, it's done. Let it cool slightly before serving.

Sprinkle with cinnamon on top if desired. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Serve the German Apple Cake warm with whipped cream.

Have the Kids (grandkids) Help 

This is a fun dessert to make with kids, because it looks really weird when you pour in the water. You'll want to stir. Don't! Don't stir this. It'll work out. Trust me.

You'll have a delicious apple pudding cake to enjoy once it's baked!

Ready to make this apple pudding cake?

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Easy Apple Pudding Cake – Heidi's Apfel-Puddingkuchen

This apple pudding cake, aka Apfel-Puddingkuchen, tastes like a traditional Apple Bread Pudding. It's an easy dessert recipe that's delicious served warm with ice cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

Since it's made right in the baking dish, it's really super quick and easy.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Bake Time 50 minutes

Total Time 60 minutes

Servings:

Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 apples, peeled and sliced
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour, all-purpose
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 2 - 3 teaspoons butter
• 2 cups boiling water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
   
2. In a deep 9x9-inch pan, mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
   
3. Add the apple slices and mix until coated with the flour mixture.
   
4. Add the milk that has been mixed with the vanilla or almond extract.
   
5. Stir until everything has been moistened. Smooth out the top. Dot the butter on top.
   
6. Put pan on rack in oven and carefully pour the 2 cups of boiling water over the top. DO NOT STIR. (Put a baking sheet on the rack under your pan. Sometimes it bubbles over when it's baking.)
   
7. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until top is golden brown.
   
8. Let cool slightly before serving. Sprinkle extra cinnamon on top if desired.

Notes/Hints:

• Omit cinnamon if desired.
  
• Sprinkle slivered almonds on top before baking, if desired.
• Serve with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or vanilla sauce.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.