German Apple Pie (Gedeckter Apfelkuchen)

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Oma’s German Apple Pie is a traditional German Apple Kuchen recipe with fresh apples, raisins, almonds, and a lemon glaze that will become an All-Time Favorite with your family in no time.

This German Apple Pie, or Gedeckter Apfelkuchen, is one of those family recipes that has stood the test of time. With a flaky crust, lots of apples, raisins, almonds and a touch of cinnamon, it’s a classic German cake that brings back the best memories of apple season.

This easy recipe comes with detailed instructions and uses simple ingredients like fresh apples, butter, sugar, and a few secret ingredients to make it special. Rustic and simple.

And just to make this clear: I know this is NOT an American pie! This is an Apple Kuchen, but I named it Pie as it comes with a bottom and a top crust just like a pie. So if you’re looking for one of the best fruit pies that doesn’t have a shortening crust but a sweet shortbread crust, you’ve found it! 

When I was young, my mother often baked apple pie, and there were two kinds: the traditional apple kuchen (versunkener apfelkuchen), and the “covered” apple pie, or gedeckter apfelkuchen. This pie, with its top crust and soft apple filling, was our all-time favorite and she called the “the GOOD apple cake” as opposed to the “everyday” apple cake.

Mom would bake the whole thing in her springform pan, and we kids couldn’t wait for the moment when we could add the cinnamon sugar to the sliced apples and mix everything with our little hands. We would use a variety of tart apples picked from granny’s garden, which are the best apples for this pie. 

The Best Apples for German Apfelkuchen

When it comes to German apple cake recipes, the kind of apples you choose is crucial. For this pie, tart apples like Braeburn, Granny Smith or Jonagold apples are ideal because they keep their shape and add a perfect balance to the sweetness. Check out my blog post about the best apples for baking. 

How Long Can You Keep German Apple Pie?

This pie stays fresh at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, but the best way to store it for longer is in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. To enjoy it later, simply reheat the pie on a baking sheet at medium heat until warmed through.

 Can I Make the Pie Dough with Margarine?

Yes, you can substitute butter with margarine. Just ensure the margarine is firm, and the dough is well-chilled before rolling it out. This ensures the upper crust and bottom crust stay flaky and don’t lose their texture. Margarine also allows for a slightly different flavor, but it still makes one of the cheapest apple pie pastries and I remember my granny baked a lot with it.

Tips for the Perfect German Shortcrust (Mürbeteig)

To achieve that perfect upper crust, here’s the best way to handle the pie dough:

• Chilled Dough: Keep the dough chilled, wrapped in plastic wrap, until ready to use. Cold dough is easier to handle and rolls out smoothly without sticking.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough between thin sheets of parchment paper to avoid tearing. This will help you lift the entire sheet onto the pie without breaking it.
• If any tears occur, press the dough back together or patch it with small pieces of leftover dough. This keeps the top crust intact.

Variations and Serving Suggestions

If you’re not a fan of rum raisins, you can leave them out or replace them with cranberries soaked in apple juice or add some chopped nuts like walnuts or hazelnuts. For an extra indulgence, serve your slice of German Apple Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade cinnamon ice cream a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream.

For more German Apple Cake recipes, check out this German Apple sheet Cake, my German Apple Cake with Custard or My German Apple Crumble Cake.

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Oma’s German Apple Pie (Apfelkuchen)

Oma’s German Apple Pie is a traditional German Apple Kuchen recipe with fresh apples, raisins, almonds and a lemon glaze that will become an All-Time Favorite with your family in no time.

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Keyword German apple cake, german apple kuchen, german apple pie

Prep Time 40 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 3 ½ cups 450 g all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ cup 150 g sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste
• A pinch of salt
• 1 ¼ cups 300 g cold butter
• zest of 1 grated lemon
• 1 egg L

For the Filling:

• ⅓ cup 70 g sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or breadcrumbs
• 3 ¼ lbs 1.5 kg tart apples, such as Granny Smith apples
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ⅓ cup 75 g rum-soaked raisins (including the rum)
• ⅓ cup 75 g roasted almonds, chopped

For the Glaze:

• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ¾ cup 100 g powdered sugar

Instructions

1. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR BEST RESULTS ( Coming end of August)
2. Prepare the Dough: Sift the flour into a large bowl and mix it with baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add cold butter in small cubes, the lemon zest, vanilla and the egg. Knead everything into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into three parts, shape two into disks and one into a roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Roll out one dough disk on a lightly floured surface and place it in a 10 inch springform pan. Divide the dough roll into 2 and roll into two dough snakes and place them all the way around the dough disk. Press up the dough using your thumbs all the way to the top of the springform pan. Prick the bottom several times with a fork and chill.

4. Prepare the Filling: Peel and core the apples ( use an apple peeler to make this super speedy), then slice them thinly. Mix the apple immediately with lemon juice to prevent browning. Stir in sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch, and rum raisins as well as some of the rum left from soaking. If you don't want to add raisins, you can add just rum without raisins or rum essence or just skip this altogether. Mix in the almonds, ensuring the apple filling is well combined.

5. Sprinkle the bottom woth some ground nuts or with breadcrumbs. Spread the apples over the bottom crust. Roll out the second dough disk and place it over the apple filling as the top crust. Seal the edges by pressing them firmly with a straight edge or your fingers.
6. Bake the Pie:Place the pie on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. I cover the cake with parchment paper after half an hour to prevent the top from browning too much. Reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for another 30 minutes until the upper crust is golden brown.

7. Apply the Glaze: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack. For clean slices, let the cake chill in the fridge overnight, Before serving, Mix the powdered sugar with lemon juice to create a smooth glaze and brush it over the top crust with a silicon brush. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and let set in the freezer or fridge before slicing.

Recipe Video