German Apple Poppy Seed Cake with Almonds

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This traditional German poppyseed cake with apples is a simple and easy German cake recipe with a buttery streusel topping — it’s a delicious moist poppyseed cake recipe you can make year-round.

Years ago, I stumbled into a small lakeside café in Bavaria — you know the family-run kind of place, where the cake selection makes you weak in the knees. There was this poppy seed cake with fruit that I couldn’t stop thinking about. The combination of nutty poppy seed filling with seasonal fruit was SO good, but honestly? I wanted more fruit. More streusel. More everything.

So this is my version. And it’s become my absolute go-to because unlike my plum version or the cherry poppyseed cake I make in summer, this apple version works ALL YEAR ROUND. There are always good apples available, which means you can bake this beauty in January just as easily as October.

This cake is MOIST. Like, really moist. That poppy seed custard layer stays creamy and tender. The apples release just enough juice to keep everything soft without making it soggy. This is not a dry cake situation — this is a fork-tender, almost-custardy situation.

Why This Recipe Is Special

• Works year-round because apples are always available
• INCREDIBLY moist thanks to the creamy poppy seed custard
• The poppy seed filling has this gorgeous nutty, almost marzipan-like flavor and creamy custard texture.

Which apples should you use?

Let’s talk apples. You want something that holds its shape but still gets tender and a little bit jammy. Here’s what works:

My favorites:

• Granny Smith — The classic. Tart, firm, never mushy. Always reliable.
• Honeycrisp — Sweet with just enough tang, and they soften beautifully without falling apart
• Braeburn — Great balance of sweet and tart, firm texture
• Jonagold — This is what my Oma always used. Sweet, slightly tangy, perfect for German baking
• Pink Lady — Sweet-tart and firm, with a gorgeous flavor

Skip these:

• Red Delicious or anything too soft — they turn to mush
• Super sweet apples with no tartness — the poppy seed filling is rich enough already

Where to find poppy seeds

In Germany, poppy seeds are everywhere — literally every grocery store has them in bulk. In the US or Canada, you’ll need to hunt a bit. Check the baking aisle, European specialty stores, or order online. I’ve had good luck with these from Amazon — they come in a 1 lb bag which is perfect.

They come whole, so you’ll need to grind them. I use a small food processor or coffee grinder. It takes 30 seconds.

The recipe also calls for vanilla custard powder (like this), which is very common in German baking but harder to find in North America. You can absolutely substitute cornstarch + vanilla extract — the recipe includes the conversion.

And listen — once you have poppy seeds on hand, you can swap the apples for literally any seasonal fruit. Plums, cherries, apricots, pears.

FAQ

Tips & Notes

• This cake gets better with time. The flavors meld overnight, and it somehow gets even MORE moist on day two. I always make it a day ahead if I’m serving it to guests.
• Storage: Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The streusel will soften slightly, but honestly, I kind of prefer it that way.
• Freezing: Slice it up, wrap each piece tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
• Want it extra cozy? Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon or a pinch of cardamom to the apple layer. Sometimes I throw in a few raisins too.
• Streusel hack: If your butter is too cold and the streusel won’t come together, work it between your hands for a few seconds. Body heat helps.

If you love this, try my other poppy seed recipes: German Poppy Seed Marzipan Cookies and German Poppy Seed Sheet Cake with Streusel.

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Apple Poppy Seed Cake with Rum Raisins & Almond Streusel

A moist, old-fashioned apple poppy seed cake with vanilla-style custard, juicy rum raisins, and buttery streusel with sliced almonds.

Course Dessert

Cuisine German

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

Shortcrust Pastry

• 2 ¾ cups 350 g all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp 80 g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp 175 g cold butter, in pieces
• 1 egg
• A few drops almond extract optional

Poppy Seed Custard Filling

• 3 cups 750 ml whole milk
• ½ cup 60 g cornstarch
• ¾ cup + 2 tbsp 165 g sugar
• 2 cups 200 g ground poppy seeds
• 1 good splash rum 1–2 tbsp
• ½ cup 80 g raisins
• 2 –3 tbsp rum for soaking raisins
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Additionally

• 3 –4 medium apples peeled, cored, and sliced
• lemon juice of half a lemon
• ⅓ –½ cup 40–50 g sliced almonds

Instructions

Prepare the rum raisins

1. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of rum over the raisins and let them soak for at least 30 minutes, or longer if possible.

Shortcrust pastry

1. Mix flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until crumbly. Add the egg and quickly knead into a crumbly dough.
2. Use about two-thirds of the dough for the base and sides. Press it directly into a greased and parchment-lined 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, pressing it evenly over the bottom.
3. For the sides, roll small portions of dough into logs, place them around the inside edge of the pan, and press up to form a rim about 1–1.5 inches (3–4 cm) high.
4. Chill the remaining dough (this will become the streusel).

Poppy seed custard filling

1. In a saucepan, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, salt, and a small splash of the milk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk, then stir in the ground poppy seeds.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and comes to a gentle bubble. Let it simmer for about 1 minute to fully activate the cornstarch.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the rum and vanilla extract.
4. Drain the raisins and fold the rum raisins into the hot poppy seed custard. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the apples

1. Peel, core, and slice the apples. Toss them with lemon juice.

Assemble the cake

1. Spread the poppy seed custard filling into the prepared crust and smooth the top. Arrange the apple slices evenly over the filling.

Almond streusel

1. Take the remaining chilled dough and mix in the sliced almonds. Crumble it loosely over the apples as streusel.

Bake

1. Bake in a preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) top/bottom heat for about 60 minutes.
2. Baking at this lower temperature helps the cake bake evenly: the crust doesn’t get too dark, the filling sets gently, and the streusel turns golden without burning.
3. Alternatively, bake at 350°F (180°C) for 45–50 minutes. If the streusel browns too quickly, loosely cover the cake with foil toward the end of baking.
4. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before slicing so the filling can fully set.