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a slice of German fresh apricot sponge cake dusted with icing sugar.

German Apricot Sponge Cake ( Apricot Kuchen)

Try my German Apricot Sponge Cake ( Apricot Kuchen)!  An Easy coffee cake with apricot halves dusted with icing sugar.
Course Dessert
Cuisine German
Keyword apricot sponge cake, German Apricot Cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 9
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Apricots ≈ 2 pounds
  • 4 Egg Whites
  • 100 g Powdered Sugar ≈ 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 200 g Flour ≈ 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 Package of Baking Powder ≈ 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • A pinch of Salt ≈ A small pinch around 1/8 teaspoon
  • 200 g Butter ≈ 7/8 cup unsalted butter slightly less than 1 cup
  • 100 g Sugar ≈ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • A splash of Rum optional ≈ A small splash (around 1 tablespoon)
  • 4 Egg Yolks
  • 1 Sachet of Vanilla Sugar or add 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp Grated Lemon Zest ≈ Zest from approximately 1 lemon

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the apricots, then halve them. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 365
  2. In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar and egg whites until stiff peaks form. The meringue is ready when it's stiff and doesn't move when you turn the bowl upside down.
  3. Sieve flour and baking powder together. I always add a pinch of salt.
  4. Cream softened butter and sugar until fluffy, then mix in the room temperature egg yolks one by one. Add vanilla sugar, grated lemon zest, and a generous splash of rum. Fold in the sieved flour and baking powder.
  5. Once the egg yolk-flour mixture is well combined, gently fold in the whipped egg whites by hand. Use a spatula or a large spoon and fold the egg whites from the bottom to the top until no large meringue clumps are visible. If using a mixer, ensure it runs at a very low speed.
  6. Finally, pour the cake batter into a rectangular baking pan (mine was 36 x 24 cm / 9 x 14 inch) or spread it on a baking sheet + adjustable frame and arrange the apricots, cut side down, on top of the cake.
  7. Bake at 180°C (365°F) in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. Don't forget the toothpick test. I love to serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and whipped cream.