Easy German Apple Sheet Cake

Hello there!

Growing up in Germany, I learned to love the simplicity of a sunken apple sheet cake early on. The cake consists of moist sponge cake, fruity cinnamon apples and a hint of vanilla and lemon.

A real, even if a rather unspectacular classic. And yet granny's apple pie tastes great again and again!

Taste and Occasion

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Sunken apple pie is THE cake from my childhood. It was always based on a recipe in an old, yellowed and tattered German baking book. But you never needed it anyway. The recipe is easy to remember.

In Germany, many people associate the simple apple sheet cake with a coffee-get-together at grandma's. The soft, fruity and super moist sponge cake with apples is just everybody's favorite! Perfect as a dessert on a sunny sunday.

Ingredients

The fact that the German apple cake is super easy is only one of its advantages. The comparatively rich sponge cake, is followed by many moist apple pieces - and (optionally) a good portion of cinnamon sugar.

While in the traditional cake recipe the apples are cut in half from the springform pan and then cut in a few times, this recipe is more like dicing. This makes it easier to cut the quick sponge cake from the baking sheet. The pieces can then be large or small as desired.

How to make the Easy German Apple Sheet Cake

First of all, cover a baking sheet with baking paper and preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Then, you can start peeling the apples. Core them and cut the apples into small pieces. Mix with the apple pieces with lemon juice and put them aside.

For the dough, beat softened butter and sugar for a few minutes until the mixture is lightly frothy. Stir in all the eggs one by one and add vanilla pulp.

In the next step, mix the flour with almonds, baking powder and salt, and stir in several steps. In between, always add some milk so that the dough falls off the spoon with difficulty.

Now, spread the dough on the baking sheet. Spread apple pieces over it and press them in lightly. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes. After you remove it from the oven, dust the apple sheet cake with a little cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar, as desired.

Top Tip

Because the easy apple pie is baked from the baking sheet with sponge cake, it is the perfect beginner's pie. It's easy to follow my tips from the sponge cake guide, especially that butter and eggs must be at room temperature. Then nothing can really go wrong.

Recipe Card

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Easy German Apple Sheet Cake

Juicy, quick and easy to make: Granny's sunken apple sheet cake is a true German classic for a reason.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Baking Time35 minutes mins

Calories: 221kcal

Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• 250 grams (1.1 cups) butter, soft
• 180 grams (0.9 cups) sugar
• 6 eggs , medium-sized; room temperature
• 1 pinch salt
• 300 grams (2.4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 120 grams (1.1 cups) ground almonds
• ½ teaspoon vanilla pulp , or lemon grated
• 16 grams (1 tablespoon) baking powder
• 130 milliliters (0.6 cups) milk , rough indication

For the topping

• 800 grams (1.8 lb) apples
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar , optional; or powdered sugar

Instructions

• Cover a baking sheet with baking paper. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
• Peel and core the apples and cut them into small pieces. Mix with the lemon juice and put aside.
• For the dough, beat the softened butter and the sugar for a few minutes until lightly frothy. Stir in all the eggs one by one. Add vanilla pulp; mix the flour with the almonds, baking powder and salt and stir in several steps. In between, always add some milk so that the dough falls off the spoon with difficulty.
• Spread the dough on the baking sheet. Spread apple pieces over it and press them in lightly. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust with a little cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar as desired.

Ingredient substitutions

Do you want to replace some ingredients? Here you find tips for baking ingredient substitutions!

Variations

There are several ways to make a topping for Granny's sunken apple pie from the baking sheet. All according to taste and ideas about the look.

You can mix the apple pieces with lemon juice and some cinnamon or tonka bean before topping. Alternatively, the cinnamon sugar can be added before or after baking. Or you can use only powdered sugar.

Similar Recipes

If you like this quick apple pie recipe for the baking sheet, you should also have a look at my many other apple pie recipes. My grandma made this alternative with icing sugar. Or how about the apple pie with cinnamon cream? And if you love classic cakes, make sure to try our Grandma's Super Moist Raisin Cake for another delicious, comforting bake.

Have fun clicking through!