Grandma's Christmas Morning Apple Kuchen
Celebrate Christmas all month with this easy to make and store German-inspired cake, filled with thin apple slices, and covered in cinnamon sugar and dried fruit. It's the perfect way to start any holiday!
Servings 18 Slices
Calories 204kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Apples, about 5 medium to large apples
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 cup Raisins or other dried fruit such as cranberries or cherries, optional
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 cup Butter
Instructions
- Peel (if desired) and slice the apples about 1/8 inch thick. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two butter knives, cut in the shortening until well combined.
- Add the apple cider vinegar to the milk and set aside for about 5 minutes until soured. Then add 1 cup of the mixture to the dry ingredients. Add the egg and mix well until a batter forms.
- Grease 2 8" square or round pans, or 1 9x13" pan. Add the batter evenly to the pans and spread.
- Stand up the apples on the flat, cut edge, so the peel side is facing up, into the batter, until the pan is full. The apples should be fairly close together, covering most of the batter.
- If desired, sprinkle the raisins or dried fruit on top of the apples. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and generously sprinkle the mixture on top the cake.
- Using a vegetable peeler, cut thin strips of the butter and place on top to dot the cake.
- Cover the pans with foil, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Then uncover, and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Use a toothpick or butter knife to check the cake, and it should come out clean. Be sure to test the cake and not an apple.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, and serve immediately. Or cover and store in the fridge for up to one week, microwaving pieces to serve as needed. For long term storage, cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 6 months. Refrigerate to thaw overnight, and then reheat to serve.
Notes
- The traditional recipe calls for peeling the apples, but our family stopped doing that years ago. If you'd like to peel the apples, feel free, but the cake is delicious either way!
- You can arrange the apples in the cakes in fun patterns, or just place them randomly. Start with the longer slices toward the middle of the cake and then fill in with smaller pieces as needed.
- If you don't have baking powder on hand, you can use equal parts baking soda and cornstarch.
- For a fun spring seasonal twist, use fresh pitted and halved cherries instead of apples in the cake. Or feel free to experiment with other fruits or toppings.