Gedeckter Apfelkuchen {Topped Apple Cake}

VeganMoFo 2013, it’s on! If you don’t know what I am talking about, check out the VeganMofo site here. You can browse all participating blogs by category and by country. For this years VeganMoFo I decided to blog about German desserts from A to Z. For this purpose there’s a new page on this blog with some advice on (German) baking. And this is my first entry:

Apple cake is probably one of the most popular cakes in Germany. There is not one single traditional apple cake recipe though. Crusts and fillings vary, yeasted apple cakes are popular, but there are lots of recipes calling for batter leavened with baking powder or cakes made with shortbread crusts. A common version available at most bakeries is gedeckter Apfelkuchen, a cake made with a shortbread crust, an apple raisin filling, which covered with a second crust glazed with sugar. It’s not the most beautiful cake on this blog but is very delicious. So delicious that it surprises you. (I totally fucked up that picture! The top crust fell off, the light was terrible, etc. But since it’s VeganMoFo and I can’t spend two hours on taking a picture – why, yes? I do that sometimes – we have to make do with this one.)

The combination of tart apples, lemon juice, mild nuts, and cinnamon is just perfect! I made this in a 18 cm (7 inch) springform pan and the cake can easily be eaten by four hungry people. You can also freeze it. (I recommend to cut it into pieces and freeze the pieces individually.) I chose to add chickpea flour to the shortbread crust because like eggs, it helps binding the crust.

Gedeckter Apfelkuchen
adapted from this recipe

For the dough:
150 g (1 1/4 cups) flour
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1 tablespoon chickpea flour
1 pinch salt
25 g (3 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
55 g (1/4 cup) cold refined coconut oil, chopped into little cubes
3 tablespoons cold soymilk

For the filling:
25 g (1/4 cup) oats
25 g (3 tablespoons) ground hazelnuts
300 g apples (2 medium)
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
2 tablespoons raisins
50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:
75 g (2/3 cup, unsifted) powdered sugar
4-5 teaspoons lemon or lime juice

To make the dough:
Place the flour in a bowl. Add sugar, chickpea flour, salt, and hazelnuts. Mix well. Add the coconut oil cubes and use your hand to mix everything quickly and form crumbs. Make sure to knead in the fat properly. Add the liquid and form into a dough. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Grease a 18 cm (7 inch) springform pan and sprinkle with flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Roll 1/3 of the dough into a disk. Use your springform pan to cut out a circle. Wrap in plastic and place in the fridge. Roll out the remaining dough and place in the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides (4 cm or 1.6 inches).

Combine oats and hazelnuts and place on the bottom of the cake.

Cut the apples into small cubes and mix with lemon juice. Add almonds, raisins, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well and pour into the cake pan. Remove the remaining dough from the fridge and place on top of the cake. Use your fingers to pinch the edges together. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes and use a knife to loosen the cake from the pan. Remove and let cool.

Combine powdered sugar and lemon or lime juice and glaze the cake top. Wait until the glaze has dried and serve. Whipped cream goes great with this cake, by the way!

P.S. Check out my recipe index for more German cakes and desserts!