This Butterkuchen recipe for a heavenly German butter cake is one of the favorite cakes in our family. Imagine a fluffy and moist vanilla cake base topped with crispy, caramelized almond slices and powdered sugar. It's like a party in your mouth!
This traditional German recipe is not only delicious but also easy and quick to make. You don't have to be a professional baker to impress your friends and family with this delicious treat.
Butterkuchen is perfect for any occasion, whether it's a cozy Sunday morning breakfast or a a delicious dessert after dinner, this butter cake will be a hit.
If you're a fan of traditional German cakes, you're in for a treat. These recipes are sure to please and will transport you to a world of old world German classics.
From favorites like Black Forest Cake or Frankfurter Kranz to modern twists like this recipe for German Cheese Cake With Fruit And Crumble topping, these cakes will make your mouth water and your heart sing.
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Cultural Background
Butterkuchen is a German coffee cake that has a beautiful moist texture and is topped with a mixture of buttery almond slices. It is popular not only in Germany but also in other European countries like Denmark. This delicacy has been enjoyed for generations among family and friends, whether at the morning Kaffee or the famous coffee and cake gatherings in the afternoons. It's no wonder it's so beloved; the combination of buttery dough, sweet sugar topping, and crunchy almonds make it hard to resist!
How is butter cake called in German?
Butter cake is called Butterkuchen in German. The German word for butter is "Butter" and the German word for cake is "Kuchen". Der Butterkuchen (m) in singular and die Butterkuchen (f) in plural.
How to pronounce "Butterkuchen" the correct way in German?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Butterkuchen" the right way.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Butterkuchen is one of the cakes that you can whip up with ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry. It takes only a few staple ingredients and very little time to make.
Flour - Simple all-purpose flour works best for this cake.
Butter - As the name implies, this cake gets its wonderful taste from the addition of real, high-quality butter. I would not recommend substituting butter for margarine.
Milk - I use full-fat milk, but you can substitute 2% milk. I would not recommend nonfat milk.
Heavy Cream - Improves not only taste but also texture. But if you don´t have heavy cream on hand, you can substitute milk.
Eggs - Make sure that your eggs are at temperature when using for baking.
Lemon - A bit of lemon juice and lemon extract give this butter cake a wonderful hint of freshness. But these ingredients are optional, and you can omit them if you don´t like lemon flavor.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations
Give the dish a special touch.
- Blueberries: Add a cup of blueberries to the cake batter; this will add a nice fruity addition to the cake.
- Raisins: Soak a ¾ cup of golden raisins in 2 tablespoons of rum for about 30 minutes and then add them to the cake batter.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F (375 F if using dark baking pan).
Step 1: Add all ingredient for the dough to a large bowl.
Step 2: Mix until just combined. Make sure to don´t incorporated too much air. The air could cause a collapse during baking.
Step 3: Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Step 4: Spread dough evenly in the dish.
Step 5: In a small saucepan, melt butter and milk, add sugar and stir until dissolved, add vanilla and almond slices.
Step 6: Stir frequently until everything is well combined.
Step 7: Spread mixture over dough. Bake 20-25 min. at 400 F (375 F if using dark baking pan).
Step 8: Remove from oven and cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).
Important Tips
- Make sure your baking pan or casserole dish is at least 2 inches deep so the cake doesn't spill out.
- If you are not sure that your baking dish is deep enough, put a baking pan under the dish to avoid any spills into your oven.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you need these kitchen tools.
- Large mixing bowl
- Large spatula
- 9x13 casserole dish or baking pan
- sauce pan
- measuring cups and spoons
Storage
Store the cake in a cake tray or under a clean kitchen towel at room temperature. The cake will stay moist for several days, if you can resist it that long.
How to Serve
Butterkuchen can be enjoyed by itself with a cup of coffee or your favorite drink. You can also serve it with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
Recipe
German Butter Cake - Butterkuchen
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. lemon extract
For the topping:
- 4 tbsp. milk
- 9 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups sliced almonds
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. (If you use a dark baking pan, reduce the heat to 375 F)
- Add all ingredient for the dough to a large bowl and mix until just combined. Make sure to don´t incorporated too much air. The air could cause a collapse during baking.
- Grease a baking pan or casserole dish. I use a clear casserole dish 9x13.
- Pour the dough into the pan and spread out evenly.
- Add butter and milk into a small sauce pan and melt on low heat.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the vanilla extract and the almond slices to the sauce pan and combine well.
- Spread the almond mixture evenly over the dough.
- Bake for about 20 - 25 min. at 400 F. (If you use a dark baking pan, reduce the heat to 375 F)
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar. (optional)
Video
Notes
- Ensure that your baking pan or casserole dish is at least 2 inches deep to prevent the cake from overflowing.
- To further prevent spillage, place a baking pan underneath the casserole dish before placing it in the oven.
Angie says
This looks really good... Think I could freeze this ? Minus the powder sugar on top. I love anything with heavy cream and almonds !!!
Angela Schofield says
Thank you. You can freeze it. Best would be in single portions and then let them thaw at room temperature and give them a 15 sec. boost in the microwave. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and it tastes like freshly baked 🙂
susan says
what size pan
Angela Schofield says
I used a 9x13 casserole pan in this video. But the measurements are very forgiving. You can adjust the size of the pan depending on how high you would like the cake.
Kathy says
I have found a butterkuchen recipe with yeast from Dr. Oetker..It's different. Which one is more popular?
Angela Schofield says
I think that depends on personal preferences. I like both, but the yeast variations is a little dry. Especially when you want to keep the cake for a few days. In the East of Germany the yeast variations like "Schlesischer Butterkuchen" are more popular in the South more the "Mürbteig" variation of this recipe.
Angela Schofield says
I used a 9x13 pan in this video. But the measurements are very forgiving. You can adjust the size of the pan depending on how high you would like the cake.
Shellie says
What size pan did you use?
Angela Schofield says
I used a 9x13 casserole pan. The recipe is very forgiving, you could use any size pan you have on hand, depending on the height you would like the cake.
Kathy Barth says
Baked this today following the recipe exactly. I greased my pan well but during the baking process the topping sunk to the bottom making it hard to cut a nice clean piece out of the pan/cake. I am a good at baking. Not sure what happened.
Angela Schofield says
Hey Kathy, I am sorry to hear that. Did you use baking powder? I had a lady with the same problem writing me and we found out she used baking soda instead of baking powder. I am pretty sure you pre-heated the oven, but other than that I am not sure what could have happened. I used a 9x13 casserole dish, what size did you use?
Liz G says
Sank in the middle. Maybe 400° is too hot for baking this cake or my pan was too small. Any siggestions?
Angela Schofield says
Hi Liz, sorry to hear that. I use a clear 9x13 casserole pan for the cake, if you use a dark pan 375 F is probably a better temperature. Overmixing the dough could be another reason why the cake sunk or the sugar was not fully dissolved in the preparation of the topping.
James Hanley says
How does this recipe resemble Entemanns German Butter Cake. Entemanns does not sell that cake anymore nor will hey give out the recipe. I loved that cake growing up and miss it to this day. I am 68! Anyway, just curious. I just made it and will see in about 20 minutes. Thank you Angela!!!
Angela Schofield says
I am sorry, James, I am not familiar with Entemanns German Butter cake, but I hope you will like the cake and you will let us know how it turned out for you. Thank you for giving the recipe a try.
Paulina says
Hi what kind of flour do i use? Will all purpose work fine? Thank you
Angela Schofield says
Hi Paulina, yes, all-purpose flour works fine.
Jean says
Wonderful cake with a bright lemon flavor. I was worried about how to test if it was done but the was cake batter that rose around the almond topping that looked golden brown. I tested with a toothpick in a cake spot and I lightly touched the top near the middle to see if it sunk. There was some bounce after baking 25 minutes and the toothpick near the center came out clean but for a single crumb. It looks and tastes perfect. Thank you! I did follow some high altitude adjustments. (A little less sugar, baking powder, and butter but a little more cream.) I also cut down on some of the butter with the almond topping and used 6 TBSP instead of 9 and it turned out fine.
Angela Schofield says
Thank you so much for giving the cake recipe a try. I am so happy, you liked it. It must be very challenging to adjust recipe to high-altitude. Thank you for the helpful insights.