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    Home » Recipes » German Cake Recipes

    German Butter Cake - Butterkuchen

    Published: Jan 15, 2020 · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 by Angela Schofield · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    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.

    Powdered sugar sprinkled butter cake slices on a white cake stand.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Cultural Background
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Variations
    • Instructions
    • Important Tips
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • How to Serve
    • Recipe

    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.

    Click the play button to listen to the audio file.

    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.

    Ingredients for butterkuchen: butter, heavy cream, eggs, lemon extract, lemon juice, almonds, vanilla extract, baking powder, sugar, milk, and flour.

    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).

    Butterkuchen recipe step 1: flour, eggs, oil, and milk in a large stand mixer bowl.

    Step 1: Add all ingredient for the dough to a large bowl.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 2: mixing butter cake batter in a stand mixer bowl.

    Step 2: Mix until just combined. Make sure to don´t incorporated too much air. The air could cause a collapse during baking.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 3: greasind glass casserole with butter.

    Step 3: Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 4: pouring butter cake batter into the greased glass casserole.

    Step 4: Spread dough evenly in the dish.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 5: melting butter and sugar in a small saucepan for the butter cake topping.

    Step 5: In a small saucepan, melt butter and milk, add sugar and stir until dissolved, add vanilla and almond slices.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 6: adding almond slices to the butter-sugar mix in a small saucepan.

    Step 6: Stir frequently until everything is well combined.

    Butterkuchen recipe step 7: adding almond topping the the butter cake batter in the glass casserole pan.

    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

    Slices of German butter cake topped with powdered sugar on a white plate.

    German Butter Cake - Butterkuchen

    Angela Schofield
    This German butter cake has a moist cake layer covered with a crispy almond layer and tastes just like it came straight from a German bakery.
    4.79 from 23 votes
    Print Recipe Share on Facebook Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Cakes
    Cuisine German
    Servings 12 cake slices
    Calories 489 kcal

    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

    TIPS:
    • 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.

    Nutrition

    Yield: 1 pieceCalories: 489kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 9gFat: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 35gNet Carbohydrates: 52g
    Keyword authentic, budget friendly, easy, traditional
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angie says

      April 01, 2020 at 7:22 am

      This looks really good... Think I could freeze this ? Minus the powder sugar on top. I love anything with heavy cream and almonds !!!

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 01, 2020 at 8:54 am

        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 🙂

        Reply
    2. susan says

      April 02, 2020 at 8:44 am

      what size pan

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 02, 2020 at 9:01 am

        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.

        Reply
        • Kathy says

          April 18, 2020 at 7:58 am

          I have found a butterkuchen recipe with yeast from Dr. Oetker..It's different. Which one is more popular?

          Reply
          • Angela Schofield says

            April 18, 2020 at 5:35 pm

            5 stars
            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.

            Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 02, 2020 at 9:01 am

        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.

        Reply
    3. Shellie says

      April 02, 2020 at 8:46 am

      What size pan did you use?

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 02, 2020 at 8:59 am

        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.

        Reply
    4. Kathy Barth says

      April 05, 2020 at 6:54 pm

      4 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 05, 2020 at 8:26 pm

        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?

        Reply
      • Liz G says

        April 11, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        5 stars
        Sank in the middle. Maybe 400° is too hot for baking this cake or my pan was too small. Any siggestions?

        Reply
        • Angela Schofield says

          April 12, 2020 at 12:42 pm

          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.

          Reply
    5. James Hanley says

      August 15, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      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!!!

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        August 16, 2020 at 2:32 pm

        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.

        Reply
    6. Paulina says

      September 29, 2020 at 10:48 am

      Hi what kind of flour do i use? Will all purpose work fine? Thank you

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        September 29, 2020 at 7:13 pm

        Hi Paulina, yes, all-purpose flour works fine.

        Reply
    7. Jean says

      April 07, 2023 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Angela Schofield says

        April 08, 2023 at 8:56 pm

        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.

        Reply

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