Zwiebelkuchen is a German speciality from the South of Germany – Swabia.
The cake is usually served in autumn with a glass of the new wine that just barely started to ferment.
How is onion tarte called in German?
Onion cake or tarte is called "Zwiebelkuchen".
How to pronounce "Zwiebelkuchen"?
Listen to this audio file to hear how to say "Zwiebelkuchen" in German.
Authentic German Onion Cake - Zwiebelkuchen Recipe
Zwiebelkuchen - Swabian Onion Cake
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.5 tbsp. soft butter
- 1.5 tsp. yeast
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- ⅔ cup milk lukewarm
Filling
- 2.5 pounds onions
- 16 oz. bacon thick cut
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp. coarse Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp. caraway seeds
- 2 tbsp. cold butter
Instructions
Dough
- Add flour to a large bowl, form a well and add sugar, yeast, and half of the warm milk.
- Mix ingredients in the well gently, cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for about 10-15 min.
- Add salt and rest of the milk. Knead for about 5 min. on low speed.
- Add soft butter and knead until the dough is soft and elastic.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to proof for about 1 hour.
- Butter a springform pan (9-inch) and place the dough into the pan. Spread out evenly to cover the bottom and pull up on the sides to form a rim. Leave about ½ inch from the top.
- Let proof in pan for another 30 min. to 1 hour.
Filling:
- In the meantime, finely cube the onions and bacon.
- Fry in butter until translucent over medium low heat. Make sure to stir constantly to avoid browning.
- Sprinkle the bacon-onion mix with flower, mix well and set aside to cool down.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs.
- Add heavy whipping cream and sour cream and mix well.
- Add the cooled down onion-bacon mixture to the bowl.
- Salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
- Pour mixture on top of the dough and sprinkle with caraway seeds.
- Cut the 2 tbsp. of cold butter into very thin slices and spread evenly on top of the cake.
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 40-50 min at 400F.
- Serve hot or lukewarm.
Nutrition
Yield: 1gramsCalories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 52gFiber: 3gSugar: 6g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
How to Serve Swabian Onion Tarte - Zwiebelkuchen?
Onion cake tastes best lukewarm.
Serve with a side salad and a glass of Feiderweißer or white wine.
Carol L. says
Hi Angela! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I live Zwiebelkuchen. It's been years since I've enjoyed one and this is my first time making one; I'm not that versed in custards. It looks great and tastes delicious, it is, however curdled, I think, so maybe I over baked it? I'll include a photo if I can. Any tips to what I did wrong will be appreciated. I would like master Zwiebelkuchen! 😉
Angela Schofield says
Hi Carol, sorry to hear that. Could it be that the bacon mixture was too hot when you added it to the mixture?
Carol LiVecchi says
Could be. It still tasted delicious and I'll definitely make it again.
Angela Schofield says
That´s great to hear, Carol. Perhaps you start with preparing the bacon mixture and let it cool completely, this should solve the problem.
Herr Schoenfeld says
So wonderful and zesty. The perfect wintry day dish!
Angela Schofield says
Das ist nett, Herr Schönfeld 🙂