German Butter Cake (Butterkuchen)

A classic German favorite, this is a treat that you can easily make at home.  German Butter Cake (Butterkuchen) will surely win you over — great for a snack, dessert, or breakfast.  Give it a try!

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It might not be as ubiquitous as pretzels, but I have yet to see a bakery (at least in Frankfurt) that do not have this treat.

Butterkuchen is more like a bread, a yeasted bread to be exact; but here in Germany, they call it cake. It doesn’t really matter to me; it’s still DELICIOUS! 

Ingredients

• Flour – all-purpose flour is all you need for this cake.

• Almonds – slices of blanched almonds are an excellent addition for the crunch but totally optional.

• Salt – you might need to adjust the quantity if you are using salted butter.

• Sugar – regular white sugar will work out well with this recipe.

• Cinnamon powder

• Egg – make sure it’s at room temperature.

• Yeast – I used active dry yeast for this recipe.

• Milk – warm up the milk for the yeast, but not too warm to kill it.

• Butter – softened unsalted butter for both the dough and the topping of butterkuchen.

Preparation

Start by combining the yeast with warm milk and set it aside until it’s foamy.

Using a large mixing bowl, combine and mix flour, salt, and sugar. (If you are using a stand mixer, combine everything in the mixer bowl.)

Once the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the dry ingredients. Add remaining ½ cup of milk and butter, then mix (photo 1).

Add egg, then mix until a dough is formed; continue kneading (mixing) until you get a smooth dough.

Place dough in an oiled bowl.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside until the size has doubled. It generally takes at least an hour (photo 2).

Once the dough has doubled in size, take it out of the bowl, and by using a rolling pin, roll the dough into the baking sheet’s size. (I use a baking tray that’s 33 cm x 40 cm for this recipe).

Prick the dough with a fork randomly; cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside for thirty minutes.

When the dough is almost ready, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Start preparing the topping by combining butter, sugar, and cinnamon powder in a bowl.  Use a hand mixer to mix (photo 3).

Once the dough is ready, use your fingers to make dents on the dough (photo 4).

Spread the cinnamon-butter mixture on the dough, ensuring that the holes have the mixture in them (photo 5).

Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the dough evenly (photo 6).

Place in the middle of the oven for about eighteen to twenty minutes.

Once cool enough to cut, slice the butter cake into sixteen portions and serve. Sprinkle with more sliced almonds, if desired. 

Helpful tips

• You don’t need a stand mixer to prepare this butter cake recipe.  I kneaded the dough manually each time I made this cake in Frankfurt (because I left my stand mixer in Stockholm) — and it’s really not that difficult.

• If you are having a hard time using a rolling pin, ditch it. You can stretch the dough to fit the tray’s size and then use your hands to make it even.  Trust me; I have done that too.

• If you don’t like nuts, skip the almonds.  Butterkuchen without almonds is quite common as well.

FAQs

• CAN I USE A DIFFERENT SIZE OF BAKING PAN?

Yes.  You can even use a round baking pan if you prefer.  

But generally, they just bake it on a tray. That’s what makes it special in a way – a no-fuss cake.  

• CAN I USE LESS SUGAR FOR THE TOPPING?

If I am not mistaken, traditionally, they only use butter for the topping.  The dents are filled with butter bits, and a sprinkle of sugar (or streusel) is added on top.  

You can do that if you think the mixture is too sweet for you.

So, what do you think?  Do you want to give butterkuchen a try this weekend?  Then let me know how it goes in the comment section below!

If you want to try another authentic German dish, you should jump straight to one of my most popular posts — German Potato Soup (Kartoffelsuppe).