German Butter Cake with Almond Topping
Cook along on the interactive map
Ingredients 🧂🥕
- Milk200 ml
- Single Cream200 ml
- Butter250 g
- Yeast42 g
- Eggs1 pcs
- Almonds sliced200 g
- Plain Flour500 g
- Sugar195 g
- Vanilla Sugar8 g
- Salt3 g
Instructions 👩🍳
Step-by-step:
- Make the yeast dough: Combine the flour, yeast, milk, egg, sugar, salt and butter for the dough, then knead until smooth and elastic. Refer to the illustrated recipe for the exact preparation details.
- Let the dough rise: Cover the dough and leave it to rise until visibly airy. Spread it evenly in the prepared baking tray.
- Prepare the topping: Let the shaped dough become puffy, then press dimples into its surface. Distribute the topping butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and flaked almonds over the dough.
- Bake the butter cake: Bake until the dough is cooked through and the almond topping is golden. Apply the cream finish as shown.
- Cool and cut: Let the topping settle and the cake become stable before cutting into pieces.
German butter cake with a golden almond topping
A soft yeast base, buttery dimples and golden almonds: German butter cake is a lovely reason to gather around the table. A cream finish makes the cake especially tender. Cut it into squares and let everyone choose a piece.
Keep dough and topping ingredients separate
Divide the butter and sugar between the dough and topping before mixing. Keep the topping butter aside for small pieces, along with its sugar, the vanilla sugar and sliced almonds. The cream is for finishing the baked cake; keep it refrigerated until needed.
Prepare the yeast with the milk according to the yeast package. If the milk needs warming, use it lukewarm rather than hot. Combine with the flour, egg, salt and the dough portions of sugar and softened butter. Knead until smooth and elastic.
Let the dough rise twice
Cover and leave in a comfortably warm place until visibly fuller and airy. Prepare a rimmed baking tray, then spread the dough evenly into it, including the corners. If it keeps shrinking back, let it relax before easing it out again.
Let the shaped dough become puffy while the oven preheats. Press shallow dimples across the surface without poking through to the tray. Dot the topping butter into them. Mix the topping sugar with the vanilla sugar and scatter it over the dough, followed by the sliced almonds.
Bake, then add the cream
Bake until the almonds are golden and the yeast base is cooked through. Check the dough in the center as well as the edges; a browned topping can hide wet dough underneath. Do not taste raw dough; flour and egg need cooking. Clean hands and utensils after handling them.
Place the hot tray on a heatproof surface. Drizzle the liquid cream evenly over the freshly baked cake, letting it soak in. It does not need whipping. Leave the topping to settle and the cake to firm up before cutting; handle the hot tray with oven mitts.
Serve with a freshly brewed doppio. Cool any cake you are keeping promptly and refrigerate within two hours, or within one hour in heat above 90°F. Keep it covered once cold.
Check the corners before topping
Look across the tray at dough level. Ease thicker patches toward thinner areas so the base bakes more evenly.
Try a cinnamon topping
For a warmly spiced variation, mix a little cinnamon into the topping sugar. Spread it evenly with the almonds so each slice gets some.
Freeze a few squares
Wrap cooled pieces securely and freeze them in portions. Thaw in the refrigerator, then warm gently if you wish, watching that the almonds do not darken too much.
Frequently asked questions
Can I skip the second rise?
Give the shaped dough time to become puffy before topping and baking. This helps it stay light after spreading it on the tray.
Which almonds should I use?
Sliced almonds make the thin, golden topping. Ground almonds would give a different finish.
Does the cream go into the dough?
No. Drizzle it over the cake straight after baking so it can soak into the warm surface.