Apricot kuchen is a German apricot cake. Tender cake and a layer of creamy custard and fresh apricots are baked all together in one pan. Delicious!

Apricot Kuchen is a German apricot cake made with fresh apricots.

Apricot Kuchen is a German apricot cake with tender cake and moist custard baked all together in one pan. I made a peach Kuchen with canned peaches before and it was a great success.

I tried the same recipe with fresh apricots this time and it is oh-so-good! If you love anything apricots, you will definitely want to try this apricot Kuchen recipe.

What is Kuchen?

Kuchen is a German word for cake. There are, of course, many different variation of Kuchen in Germany. 

Some Kuchen recipe requires yeast to make more bread-like, but I like the kind that resembles English pie with moist custard built in together. It is creamy and delicious.

One good thing about Kuchen is that it doesn’t require much fat, but still makes a rich tasty cake. A Kuchen is typically less decorative or fancy in nature than other European cakes. It might look humble but the taste is not.

What fruits are suitable for Kuchen?

Any summer fruits like peaches, apricots, nectarine, and berries will be suitable. Apples and pears are also good in the fall and winter season.

How to make German Apricot Cake

There are two parts making Kuchen. One is cake part, and the other is the custard.

  1. For the cake; combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut butter into the mixture. Mix milk and egg together and add to the flour mixture. Bake the cake halfway before you add the custard mixture.
  2. For the custard; whisk together cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour over to the half baked cake and continue to bake.
A slice of apricot Kuchen (German apricot cake) is served on a plate
Apricot Kuchen is a German apricot cake made with fresh apricots

Apricot Kuchen (German Apricot Cake)

Servings: 12 people
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Apricot kuchen is a German apricot cake. Tender cake and a layer of creamy custard and fresh apricots are baked all together in one pan. Delicious!
5 from 3 ratings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Recipe Video

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 5-6 apricot, pitted and sliced
  • 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp mace
  • 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg

For the custard:

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 tsp flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
  • To make the cake, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and mace. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. In another small bowl, whisk together milk and egg. Pour it to the flour mixture and combine well.
  • Spread the batter into a prepared pan and arrange the apricot slices on top. Bake the cake for 15 minutes.
  • To make the custard, combine 1/4 cups of cream with flour in a medium mixing bowl, and whisk together to get rid of big lumps. Add the rest of the cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla; whisk well to mix.
  • When the cake comes out of oven, pour the custard mixture into hot cake and put it back to the oven. Reduce the heat to 350˚F and continue to bake for another 35-45 minutes.
  • When the cake top is puffed, the edges are deep golden and starting to separate from the pan, the cake is done. Let the cake cool in a pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cake ring and cool completely on a wired rack.
Cuisine: German, Western
Course: Dessert
Author: Holly Ford
Did you make this recipe?Tag @beyondkimchee on Instagram. I love to see your masterpiece.