Gluten-Free Apple Kuchen for Oktoberfest – German Apple Cake

This gluten-free apple kuchen (Apfelkuchen) recipe is going to become a favorite. It makes two 9-inch German Apple Cakes, so they make the perfect amount for fall entertaining and parties. I'd imagine many have been made for church suppers and bake sales alike. You're going to want to serve these at your Oktoberfest party, so don't worry, the two will be gone in no time! You will also want to make this as a lovely addition to a Christmas brunch, or an easy replacement (no rolling dough) for Apple Pie at Thanksgiving.

The dough for the crust requires no rolling before baking, silent cheer. Working with gluten-free crusts can be a challenge sometimes, so this lovely press-in-the-pan style butter crust is quick and easy. I'm all for doing things the night before a party whenever possible, so these can be the night before your holiday or Oktoberfest, just refrigerate.

Apfelkuchen have a wonderfully spiced fruit filling and a buttery crust that has eggs. The crumbly, buttery texture is wonderful. For best results in baking, bring your eggs and butter to room temperature before you start the crust. That will only take about 30 minutes.

Because blue and white are traditional Oktoberfest colors, I choose to make these cakes in my blue and white Polish Pottery. The best looking Apfelkuchen I made was in the shallow dish where I pressed the apples slightly into the crust.

The best types of apples to use in this gluten-free apple kuchen include Gala and Granny Smith. You will want to choose a tart apple, which is traditional for German Apple Cake.

German Apple Cake Ingredients

Crust

• 4 cups of gluten-free flour (I used King Arthur's Gluten-Free Flour)
• 4 sticks of butter (room temperature)
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 cup of sugar

Filling

• 5-6 tart apples
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
• Juice from one lemon

You will want to slice your apples thin (since this only bakes for 30-35 minutes) and uniform. This will help ensure your apples cook evenly. Since there isn't a top crust like there is with an apple pie, all your work will be on display here. I used a combination of red and green tart apples to make this a beautiful and festive Apple Pie replacement.

(The full recipe for this lovely gluten-free apple kuchen is available in a printable format at the bottom of this page.)

Instructions

Prep

• Bring the eggs and the butter to room temperature
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

For the Apple Filling

• Slice the apples thin (1/4 inch) and uniform.
• Add brown sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice to the bowl with the apples.
• Stir until the brown sugar mixture coats the apples.
• Set aside for 30 minutes.

Mix the Crust

• Combine the eggs, butter, flour and sugar in a mixer.
• Mix until it forms a dough — it will be a lot like a cookie dough, not a pie crust dough.

Forming the Gluten-Free Apple Kuchen Butter Crust

• Divide dough into two sections.
• Press each section into a cake pan or ceramic baking dish.
• You'll want to press a little up the sides of your baking dish.
• The crust should be 1/3 inch thick.

Arranging the Apples

• Arrange the apples in overlapping rows or in a spiral if using round pans.
• You'll want to make the apple slices almost stand on edge when arranging.
• Pour any remaining juice from the bowl that collected from the apples equally over the two completed baking dishes.

To Bake

• Bake the gluten-free Apple Kuchen at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
• Since butter crusts can burn quickly, check the color of the edge frequently the last couple minutes.

If you are preparing this Gluten-Free Apple Cake for Oktoberfest, be sure to check out our Oktoberfest party post to find other German foods to serve as well as German-inspired decorating and tableware ideas. On the EnFete site, you will find everything you need for fall entertaining: wonderful recipes, party planning by theme, and you can order any products and tableware all in one place.

Let me know how you like this Gluten-Free Apple Cake in the comments below.