Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (2024)

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Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (1)

by: Gerhild Fulson / Cookbook Author, Blogger, German Oma!

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Making this German coffee cake recipe to get a Zimt-Kaffeekuchen just like Oma used to make is so easy. Just mix, layer with nuts and cinnamon, and bake. YUM!

It's so fun to make this with the kids and grandkids. They love to help sprinkle the yummy nut mixture over the layers. And, of course, they just love to lick the bowl!

Because of its ease and deliciousness, this is one of those easy dessert ideas that you'll return to time and time again.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (4)

Delicious served with whipped cream, but ice cream would be nice as well. Oma's German Coffee Cake.

Perfect for Kaffeeklatsch!

How to make this Kaffeekuchen

Quick to make, this coffee cake is a good one for beginners. Master this easy method and you are well on your way to creating quick and easy cakes.

You can easily alter this German coffee cake recipe by omitting the cinnamon and/or adding raisins.

The first step for baking this cake, in fact for any cake, is to get your ingredients ready. If you pre-measure everything, you'll make easy work of the baking process.

Once you're ready, make the dough. It will be nice and creamy, a bit on the thicker side.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (5)

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (6)

Once the dough is ready, make the nut mixture.

Make sure that you really mix this well. You don't want large clumps of the brown sugar in the mix. I'll quickly use my fingers to make sure everything is mixed.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (7)

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (8)

Then you are ready to start layering. Using a water-dipped spoon to spread the dough will make it go easier.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (9)

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (10)

Once the remaining nut mixture is sprinkled over the top, you're ready to put this into a preheated oven.

And, you're done! Lick the bowl while you wait for the cake to bake.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (11)

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (12)

You'll see that I used a square springform pan. That my favorite to use since it's so easy to remove the sides and then remove the cake.

Of course, any type of 9" pan can be used. Just make sure to grease it or line it with parchment paper.

You can add a halfcup of raisins to the nut/sugar mixture. Of course, I used almond extract, our favorite :-)

It's delicious served with whipped cream. Ice cream would be nice as well, but plain is also good.

Can one bake this in an Air Fryer Oven?

Yes, I do that all the time. I have a Kalorik Digital MAXX Air Fryer Oven and it works just like a regular oven. I like using this because it preheats so quickly.

The only difference I find in using this air fryer is that the time is sometimes a bit shorter. If a recipe states that it should take about 30 to 35 minutes (as in the recipe below), I'll take a look at it at around 25 minutes and see how it's doing.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (13)

Depending on which brand of air fryer oven you are using, follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Some brands require an adjustment of temperature as well.

Again, following the manufacturer's recommendation, I make sure that I rotate the pan halfway through the backing time. The back of this oven bakes hotter than the front.

For the cake shown above, you'll see that I'm using a square 9" springform pan, making it easy to remove the cake without having to tip it over to remove it and perhaps lose some of the nuts on top.

Grab your copy of Oma's favorites in herSpecial Occasion German Cakes & Tortes e-Cookbook.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (14)

Take a peek at all Oma's eCookbooks. They make sharing your German heritage a delicious adventure!

Oma says,

This method of mixing the butter, sugar and eggs first and then alternately adding the flour and liquid is a simple version of the German "rührteig" (translated as "stir dough").

HINT: For this cake, I either wet my hands with water or use a wet spoon tohelp smooth the dough over the nut filling.

Ready to make this German coffee cake?

Is the recipe below locked?Here'swhy.

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (16)

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept

My German coffee cake recipe, aka Kaffeekuchen, is a delicious way to learn how to make coffee cake. With nuts and cinnamon, it's fun to make with the kids. They just love to lick the bowl!

Because of its ease and deliciousness, this is one of those easy dessert ideas that you'll return to time and time again.

Prep Time

15 minutes

Bake Time

35 minutes

Total Time

50 minutes

Ingredients:

  • ⅓ cup butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ cups flour, all-purpose
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspooncinnamon
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar (optional)
  • 3 - 4 tablespoons milk (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Greased a 9-inch square baking pan. In mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, and extract until creamy.
  3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  4. Blend flour and baking powder together.
  5. Stir flour mixture alternately with the milk into the sugar mixture.
  6. Spread half of batter in greased pan.
  7. Combine nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle half over batter in pan.
  8. Carefully top with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining nut mixture.
  9. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  10. Cool in pan on wire rack.
  11. If desired, blend powdered sugar and milk to make glaze. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Notes/Hints:

  • Dip a spoon into water and use that to smooth the dough as you are layering it in the pan and then over the nut layer.
  • For a delicious variation on this Coffee Cake recipe add ½ cup raisins to the nut mixture.

* * * * *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

08.20.2021 revision update

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Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (29)

German Coffee Cake Recipe ~ Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen

By Oma Gerhild Fulson
Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (30)
This German coffee cake recipe is a delicious way to Making this German coffee cake recipe to get a Zimt-Kaffeekuchen just like Oma used to make is so easy. Just mix, layer with nuts and cinnamon, and bake. YUM!

Ingredients: butter,sugar,vanilla extract,eggs,all-purpose flour,baking powder,milk,nuts,brown sugar,cinnamon,powdered sugar,milk,

For the full recipe, scroll up ...

Words to the Wise

"A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends."

Proverbs 16:28 (NLT)

Top of German Coffee Cake Recipe

Traditional German Coffee Cake Recipe – Oma's Zimt-Kaffeekuchen Rezept (2024)

FAQs

What is the German tradition of coffee and cake? ›

The traditional German Kaffee und Kuchen is a social ritual where friends and family gather to enjoy coffee, cake, and conversation, happening any time between two and five o'clock.

What is the most famous German cake? ›

Bienenstich. This classic German cake consists of a creamy filling that is enclosed between two layers of yeasted pastry dough. The cake is topped with a gooey combination of sugar or honey, cream, and slivered almonds, while the fillings typically include sweetened whipped cream or crème pâtissière.

What is kaffeekuchen? ›

"Kaffee und kuchen" (coffee and cake) is an afternoon ritual where friends, family, or coworkers will meet for an hour or two to enjoy coffee, cake, and socializing.

What is the German word for coffee and cake? ›

You probably know that Germans love gathering for Kaffee und Kuchen (“coffee and cake”), traditionally in the afternoon between lunch and dinner.

What is a fact about German cake? ›

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852.

What is the German coffee tradition? ›

In Germany, the habit of meeting over coffee and something sweet was first established in the late 17th century. Once coffee became more accessible, beyond the country's elite, in the 19th century, Kaffee und Kuchen became a fixture for those seeking a little break from the everyday grind.

What is a rich German cake called? ›

The shortest crossword solution for Rich German cake is 5 letters long and is called TORTE.

What is the king of cakes in Germany? ›

Baumkuchen is not only the king of cakes but also the cake of kings. In 1843, King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia (see photo) visited the town of Salzwedel in Germany, which is famous for Baumkuchen.

What do Germans eat with coffee? ›

The mid-afternoon is a signal to many Germans for a traditional pick-me-up in the form of “Kaffee und Kuchen” - literally, coffee and cake.

Do Germans have afternoon tea? ›

“Kaffee und Kuchen” is an essential German family ritual. It resembles the posh “afternoon tea” that English ladies and gentlemen stereotypically enjoy with scones, small sandwiches and pastries.

Is there no coffee in coffee cake? ›

No, coffee cake does not actually have coffee in it. This is a sweet cake typically made with a ribbon of cinnamon and topped with nuts, glaze, or streusel.

What does der Kaffee mean in German? ›

The gender of 'Kaffee' in German is masculine: der Kaffee (the coffee). Its plural is 'die Kaffees' (the coffees).

What is a Ritter in Germany? ›

Ritter (German for "knight") is a designation used as a title of nobility in German-speaking areas. Traditionally it denotes the second-lowest rank within the nobility, standing above "Edler" and below "Freiherr" (Baron).

What is German coffee called? ›

1. German: The German word for “coffee” is “Kaffee.” If you want to keep it simple and efficient (the German way) you can say “Einen Kaffee, bitte” meaning “a coffee, please.” If you want to get more specific, you can say a “Schwarzkaffee/Americano” (black coffee) or “Milchkaffee” (coffee with steamed milk).

What is the meaning of coffee and cake? ›

coffee and cakes (uncountable) (theater, slang) A meagre salary.

What is the story behind German chocolate cake? ›

Originating in the United States, it was named after English-American chocolate maker Samuel German, who developed a formulation of dark baking chocolate that came to be used in the cake recipe. Sweet baking chocolate is traditionally used for the cake's flavor, but few recipes call for it today.

What is the German birthday cake tradition? ›

It's also German tradition for the birthday boy or girl to provide the birthday cake. At work, the birthday celebrant provides the birthday cake, cookies, or pastries and passes them around to co-workers. Parents bring treats to school for their child's entire class.

Why are cakes important in Germany? ›

In German culture, the act of offering a slice of cake to family and guests signifies warmth, hospitality, and affection. Sharing a cake with loved ones fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens relationships, making celebrations even more meaningful.

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