Potluck German Apple Cake

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling

Makes

16 servings

Updated: Jan. 03, 2024
My mother made this German apple cake for my brothers and me when we were kids. It's an excellent choice for a Christmas potluck or actually any time of year. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups chopped peeled tart apples
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • FROSTING:
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons butter, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in apples and nuts. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
  2. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread over cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Test Kitchen Tips
  • Unless otherwise specified, Taste of Home recipes are tested with lightly salted butter. Unsalted, or sweet, butter is sometimes used to achieve a buttery flavor, such as in shortbread cookies or buttercream frosting. In these recipes, added salt would detract from the buttery taste desired.
  • Cinnamon comes in two basic types: Ceylon and cassia. Ceylon cinnamon’s delicate, complex flavor is ideal for ice creams and simple sauces. The spicy, bolder cassia cinnamon (often labeled simply as cinnamon) is preferred for baking.
  • Try all of our best apple dessert recipes.
  • Nutrition Facts

    1 piece: 455 calories, 24g fat (6g saturated fat), 57mg cholesterol, 212mg sodium, 57g carbohydrate (42g sugars, 2g fiber), 4g protein.