Classic German Butter Cake, or Butterkuchen, is a fluffy, sweet, and utterly delicious treat! This simple yeasted cake is topped with blocks of butter and sprinkled with sugar. Passed down from my Oma, it’s one of the best recipes you’ll ever taste!
Equipment:
- Stand Mixer
- 18″ x 13″ baking sheet
Ingredients:
Dough:
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 10 grams instant yeast
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 300 milliliters lukewarm milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 125 grams cold butter
- 100 grams granulated sugar
Instructions:
Making the Dough:
- In a large stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, and yeast, and whisk together.
- Add the lukewarm milk, egg, salt, and extracts. Knead with the dough hook on low speed for 10-15 minutes, until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a proofing bag, and set aside in a warm place to rest for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.
Shaping & Baking the Butterkuchen:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the 18″ x 13″ baking sheet with butter.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, it should be soft and puffy. Gently knead to remove air, then place the dough onto the greased baking sheet.
- Stretch and press the dough from the center outward until it reaches the edges of the pan. Cover and let the dough rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- While the dough rests, cut the cold butter into 1/4″ cubes.
- After 10 minutes, use the handle of a wooden spoon to dimple the dough every 3/4″ and press the cubes of butter into the dimples. Add more dimples if necessary for the butter cubes.
- Sprinkle sugar evenly over the top of the cake, ensuring the edges are also covered.
- Let the assembled dough rest for 10 more minutes.
Baking the Cake:
- Bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack, rotating the pan after 15 minutes for even baking.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack before slicing.
NOTES:
- Unlike many yeasted doughs, this one doesn’t need to be completely smooth. A slightly under-kneaded dough works better for a light and fluffy texture.
- If the dough keeps shrinking back when stretching it out, let it rest for 5 minutes, then continue stretching.
- Use cold butter for the dimples to create the signature moist puddles of butter in the cake.
- Cube the butter into 1/4″ pieces to ensure even distribution.
- Bake the cake soon after adding the butter and stretching it out to prevent over-proofing and ensure it puffs up properly in the oven.
- Bake until the cake is deep golden brown for the perfect finish.
Enjoy this fluffy, sweet treat straight from your Oma’s recipe!
