A cake whose main ingredient is apples. It can be baked in many different variations, for example as a sponge cake, sheet cake, or with shortcrust pastry.
example
Zum Kaffee gab es frisch gebackenen Apfelkuchen mit Sahne.
With coffee, there was freshly baked apple cake with whipped cream.
Usage tips
Compound structure
'Apfelkuchen' (apple cake) is a simple compound made from 'der Apfel' (the apple) and 'der Kuchen' (the cake). The meaning is literal: a cake with apples.
EXAMPLE
Der Duft von Apfelkuchen erinnert mich an meine Kindheit.
The smell of apple cake reminds me of my childhood.
Productive pattern
The structure 'fruit + Kuchen' (fruit + cake) is very common in German. If you know this pattern, you can understand many other types of cake or even name them yourself, for example 'Kirschkuchen' (cherry cake), 'Pflaumenkuchen' (plum cake), or 'Erdbeerkuchen' (strawberry cake).
EXAMPLE
Im Sommer backe ich am liebsten einen Kirschkuchen.
In summer, I like baking a cherry cake best.
Typical collocations
Common phrases are 'einen Apfelkuchen backen' (to bake an apple cake) and 'ein Stück Apfelkuchen essen' (to eat a piece of apple cake). It is often served 'mit Sahne' (with whipped cream) or 'mit Vanilleeis' (with vanilla ice cream).
EXAMPLE
Möchtest du ein Stück warmen Apfelkuchen mit Vanilleeis?
Would you like a piece of warm apple cake with vanilla ice cream?
Cultural context
Apple cake is a classic of German, Austrian, and Swiss cuisine. It is a very popular cake for the tradition of 'Kaffee und Kuchen' (coffee and cake) in the afternoon.
EXAMPLE
Am Sonntag treffen wir uns bei Oma zu Kaffee und Apfelkuchen.
On Sunday, we're meeting at Grandma's for coffee and apple cake.