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    Where Is My Spoon > German Recipes > Sweet Recipes

    Blitzkuchen - German Coffee Cake

    Published by: Adina May 14, 2020 · Last modified: September 29, 2021 8 Comments

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    Blitzkuchen or lightning cake, a delicious, soft German coffee cake with almond sugar topping, ready in less than 30 minutes.

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    German Coffee Cake

    german coffee cake with sugar almond topping on a wooden board

    German cakes are amazing! German people love cakes, love to eat them and love to bake them. They are present on any occasion, unless you are invited to dinner, you will always get some.

    When invited to a German birthday party, for instance, you will be served coffee and cake first and later on something savory, mostly grilled meats in summer or dinner in the evening. At Christmas or Easter, you will have lunch first and Kaffee und Kuchen in the afternoon.

    And there will always be lots of cakes. Not just one, like you would think it should be, no... even if you are only 4 or 5 people present there will be at least 2 of them. Probably 3. And if serving more than 5-6 people, well, the table might break under the weight of all those cakes.

    My friend celebrated her birthday a few days ago. I counted: there were 7 cakes, 12 blueberry tartlets, 12 muffins, and a small platter of cheese sandwiches. For 12 adults and a few small children.

    stapled blitzkuchen cake on the table

    What is Blitzkuchen?

    The Blitzkuchen is a super quick version of the popular German butter cake (Butterkuchen) or sugar cake (Zuckerkuchen), a very popular German coffee cake, the standard one served at any wedding and any funeral. It is soft and sticky and so delicious you will not be able to stop after just one piece.

    You will get other cakes on these occasions, but a Butterkuchen will always be a part of the menu. It is probably the only cake I've ever seen my mother-in-law eating when we have to attend a funeral, she likes sweets more than anything, but for some reason, she only eats this cake at funerals.

    You can also buy the original butter cake in absolutely any bakery in Germany, soft and sticky and loaded with sugar. It is the kind of cake that my late father-in-law used to bake every day in his almost 100-year-old bakery.

    tray with german butterkuchen with almond topping

    The original butter cake is made with yeast and covered with melted butter and sugar. Another version of it is called Zuckerkuchen or sugar cake. It is made the same way, but more sugar is used for the topping.

    The Blitzkuchen or lightning cake is the super quick, yeast-free version of the above-mentioned. It can be topped with only butter and sugar, but the most popular and delicious version is the one including almonds.

    I could not say which version I like best... I love any kind of yeast cake, but I also love it when I can make a similar dessert in less time. And I absolutely love the almond topping, that extra is really worth it!

    close up blitzkuchen with golden brown sugar almond topping

    The best about the Blitzkuchen?

    • All you have to do is stir the ingredients together and bake them for 10 minutes.
    flour and batter for german cake
    • While the batter bakes, melt the butter and stir the topping ingredients together.
    almonds and melted butter in a black saucepan
    • Spread the mixture over the half-baked batter and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes. That's it!
    raw batter, semi-baked batter and fully baked on the tray
    german coffee cake with sugar almond topping on the baking tray

    More German cakes?

    PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE – This passion fruit cheesecake is a typical German cheesecake made with quark and cream.

    GERMAN PLUM CAKE WITH STREUSEL – Zwetschgenkuchen with streusel, a standard recipe in any German kitchen or bakery.  

    RED CURRANT STREUSEL CAKE – A typical German streusel dessert loaded with fresh red currants and topped with a delicious and easy to make coconut streusel.

    MANDARIN ORANGE CAKE WITH CREAM – Another mother-in-law typical German recipe, one of my favorite cakes ever!

    APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE – A soft and moist German apple crumble cake with a crisp crumb topping, a perfect autumn recipe.

    pieces of blitzkuchen cake on the table

    Blitzkuchen Recipe

    German Blitzkuchen or lightning cake, a delicious, soft coffee cake with almond sugar topping. Ready in less than 30 minutes.
    4.75 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Cakes
    Cuisine: German
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 squares
    Calories: 344kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • Cake:
    • 200 g granulated sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup
    • 250 g all-purpose flour 8 oz/ 2 cups
    • 3 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
    • 200 ml heavy cream 6.7 fl.oz/ scant 1 cup
    • 4 eggs
    • Topping:
    • 175 g unsalted butter 6.2 oz/ ¾ cup
    • 100 g granulated sugar 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
    • 200 g flaked almonds 7 oz/ about 3 cups

    Instructions

    Cake:

    • Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray of about 40x30 cm/ 16x12 inches with baking paper.
    • Mix the sugar, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Pour in the heavy cream and add the eggs. Mix until incorporated.
    • Bake: Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking tray, and bake the cake for 10 minutes.

    Topping:

    • In the meantime, melt the butter, add the sugar and the almonds and mix well.
    • Bake: Spread this mixture over the cake and bake for 10 - 15 minutes more until golden brown.

    Notes

    Use a digital kitchen scale when baking, it guarantees the best results.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1square | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary says

      September 15, 2015 at 5:02 pm

      What a nice and touching story of celebrating your son beginning school. I have memories of waiting outside with my son, for the school bus to come. Cherish these times. Mine is now a six foot 20 year old but I still remember those mornings. I love the recipe and am going to try it soon. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    2. Adina says

      September 15, 2015 at 5:09 pm

      Thank you, Mary. This is a very nice comment, I was touched reading it. I hope your 20 year old son will like this cake as much as my 7 year old does. 🙂

      Reply
    3. Evi @ greenevi says

      September 16, 2015 at 4:59 pm

      Congratulations on your big boy! I love that the Schultüte is almost bigger than him 😀
      And of course Blitzkuchen, always a winner! ♥

      Reply
    4. Adina says

      September 16, 2015 at 7:44 pm

      Thank you, Evi. Should be big, so that there is enough place for lots and lots of sweets. 🙂

      Reply
    5. Bernhard Suhm says

      December 29, 2022 at 4:18 pm

      5 stars
      Very easy and fast to make, great result! Tastes (almost) like my grandmother's, which is yeast-based, and a 2 hr process.

      Reply
      • Adina says

        December 29, 2022 at 5:06 pm

        So happy to hear it. Thank you for the rating.

        Reply
    6. Brigitte Bonn says

      March 08, 2023 at 9:29 pm

      5 stars
      Einfach und sehr lecker!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        March 09, 2023 at 8:32 am

        Danke, Brigitte.

        Reply

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    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

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