Yeast Apple Crumble Cake aka Apfel-Streuselkuchen

This is one of the cakes that I grew up with as they are traditional in Germany. So it just feels like home when smelling the yeast and I personally just love the taste of yeast dough.

The cake is fairly simple and quick to make, if you take out the wait time for the yeast to rest and rise.

INGREDIENTS:

Yeast Starter Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp lightly warmed milk

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 yeast cube or dry yeast package

Base Ingredients:

• 200ml (7fl oz) milk

• 70g (1/3 cup) sugar

• 80g (5 1/2 tbsp) softened butter

• 500g (4 cups) flour

• 1 egg

• pinch of salt

Apple Filling Ingredients:

• 2kg (4.5 lbs.) apples

• 1 lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice

Streusel Ingredients:

• 175g (12.5 tbsp) softened butter

• 250g (2 cups) flour

• 200g (1 cup)sugar

• 1 package of vanilla sugar
  

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. First, check the expiration date of the yeast. Because if yeast is expired, it likely is already dead and won't work. If it's still fresh, then in a little bowl mix 5 tbsp of lightly warmed milk (not hot!) with the yeast and 1 tbsp sugar. Cover with a fabric towel and let it rest at a warm spot for 15min.
   

2. Mix the softened butter with milk. Add flour, egg, sugar, and a pinch of salt.

3. Last add the yeast-milk-mix.

4. Mix together by hand or with dough hooks until well blended.

5. Cover this dough again with fabric kitchen towel and let it rest at a warm spot for 30min.
   

6. While dough is resting, prepare the apples by washing and the cutting them into cubes, removing the core. Afterwards drizzle with some lemon juice.
   

7. For the crumbs mix softened butter, flour, sugar and the vanilla sugar package in a bowl. Mix by hand until the dough is well mixed and crumbles easily.
   

8. Check whether the yeast dough has risen already. If not, it will need a little more time.
   

9. Prepare a baking pan of approx. 39cm x 32 cm / 15" x 12" by brushing soft butter all over the surface.

10. If the yeast dough is ready, knead it through one more time and then spread onto the pan. Add apple cubes on top, followed by the dough crumbles. Let it rest another 10-15min.

11. While the the cake is resting one last time, preheat the oven to 175°C for circulating air or 200°C for electr. oven. (175°C = 350F; 200°C= 400F)
    

12. Bake for 35-40min. Preferably serve while still warm. It's delicious on it's own but also works well with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream or both. Enjoy!

Any questions or comments? Let me know in the comments below!