Do you like streusel-covered cakes or fruit-and-cream-filled tortes? Do you want to know more about Germany and its rich history around Kuchen? If you or someone you know would answer yes to either of those questions, then you have got to get the book Classic German Baking by Luisa Weiss. If you’ve been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you know from my many dessert posts that I’ve been loving this book for the last two years, when C gave it to me for my birthday. Little did he know how often he would catch me with it in my hands: flipping through the pages, devouring the informative and anecdotal texts, rating recipes, and forever adding more powdered sugar, flour, eggs, and butter to our grocery lists.
What is this Classic German Baking, you may be wondering? Berlin-based Luisa Weiss has put together a collection of 100+ cakes, tortes, cookies, breads, Christmastime goodies, and savory baked goods steeped in German tradition and culture. And by “put together,” I mean “rigorously hunted for, tested, and perfected” these recipes.
Stay tuned for a recipe from Classic German Baking at the end of this post!
But what makes Classic German Baking so great? There are OH SO MANY reasons why I love this book, so let’s get down to it!
Zimtsterne (cinnamon-almond meringue stars) – I can never believe that just 5 ingredients turns into these little Christmas masterpieces. 
Mohnhörnchen (poppy-seed crescent rolls) – a mouth-watering breakfast treat!
What makes me an “expert” about Classic German Baking? I’ve made nearly half of the recipes in it so far, and several more than once. I genuinely love this book and am not being paid or compensated in any way to promote it. It‘s given me so much joy that I hope it does the same for you!
It’s a beautiful book
It was love at first sight. Ok, I know it may sound a bit superficial, but I just love to look through this book. It’s a big white hardcover which is fun to flip through and stays open nicely when following a recipe. The whimsy and fun fonts for the headings and recipe names are pretty and eye appealing. And let’s not forget the gorgeous pictures of my current city – Berlin! Turning the pages of this cookbook is like taking a tour around Germany‘s capital. The photos of the final products, as well as the ingredients and processes that went into them, are absolute works of art. But this book isn’t just pretty to look at…
The Texts Accompanying the Recipes are A Joy to Read
Did you ever look up a recipe in an cooking blog and think, “enough with the jabber already, just show me the ingredients!”? That is not the case with Classic German Baking. Here it becomes obvious that Luisa was an editor and worked in publishing, because she can write! The texts which precede each recipe are so enjoyable to read; they’re like being told a good story. Each one contains context as to what region of Germany (or Austria or Switzerland) this particular cake or bread originates, perhaps a brief personal relation to the baked good, the myriad of ways to vary the recipe, and valuable tips for ensuring a successful session in the kitchen.
Tip: reading this section of the recipe is as useful as the recipe itself. Don‘t skip it! Plus it really gets me excited about making my own memories with family and friends around whatever baked good I’ve planned to make.
It’s Chock Full of German Culture
Like I said above, these pre-sections to each recipe inform the baker about where this particular culinary delight has originated. Here and sometimes at the end of the recipe, you‘ll find out the classic way to serve it. For example, serving particular cakes without Schlagsahne, whipped cream, would be blasphemous (living with a “real German,” I’ve learned this the hard way). The recipes also impart geographical knowledge of Germany, like that the north had access to spices early on, hence being the origin of “hot spiced buns,” or that buckwheat and lingonberries grow well in the Lüneburger Heide which are used in the Heidjertorte. Not only in the recipes, but also the start of each chapter (like Savories or Christmas Favorites) has even more cultural tidbits like where the Kaffeeklatch originated and what a Christmas Bunter Teller is.
Heisswecken (raisin-spice buns) 
Pflaumenstreuselkuchen (yeasted plum cake with streusel)
Recipe for Versunkener Apfelkuchen with Schlagsahne below!
It’s Well-Adapted to the American Home Baker
This reason is two for one. It’s good for the inexperienced baker and it’s good for the American baker.
I had always loved baking, but my experience really came down to the same 4 or 5 Christmas cookies I made with my mom every year and boxed cake mixes you just throw in the oven. The Classic German Baking recipes are more complex than that, but you CAN do it! Having made more than forty of these baked goods, I’ve only had one flop (which I think is to be expected with baking). I’ve even managed to have success with the scary yeast ones.
Tip: Always read a recipe through to the end (maybe twice!) before you get your heart set on baking it. German Omas seemed to have all day to do the baking and didn‘t mind waiting for something to rise several hours with steps in between. You don‘t want to be frustrated hoping to bake and serve a Linzertorte that afternoon when it has to spend three days ripening. Or envision eating fresh baked rolls for breakfast when they need to proof for 4 hours.
Despite globalization, many ingredients used in classic German baking are not available in the US. Luisa tackles this problem head on, suggesting various international groceries where you might find the ingredients, online suppliers who deliver it, or how to make it yourself, like Pflaumenmus plum jam, or Vanillazucker vanilla flavored-sugar.
It‘s in the Details
I mentioned at the beginning that Luisa “perfected these recipes” but I was remiss in mentioning how precisely she did it. It’s no secret that Europe (and maybe the rest of the world?) weighs ingredients (in grams) when cooking and baking instead of measuring by volume (in cups). The recipes contain all measurements in metric and have been carefully converted to include customary units too. Some of them are very strange: “½ cup plus 2 tablespoons,” but are given to measure the ingredients as accurately as possible.
Tip: get a digital balance (like from Ikea)! Personally, I have come to prefer the metric units. It‘s a lot easier to see the relationship between different ingredients when the measurements are given in grams (math nerd here). But on a practical note, measuring flour in cups can be wildly inaccurate depending on whether and how well the flour is sifted. Using grams cuts out this uncertainty.
When combining wet and dry ingredients, I always have this feeling which tells me, “there is too much dry ingredients. No WAY is this all going to form one cohesive ball of dough.” But after dozens of Classic German Baking recipes, I should have learned not to doubt Luisa. The ingredients always mix together perfectly to perfect consistency. It amazes me each time.
The precision of the measurements combined with the detail in the steps make these recipes practically fool-proof. Even if there is no final product picture, I can visualize what I should be doing by reading the steps. My old iPhone photos don’t do them justice, but my baked goods always exit the oven delicious and pretty. So I guess the precision proof is in the pudding (or in the Pflaumenkuchen)!
There’s a Fantastic Pronunciation Guide
If the culture presented within the recipes and chapter title pages wasn‘t enough German-ness for you, you will find it in the pronunciation guide. Even though I‘m fairly fluent in German, I still had a lot of fun reading through the pronunciations of the baked goods in the book and some of the ingredients. Despite not being a native German speaker, you can trust me when I say they are accurate 😉 You‘ll be on your way to properly saying Powidltatschkerln in no time!
There’s Always a Critic
Even though I love it so, so, so much, I did some research by reading a few less than positive reviews. None of these things have impeded my enthusiasm for this book, nor do I think they will affect yours.
Where‘s the Eierschegge!?
This book covers baked goods from all regions of Germany, and even some Austrian delicacies and Swiss delights. But some reviewers were disappointed to find their favorite German treat was missing. Honestly, there are so many classic German baking recipes that it would be impossible to satisfy everyone. This book has a great sampling from many regions and is an excellent culinary journey through the country, containing classics like Black Forest cherry cake, quark cheesecake, Gugelhupf, soft pretzels, classic breakfast rolls, Sachertorte, apple strudel, old-fashioned gingerbread, and more.
Gedeckter Apfelkuchen (glazed apple cake) – so pretty and yummy, it’s pictured three times in this post! 
Rosenkuchen (spiced cocoa pinwheel cake) – more or less cinnamon buns, but you slice them like a cake!
More Pictures Please!
When I first leafed through this book, I was disappointed that there are so few pictures of the final products. How would I know what my Rosenkuchen was supposed to look like, what I should be aiming for, if there isn’t a picture at the end!? There are lots of great pictures of Berlin, but not enough of cake. Other unhappy reviewers shared this initial reaction of mine.
Pfeffernüsse (iced spice cookies) – incredible spicy little Christmas nuggets 
Roggenbrötchen (rye rolls) – excellent to make the night before and bake in the morning
Now, I actually love that there aren’t so many final pictures. It means I am less disappointed that my Torte doesn‘t look as good as Luisa’s. It gives me the space to be a little bit creative and make it my own work of baking art. Honestly, if you need to know what a Russicher Zupfkuchen looks like just do an internet image search. Easy as pie. (UPDATE: Luisa has a catalog of all photos from the book on her website)
Challenging to find ingredients
Finding ingredients for classic German baked goods is not usually a challenge in Germany. But just like I can‘t find American brown sugar here, you might struggle to find Potasche or pearl sugar in the US. One less-satisfied reviewer complained that European high-fat butter does not exist in the US, rendering some recipes impossible. So maybe the recipe doesn’t come out exactly as you remember it or as it’s “supposed to.” But who cares, as long as YOU and those you share it with enjoy it. Make it your own 😉
One more…
Some reviewers lamented that the book is written in a dark grey font instead of black. I had hardly noticed, but on second look appreciated this softness about the book. Others fussed that it is challenging for “aging eyes” (not my words!). Not a deal breaker for me, but maybe not good as a gift for your nostalgic Oma.
Favorites
After baking several items, C suggested that I begin to rate the cakes so we wouldn’t forget which ones we liked best. You can see which ones are my favorites based on the pictures in this post. Favorites which are not pictured in this post are:
- Heidesand (sandy almond sugar cookies) – these guys are really easy, bake up quick (besides the hour in the fridge), and loved by everyone!
- Kirschstreuselkuchen (sour cherry streusel cake) – sweet and sour yummy, but beware of any pits in your jar of cherries!
- Rhabarberkuchen (simpe rhubarb cake) – superb with the almond streusel!
- Linzertorte (spiced almond jam torte) – my very first experience with this book, and I’ve baked it 4 times. It’s my dad’s favorite cake and I practiced 3 times before he visisted to make sure it was perfect!
If you plan on getting the book be sure to support your local bookstore or a Black-owned bookstore. And read here find out about getting a personal, signed copy from Luisa!!
But I don‘t even like lemons!
Yes, I‘m a weirdo. But as an American, would you ever think that you could bake apples without cinnamon? Yeah, me neither. And the obsession with almonds, hazelnuts, and marzipan just seems so German, but the recipes in Classic German Baking have me softening towards these flavors which I‘m unaccustomed to. The recipe below is one such instance where apples and lemons form a beautiful harmony that have me forgetting to miss the cinnamon.
Versunkener Apfelkuchen (Sunken Apple Cake)
This cake is also known as a Mittwochskuchen, a “Wednesday cake,” because its so quick and easy that you could make it on a weeknight. I hope you like it as much as I do! (reprinted with permission)
- 3 apples
- ½ organic lemon
- ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp / 125g granulated sugar
- 9 Tbsp plus 1 tsp / 130g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cup, scooped and leveled / 190g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1-2 Tbsp raw sugar
- Schlagsahne, for serving (optional, but not really)
1. Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Thinly slice each quarter lengthwise without cutting all the way through to the core side, leaving the quarter hinged together.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line the bottom of a 9 inch/23 cm springform pan with the parchment paper.
3. Grate the peel of the lemon into the bowl of a stand mixer; save the lemon half. Add the sugar and butter. Cream until light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the sides, adding the vanilla and one of the eggs. Beat until combined and then add the second egg. Repeat with the third egg. Beat until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Turn the mixer on low and beat in the flour mixture until combined, adding the juice from the remaining lemon half. Give the batter a final mix by hand.
5. Place the batter into the prepared pan. Press the apple quarters into the batter, with the core facing down. If there are apples left over, break off slices and press them into any of the spaces available. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the raw sugar before throwing the cake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. It’s finished when the cake is golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
6. Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes before removing the springform. Serve when cooled with a good dollop of Schlagsahne (to make, whip whipping cream with a teaspoon of sugar until thick).
Convinced!? You will not be disappointed with this book! Share your baking results with #classicgermanbaking.
Yummy! Lots of good stuff here! Like the cake culture here in Germany.
And also learned something new. I (the Norwegian) had no idea that the Lebkuchen dough needs to be made WEEKS in advance 😳
yes, it’s crazy how much time it can sit (in a bowl with a plate, not in a tupperbox or the fridge!) and still be good! Many German treats also need a few days (or weeks, if we’re talking Stollen) to “rest” before you can eat them at their “optimal ripeness.” Fascinating and delicious