Butterkuchen is a classic German cake that you can find in any German bakery, often eaten in afternoon with a cup of coffee. Whenever I feel homesick here in the American diaspora or get invited over to a German friend's house for Kaffee und Kuchen I bring a Butterkuchen. A sheetcake full of butter and topped with sugar it can often be dry. But this recipe makes a quick and delicously moist cake.
400g flour
1 tsp salt
100 g sugar (or more depending on your taste)
2-3 packages of vanilla sugar
225 g butter
125 ml milk
40 g fresh yeast or 4 tsp instant
some slivered almonds
Mix flour with salt in a bowl. Melt 125 g of butter with 3 Tbsp of sugar. Add 125 ml of cold milk and the yeast. (Milk has to be cold, otherwise the dough will become sticky). Stir and add to the flour. Knead with hook for about 5 min or until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. Spread the dough out on a greased baking sheet ( the recipe is for a German size 15x18 in) and let rise in a warm oven (120 F) for 40 min. Take the cake out, increase temperature to 400 F and dimple the risen dough all over with your index finger. Use the rest of the butter and put it in little pieces in the dimples. Sprinkle the sugar over the dough.( How much depends on your sweet tooth. And don't worry if you can't get the vanilla sugar. I see it sometimes in specialty stores but it is not absolutely necessary). Scatter a few slivered almonds on top if you like. Bake at 400 F for about 10 min. It is ready when the edges and the top begin to colour. Don't leave it in too long or it will become dry.
