A German classic that suits every occasion. With just a few simple steps and a little patience, you can now bake your yeast cake yourself. It freezes perfectly and can be defrosted or baked as needed.
Make sure that the yeast dough has risen well before rolling out, otherwise it will be too hard. To do this, place it in a warm place where there is no draft. This is best done in the oven with the oven light on, or on top of the kitchen cupboards.
Extra tip: A pinch of cinnamon or a little lemon zest gives the sprinkles a special touch.
If you don’t have dry yeast, you can convert dry yeast to fresh yeast here.
Fine yeast cake with sprinkles
Monitor stays on
For the yeast dough:
- 200 ml Milk, 3.5% fat
- 50 G butter, or margarine
- 375 G Flour, sifted
- 1 parcel dry yeast, 7g or 21g fresh yeast
- 50 G Sugar
- 1 parcel Vanillin sugar
- 1 prize Salt
- 1 egg, medium size
For the sprinkles:
- 300 G Flour
- 200 G Brown sugar
- 1 Knife tip Cinnamon
- 200 G butter, Room temperature
- Some milk for brushing
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First, warm the milk slightly in a saucepan; it should be lukewarm, but not steaming hot. Melt the butter in it until everything is well combined.
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While the mixture cools slightly, you can grease the baking sheet with butter or neutral-flavored oil to prevent the cake from sticking later.
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In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour and dry yeast together thoroughly. Then add sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and the egg.
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Now pour in the lukewarm milk and butter mixture and knead the dough with the dough hook of your food processor, first slowly, then on a higher setting for about five minutes. It should be smooth and elastic. If you like, you can also knead it briefly with your hands, which makes it particularly fine-pored.
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Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place the dough in a warm place to let it rise. Place it on a cabinet or in the oven with the light on.
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After about 45 to 60 minutes, the dough should have risen significantly and doubled in volume.
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While the yeast dough is resting, prepare the streusel. To do this, put flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl and knead it into a firm but crumbly dough with your fingers. You can also use a food processor. ‘Cover the bowl and place your sprinkles in the fridge until ready to use.
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As soon as the yeast dough has risen well, place it on a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly (!).
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Then roll it out into an even sheet that roughly fits on your baking sheet. Place the dough on top and brush the surface with milk. Let it rise again, covered, for about 30 minutes until it has increased in volume.
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In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180 °C top/bottom heat (or 160 °C fan oven).
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Now crumble the prepared sprinkles generously over the yeast dough and press them lightly with your palms.
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Place the baking sheet in the center of the hot oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the streusel is golden and crispy. Take it out of the oven and sprinkle some sugar over the streusel before serving.
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It is best served lukewarm with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe for baking tray size 30×40 cm. You can also use a smaller baking tray, then the cake will be a little taller. Then extend the baking time slightly.
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Can I freeze yeast cakes?
Baked yeast cake freezes perfectly. Allow it to cool properly before wrapping it well and freezing it. It’s best to cut it into pieces so that you can defrost them individually. It will keep frozen for up to 6 months.
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How does yeast cake not dry out?
If you brush your yeast cake with milk or egg yolk (which consists of fat) before baking, it will stay moister while baking. The general rule also applies: don’t bake the cake for too long. It may still be juicy in the middle when you take it out.
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How do you make dry cake moist again?
If your yeast cake has become too dry, you can make it juicier again with syrup, milk or cream. To do this, pierce the surface with a wooden skewer and let the heated liquid run into it.
Alternatively, you can store it with a few sliced apple pieces in a closed container for at least 1 day.
Original on oma-kocht.de from November 15, 2025
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