Beginner's Guide to German Baking

Tips for making delicious homemade German desserts, sweets & snacks.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M Hello & Welcome I’m so excited to have you in my International Baking Club!

My goal with this Guide is to give you some insider tips, insight, and inspiration to help you start your German baking adventure. Germany has some of the best desserts in the world!

My name is Cate, and I'm the founder and owner of the International Desserts Blog. I used to live in Germany and taught college German in the US for several years.

I spent many years enjoying Germany's amazing cakes, breads, pastries, cookies, tarts...and now I make them at home in my North Carolina kitchen.

Got a question? Contact me here or email me at [email protected] - I'd love to hear form you!

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M About German Desserts

C A K E S

The German word for cake is Kuchen. In Germany it's still common to enjoy afternoon Kaffee C O O K I E S und Kuchen - a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. Many German cakes Cookies are enjoyed all year long feature fruit, nuts, Quark, and but are especially popular at whipped cream. Christmas. The German word for cookies is Kekse.

N U T S & S E E D S

Nuts and seeds are found in many German baked goods. Hazelnuts, almonds, F R U I T and poppyseeds are Many cakes and pastries especially popular. feature berries, cherries, apples, peaches, plums, currants, and other kinds of fruit, sometimes combined with sweetened Quark. I C E C R E A M

Ice cream (Eis in German) is a popular dessert in Germany. In addition to the typical standards like C H R I S T M A S vanilla and chocolate, you'll find flavors like cinnamon, hazelnut, The Christmas season is bursting tiramisu, yogurt, Rote Grütze, etc. with delicious holiday treats like Gebrannte Mandeln (cinnamon sugar almonds), Stollen bread, Rum Balls, and much more!

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M Getting Started: Ingredients

One of the questions I'm asked all the time is what kind of ingredients do I need to start making German desserts?

The good news is that you pretty much just need the basics you probably already have in your pantry - butter, sugar, eggs, heavy cream, milk, flour, salt, chocolate, fruit, etc.

Some of the best recipes have the simplest ingredients!

There are, however, a few ingredients that are found in a lot of German dessert recipes that you might not currently have in your pantry. I introduce three of those ingredients in this guide.

Next Step: Click or tap here to see where I buy ingredients for international dessert recipes!

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M Getting Started: Baking Tools

You might also be wondering what kind of kitchen tools you need to make German desserts, sweets, and snacks?

Fortunatley, you should be good to go with what you already have in your kitchen.

While you'll probably want to add a few things along the way, if you've got basic tools like mixing bowls, a mixer, a scale or measuring cups/spoons, a jelly roll pan, and a springform pan, you should be all set to start your German baking adventure.

Next Step: Click or tap here to see my most used kitchen tools!

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M German Baking Staple: Vanilla Sugar An ingredient found in many German baking recipes is vanilla sugar. If you're not familiar with it, it's exactly what it sounds like – vanilla-flavored sugar.

Vanilla sugar is typically used more often than vanilla extract in German baking. I baked with it when I lived in Germany (I couldn't ever find vanilla extract), and for a while I brought store-bought packets of vanilla sugar home to the US.

You can purchase vanilla sugar but I recommend making it at home from scratch. That way you can choose your ingredients and make it just the way you like.

There are a few different ways to make vanilla sugar. Some people simply place a dried vanilla bean in a couple cups of sugar. I prefer a stronger vanilla flavor, so I split open a couple vanilla beans, scrape out the "caviar" and mix it into the sugar. Mmmm...so good!

I use both vanilla sugar and vanilla extract in my baking, depending on the recipe. If you'd like to make your own vanilla sugar, click here for my easy tutorial. If you don't want to use vanilla sugar, you can typically substitute vanilla extract (and sometimes a little extra sugar).

Wondering where to buy high quality vanilla beans at an affordable price? Click or tap here for my screencast where I show you exactly where buy all of my beans!

Tip: Vanilla sugar in cute jars makes a lovely holiday, birthday or host/ess gift!

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M German Baking Staple: Nuts There are two kinds of nuts you’ll find in so many German desserts and sweets: hazelnuts and almonds.

Whether chopped up for cookies, ground up for homemade Nutella or sliced and mixed with honey for a cake topping, you’re highly likely to encounter recipes that call for hazelnuts or almonds.

That’s why I always keep (at least) one bag of whole, raw, unsalted hazelnuts, a bag of whole, raw, unsalted almonds, and a bag of raw, sliced, unsalted almonds in my freezer, just so I always have them on hand for baking.

Why whole nuts? Because it’s easy enough to chop or grind them either by hand or using a mini food processor. (I do buy sliced almonds, though, because slicing almonds is definitely not easy.)

Why raw? Because then you have the option to toast them or use them raw.

Why unsalted? So you have more control over the salt content of the dessert.

Almonds and hazelnuts should be easy enough for you to find at your local grocery store. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, so if you have one near you, definitely look there.

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M German Baking Staple: Quark If you’ve never had Quark you’re probably wondering what the heck it is! Quark has a similar taste, texture, and consistency to Greek yogurt.

But Quark isn't yogurt at all...it's actually a fresh, soft, non- aged cheese!

Quark is high in protein, low in fat, and it's found in many types of German desserts, including pastries, cakes, creamy desserts, and cheesecakes.

Quark is also delicious eaten plain, topped with honey, jam, fresh fruit or granola, or spread on bread or crackers. One thing I love about Quark is that you can enjoy it in so many sweet and savory ways!

While Quark is super easy to find in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, it has not been easy to find in the US. Fortunately, plain and flavored Quark are popping up in US grocery stores and it's easier to order online, too!

Next step: click or tap here for my homemade Quark tutorial and for info on where I buy authentic Quark!

I N T E R N A T I O N A L D E S S E R T S B L O G . C O M German Baking Bucket List

Ready to start making German desserts, sweets and snacks? Here are some ideas from the IDB to get you started!

Bee Sting Cake Rote Grütze (Red Berry "Pudding")

Quark Cheesecake Christmas Rum Balls

Plum Cake

Plum Butter

Apple Cream Cake

Gebrannte Mandeln (Cinnamon Almonds)

Quark Balls German Iced Coffee Lebkuchen Cookies Quarkbrötchen WHAT'S NEXT?

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