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German Baked Apple Christmas Torte

German baked apple torte layers cinnamon-spiced apples and raisins in a buttery crust beneath a smooth sour cream custard. Baked until the custard is set and topped with sliced almonds, it makes a festive torte with tender fruit and a crisp golden crust.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Chilling and cooling 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: German
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the crust
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter divided
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter divided
  • 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 egg yolk large
  • 2 tbsp water cold
For the apple filling
  • 4 firm apples medium, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 0.33 cup raisins
  • 0.25 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
For the custard topping
  • 3 eggs large
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.33 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.33 cup almonds sliced

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch springform pan

Method
 

Make the crust
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F and grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
  2. Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
  3. Cut in the remaining butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  4. Stir in the egg yolk and cold water until the dough holds together.
  5. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the pan.
  6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  7. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment and weights and bake for 5 minutes more, until the crust looks dry and is just beginning to turn golden.
Prepare the apple filling
  1. Toss the apples with the lemon juice, raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch.
  2. Arrange the apple mixture evenly in the crust.
Assemble and bake
  1. Reduce the oven to 350°F.
  2. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Pour the custard evenly over the apples.
  4. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top.
  5. Bake for 55 to 70 minutes, until the apples are tender and the custard is set with a center temperature of 160°F.
  6. Cool the torte in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before releasing the springform sides and slicing.

Notes

For clean slices, let the torte cool fully before releasing the pan. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the custard texture may change. For a gluten-free variation, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in the crust.