German quick cake batter (Rührteig) is the most reliable, beginner-friendly cake batter there is — you simply beat everything together and bake. It is the base for marble cake (Marmorkuchen), lemon cake, sheet cakes and muffins, and it is the recipe every German household knows by heart.
1 cup + 2 Tbsp (250 g / 2¼ sticks) butter softened
1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 packet vanilla sugar
4 eggs
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
2½ tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
3 Tbsp milk as needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) and grease the pan.
Beat the softened butter with the sugar and vanilla for several minutes until pale and creamy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir into the butter mixture; add a little milk if needed, until the batter drops heavily from the spoon.
Fill the pan and bake about 50–60 minutes. Test with a toothpick.
Tip For marble cake, stir 2 Tbsp cocoa and a splash of milk into half the batter. The batter also works for muffins (about 20–25 minutes) or a sheet pan.
More recipes atpurefood.tv
/german-quick-cake-batter-ruhrteig/
What is Rührteig?
Rührteig literally means “stirred dough.” It is a creamed batter of butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder — the German equivalent of a quick loaf or pound cake, but lighter and faster. Because it uses baking powder for a dependable rise, it is almost foolproof.
Why creaming the butter matters
The lightness comes from creaming the soft butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, beating in thousands of tiny air bubbles that the baking powder later expands in the oven. Add the eggs one at a time so the batter stays smooth instead of curdling, and once the flour goes in, mix only until just combined — overmixing develops gluten and toughens the crumb.
How to make it
Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla, beat in the eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, loosening with a little milk until the batter drops heavily from the spoon. Bake at 350 °F (180 °C) until a toothpick comes out clean. See the recipe card below for exact quantities and timings.
One batter, endless cakes
Bake it in a loaf tin or bundt pan for a classic cake, swirl cocoa through half for marble cake, add lemon zest and a glaze for lemon cake, or spoon it into a muffin tin. Fold in chocolate chips, berries or nuts to make it your own.
Storing and freezing
Rührteig cakes stay moist for several days in an airtight container and freeze very well, whole or sliced — handy for lunchboxes and last-minute guests.
I have been baking and cooking for my family and community for years — honest recipes, all tested in my own kitchen and explained step by step so they turn out reliably for you too.
Enter your address — we'll send you a login link. No password.
Care for a cookie? 🍪We only use what this site needs to work — and, with your consent, anonymous analytics (Google Analytics) to see what resonates. Privacy
NecessaryCore functions, member area, security. Always on.
Statistics (Google Analytics 4)Anonymous reach measurement — which dishes and topics resonate.
Comments 0
No comments yet — be the first!