Aldi Apple Walnut Cake (Deutsche Küche) Review
Cyanide, anyone?
I discovered this Apple Walnut Cake at my local Aldi during the twice-yearly “German Week,” and it’s been lurking in my freezer ever since. I finally found the time (and stomach space) to cook and eat this, so here we are. At last.
Previously, I reviewed a Cherry Frangipane Tart from the same Aldi Deutsche Kuche brand. I absolutely loved that tart. I loved it so much, it was embarrassing. That’s a tough act to follow. It’s a little unfair.
While I did enjoy this cake, it didn’t “wow” me as much as the Cherry Frangipane Tart. If I had to pick one Aldi dessert to live with me on a deserted island (a desserted island?), it wouldn’t be this one. Sorry, my little apple-walnut friend. You are cool, but not that cool.
I have to say (or maybe I don’t have to, but I will), this is an absolutely gorgeous-looking dessert. It also looks wayyyy more homemade than I expected.
There’s a light sprinkling of cinnamon powder over the apple slices. And the walnuts are glossy and syrupy and crisp. After baking, they take on a crunchy candied taste.
The actual cake is a scant 1.25 inches high, but it’s wonderfully soft and moist, with a delicate richness from the ground almonds (and unfortunate “persipan” substitute — more about that later).
Unlike the Cherry Frangipane Tart, this Apple Walnut Cake doesn’t have a separate crust, but instead seems to form a sort of self-crust along the edges, where the batter has become crisp and more concentrated.
The crumb is soft, almost like bread pudding or cobbler. I like how there are different textures, depending on how close the batter is to the moist apple slices.
Overall, the cake is a little sweeter than I would like it to be, but not obnoxiously so. It doesn’t have a strong spice taste or flavor — just a gentle apple taste with a hint of cinnamon and nuts.
Cooking Instructions for Aldi Apple Walnut Cake
To cook this, there’s no thawing, just baking. It takes about 20 minutes to bake this, but you do need to make sure the oven is pre-heated fully, otherwise the crust won’t be as… crusty.
If you hate yourself and your guests, the box includes an option to serve this cold/thawed, but only cruel barbarians would choose that option over a “freshly” baked product. Come on.
(And there’s also a microwave option. I’m not even going to discuss that. Don’t be a fool. Bake it!)
The hardest part of preparing this is just peeling the stupid cardboard circle off the back of the cake. You have to do this prior to baking, but it’s a little tricky to pry it out of the crust overlap without damaging the cake.
Because the cake is more than 9 inches diameter, I used my largest cookie sheet to keep it completely flat during baking.
Ingredients in Apple Walnut Cake from Aldi
Here are the ingredients:
- Apples
- Water
- Sugar
- Wheat Flour
- Wheat Starch
- Canola Oil
- Persipan (Apricot Kernels, Sugar, Water, Invert Sugar, Starch)
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Citrate, Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Invert Sugar, Cider Vinegar, Natural Flavor, Glucose Syrup, Cinnamon, Citric Acid, Salt, Carotene (color), Pectins
While it is great to see “apples” as the first ingredient, there are so many manifestations of various sugars (glucose-fructose syrup, invert sugar, glucose syrup, etc.) that make it less wholesome.
As always, I am not delighted by canola oil. But not horrified. Just “meh.”
Now let’s talk about Persipan. Persipan is an increasingly popular substitute for ground Almonds. It’s cheaper than almonds, but it’s made from the kernels of apricots, which are more bitter and contain cyanide. I would vastly prefer almonds. There’s conflicting information about whether or not cyanide can build up dangerously from eating apricot kernels. I’ll let you decide for yourself.
This cake is made in Germany.
Nutrition Facts
There are 8 servings per cake. Each serving has 350 calories, 11 grams of fat, and 4 grams of protein. Although there’s an admirable 2 grams of fiber per serving, this is a fairly sweet dessert with 27 grams total sugar, although only 19 of those grams are “added” sugar.
Price and Shelf-life
The 38 ounce cake cost $8.99. There are 8 servings, so each serving is $1.13. This isn’t an amazing bargain, but it’s not a rip-off, either. The cake is nearly 2.5 pounds, so that’s a good bit of food for the money.
The expiration date on my frozen package allows me almost 1.5 years to consume this, which is convenient. Particularly since this cake is only available in Aldi stores sporadically, perhaps twice a year, tops. Buy it when you see it, and save it for when you want it.
Or don’t.
The End.
More Reviews You Might Like (or Hate)
Check out these other reviews I’ve written:
- Aldi Bienenstich Indulgent Cakes
- Aldi Fruits of the Forest Strudel
- Aldi Donauwelle Indulgent Cake
- Aldi Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake
Author’s note: I have no affiliation with Aldi, and I was not compensated in any way for this review.
