Amerikaner Recipe
These soft Amerikaner are a classic German bakery pastry with a tender, cake-like crumb and smooth glaze on top. Finish them with lemon glaze, chocolate glaze, or both for a nostalgic treat that feels like a German cousin to the Black and White cookie.
Servings: 8 Amerikaner
Calories: 474kcal
Equipment
- 2 Silicone Baking Mats or parchment paper
- 1 Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
Amerikaner dough
- 100 grams butter room temperature, if using salted butter, skip adding in the pinch of salt.
- 130 grams granulated sugar
- 2 eggs US size large
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams cornstarch
- 12 grams baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt skip adding in if using salted butter
- 60 milliliters milk
- 10 milliliters pure vanilla extract
Lemon glaze
- 100 grams powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus more as needed
Chocolate glaze
- 80 grams semisweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
- 60 grams butter
Optional decorations
- sprinkles use anything you like, from colorful sprinkles to nonpareils and even chocolate pearls.
- chopped German chocolate or candy in Germany, you often see chocolate candies on Amerikaner
Instructions
Make the dough
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Add the butter and sugar to a mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment, handheld mixer, or stand mixer, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.100 grams butter, 130 grams granulated sugar
- Add the whole eggs and beat again until combined.2 eggs
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.250 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams cornstarch, 12 grams baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed while slowly adding the milk and vanilla until combined.Beat on high for 1 minute until the batter is smooth and fully combined.60 milliliters milk, 10 milliliters pure vanilla extract
Shape the Amerikaner
- Using two soup spoons, scoop the batter into 8 mounds on the prepared baking trays, 4 per tray. Leave about 2 to 3 inches between each one. They will flatten out quite a bit.
- If needed, gently smooth the mounds with a wet butter knife to help them bake up more round. They do not need to look perfect before baking, since they will spread as they bake.
Bake
- Bake on the oven racks closest to the middle of the oven for 11 to 15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through baking.Single sheets and dark metal sheets will bake faster.The Amerikaner are done when a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs and no wet batter. Be careful not to overbake them, or they may turn dry.
- Remove from the oven and let them rest on the baking trays for 2 minutes. Transfer them to cooling racks and let them cool completely with the flat side down.
Make the lemon glaze
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.100 grams powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Add more lemon juice, a little at a time, until the glaze is thick, spreadable, and does not drip too easily.If needed, add a little more powdered sugar or lemon juice to adjust the consistency.
- Test the glaze on one Amerikaner first if you want to check the texture before glazing the rest.
Make the chocolate glaze
- Add the chocolate and butter to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each one, until smooth.You can also melt them together in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water using a bain-marie.It will be pretty runny and that's okay.
Decorate
- Once the Amerikaner are fully cool, turn them over so the flat side is facing up.
- Using soup spoons, spread the lemon glaze, chocolate glaze, or both over the flat side of each Amerikaner.
- Immediately decorate one at a time with sprinkles, nonpareils, chocolate pearls, or chopped candy if desired.
Notes
How to store them
Store your Amerikaner under a cake dome or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They are best in the first day or two, when they are extra soft.
If you need to stack them, wait until the glaze is dry. Then place parchment paper or wax paper between the layers so the glaze stays pretty.
Nutrition
Calories: 474kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 2mg