Are you looking for a new treat that is perfect for your next party or a child’s birthday celebration?
Something besides muffins, brownies, pies, or cake?
Then you’ve come to the right place!
Because today I would like to share with you a popular recipe for a fancy baked goodie I know from home.
Round, palm-sized sponge cakes with a sweet and thick icing on top are a favorite item found in German bakeries throughout the year. They are a mix between cookies, because of their size, and a cake, due to their texture.
And if you ask me, what could be better than a mix of two great baked goods in one?
But don’t call them cupcakes!
Rather than being baked in muffin tins with paper liners, they are baked in mounds like cookies on a sheet pan.
A Crumble of History
The most interesting fact about these small sweets involves its German name, with an American twist!
These desserts are called Amerikaner in Germany, literally translated as “Americans.”
How did they get such a unique name?
There are various myths and stories behind the title, but let’s take a quick look at one of the most popular explanations:
Before baking powder became available in the mid-19th century, ammonium bicarbonate was used as one of the main chemical leavening agents for baked goods.
When these cookies were first made, the original name given to them referred to that chemical substance: Ammoniakaner (“Ammoniacans”).
Not too appealing, right?
The name was too literal – a chemical was definitely the wrong name for such a pretty treat!
The producers of these pastries finally decided to rename them by simplifying the term to Amerikaner (“Americans”), the name for U.S. citizens in the German language.
Get Creative with the Toppings
Sometimes – mainly in English-speaking countries – they are also referred to as a half-moon cookies, or black and whites.
In that case, the icing is evenly divided between a light-colored (lusually emon or vanilla) half and a dark-colored (typically chocolate) half.
The chocolate glaze from my Viennese chocolate cake recipe is perfect for decorating! You can use old-fashioned cocoa fudge frosting, or sinfully decadent ganache, as well!
But this is what I love about making these cookies – you can choose any kind of decoration! Feel free to design as you wish with your favorite recipe for icing, frosting, or glaze.
For example… our recipe for a spiced sweet glaze that you can make with freshly ground warming spices would be a perfect topping during the fall and winter months.
This is especially great for parties and children’s birthday celebrations. The decorations you choose can go along with any theme!
Why not use some gummy bears, chocolate drops, nonpareils, colorful candy, toffee, peanut brittle, or whatever else you like for your toppings?
Or you can create a pattern with lemon icing and chocolate glaze, just like I did on mine, and vary the typical half-moon appearance.
Give the recipe a try now, and get ready to make some pretty pastries!
The Recipe
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 9 cookies | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 10-15 minutes | 30-45 minutes |
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Try our sweet cookie cakes that combine the best of both pastries. The palm-size treats come with a fluffy texture and tasty toppings. More on Foodal.
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- 3 1/2 oz Powdered sugar
- 6-7 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- chocolate glaze optional
- assorted decorations optional
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Whisk butter and sugar until creamy by hand or with a whisk attachment on a mixer. Add eggs and a pinch of salt. Whisk until incorporated.
- Add cornstarch, milk, flour, and baking powder. Mix until you have a homogenous batter.
- Use two tablespoons to form small, round heaps of batter. Place them evenly spaced onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove and cool on a rack. After a few minutes, gently turn the cakes upside-down, so that their flat surface can cool properly.
- Mix powdered sugar with lemon juice, using as much juice is needed to achieve a thick, yet spreadable, sugar paste. Stir until smooth. Spread the icing and chocolate glaze on the flat side of the cake.
- While the icing is still wet, decorate with nonpareils, chocolate drops, or any other decorations.
- Let the icing set completely before serving.
Nutritional Information*
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Whisk Butter, Sugar, and Eggs
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk the butter and sugar until creamy. Add both eggs and a pinch of salt, and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
You can also make the batter in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Step 2 – Add Remaining Ingredients
Add cornstarch, milk, flour, and baking powder to the mix. Whisk together until you have a homogenous batter.
The cornstarch provides a fluffy consistency, while the baking powder works as a raising agent.
Step 3 – Shape the Batter
With the help of 2 tablespoons, form nine heaps onto the prepared baking sheet. If you’re familiar with making drop biscuits, this is a similar process.
The recipe makes 9 cookies, but if you prefer even smaller ones, you can use two teaspoons instead of tablespoons to form the heaps on the baking sheet.
Step 4 – Bake
Bake them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take out, and leave to cool slightly for a few minutes on a wire rack. While they are still slightly warm, flip them over so that the flat side can cool completely.
Step 5 – Decorate
Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice, and stir until smooth. Spread the icing on the flat side of the cake, and wait for it to set.
You can also use chocolate glaze as an additional option for decorating.
If you like, garnish with nonpareils, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or other sweets before the icing sets.
Ready for Some Baking Fun?
Making these small, adorable pastries is the perfect opportunity to allow your creativity to flow. Sprinkles, chocolate glaze, lemon glaze, gummies… the decorating options are endless!
But no matter what you decide for the decoration, I’m sure these little sweets will soon become favorites of yours.
So let’s enjoy a plate of tasty treats, and surprise your family with some bite-sized goodies!
Have you heard of these little desserts? Do you know them by a different name? Do you already have ideas for some toppings, or would you rather stay with the classic black and white design?
Let us know by posting a comment below!
And be sure to check out more German inspired recipes as well as our large cookie assortment.
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Photos by Nina-Kristin Isensee, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. With additional writing and editing by Nikki Cervone.
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Nina-Kristin Isensee
Nina lives in Iserlohn, Germany and holds an MA in Art History (Medieval and Renaissance Studies). She is currently working as a freelance writer in various fields. She enjoys travel, photography, cooking, and baking. Nina tries to cook from scratch every day when she has the time and enjoys trying out new spices and ingredients, as well as surprising her family with new cake creations.
I love learning about different cookies from different areas. These look like shortbread cookies.
When I was a kid in Erlangen, I was told they were called Amerikaner because they were half brown and half white, just like the GIs stationed there. So if that is true, the name is basically an awkward, old-fashioned potentially racially charged thing.
Looking to make what I have bought many times in Germany in a bakery with the grandchildren whilst visiting them in Duisburg.
Found a recipe online but not the same. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Have a great Christmas and a better New year
Dave
What exactly is it that you’re looking for, Davey? We’d love to help!
My Mom is from Frankfurt and the family Amerikaner cookie uses German Vanilla pudding and the German pudding matters as any other changes the taste significantly. Even in the two ancient German cookbooks she has it states the pudding along with flour.
You can find our recipe for German pudding here!
When I was an exchange student in Germany, I was told that Amerikaner were so named because, like Americans, “they are all sweet on the outside, but there is nothing inside.” Oof.