A guide to Germany’s Kaffee und Kuchen tradition

The thrill of lunchtime has been and gone, and dinnertime is still distant on the horizon. In Germany, this moment urgently calls for Kaffee und Kuchen.

Coffee and cake time in Germany

Many of us need a sweet treat to pick us up out of that afternoon energy slump. Thankfully, Germany has an institutionalised method for that very moment: Kaffee und Kuchen.

Germany’s Kaffee und Kuchen (literally, coffee and cake) tradition is similar to Sweden’s fika, simply a moment dedicated to taking a break from whatever you are doing, specifically to drink coffee and eat cake with friends, family or colleagues.

While the clock strikes fika o’clock around 11am in Sweden, Germans keep their coffee and cake affair until the afternoon. The moment for Kaffee und Kuchen typically comes between 3pm and 5pm. 

Whether it’s in a cake shop (Konditorei), at a bakery (Bäckerei), gathered round your granny's table, or in the office kitchen with your colleagues, Kaffee und Kuchen time is also a moment for chatting. If you're learning German, there is even a special noun for it, “Kaffeeklatsch” (literally “coffee gossip”).

Germany loves its coffee

The arrival of coffee in Europe planted the seed for Germany’s Kaffee und Kuchen tradition. After trade routes were established between Italy and Northern Africa, regularly bringing coffee to Europe, the first coffeehouse opened in Venice in 1645.

Coffeehouses soon started popping up in German cities, notably in Wuppertal (1673) and Hamburg (1677). The brew would become the drink of the ruling classes, and the first coffeehouse opened its doors in 1721.

Today, Germany is still absolutely buzzing on coffee; it is the country’s favourite drink, trumping beer and sparkling water. In 2023, coffee sales in Germany reached a record high. According to the German Coffee Association (Deutscher Kaffeeverband), residents consume an average of four cups of coffee per day. One or two of these are likely drunk at Kaffee and Kuchen time.

A delicious-looking slice of Frankfurter Kranz, waiting for you to eat it (Image credit: C. Nass / Shutterstock.com)

Germany’s favourite Kuchen to accompany Kaffeeklatsch

Cakes (Kuchen or Torten) are also a favourite in Germany. While there are endless types of cake and tart to choose from, there are a select few which are particular favourites for Kaffee und Kuchen time.

These include the ubiquitous Apfelkuchen (apple cake), a simple, crumbly vanilla cake with large, soft chunks of green apple. A little fancier, you might also find the world-famous Black Forest Gateau on the table for an afternoon treat, a chocolate and cream cake typically decorated with a crown of cherries.

Baked cheesecakes using quark are also popular. When the season is right, plum cake is aplenty, and for those with an extra sweet tooth, the honey-heavy Bienenstich (bee sting cake) is an excellent choice.

In Frankfurt, your Kaffee might be accompanied by a slice of Frankfurter Kranz (Frankfurt Wreath), a vanilla sponge filled with buttercream and covered in roasted almonds and glacé cherries. Kaffee und Kuchen time also doesn’t have to involve such decadent cakes; you're also free to opt for a simple Berliner to get you through the afternoon.

Do you indulge in Kaffee und Kuchen?

Has Germany’s Kaffee und Kuchen culture successfully lured you in yet? If so, which brews and bakes do you often hear calling your name at around 3.20pm?