 ), but not in the capital city of Berlin itself and neighboring areas, where they are called "Pfannkuchen" (which is often found misleading by people in the rest of Germany, who use the word "Pfannkuchen" to describe a pancake, which is also the literal translation of it).In middle Germany, doughnuts are called "Kreppel" or "Pfannkuchen".In southern Germany, they are also called "Krapfen" and are especially popular during Carnival season ("Karneval"/"Fasching") in southern and middle Germany and on New Year's Eve in northern Germany.