This apple crumble cake is made with a buttery cinnamon spiced cake that is filled with fresh chopped apples, and topped with crumble topping!
This cake is the perfect cake for fall and for cinnamon and apple lovers! My cousin said 'This is one of the best cakes that I've ever had!' and I totally agree.
This cake recipe is tender and moist with a buttery crumb that will melt in your mouth along with the delicious and perfectly balanced crumb topping.
This recipe is perfect for October, and for the colder months when you are craving a warm dessert next to your hot coffee or tea.
This cake is very similar to apple coffee cake, but it is not made with a layer of cinnamon sugar in the middle. You can add a layer of cinnamon sugar in the middle of the cake to create an apple coffee cake!
If you like baking with apples, check out our apple pie with graham cracker crust, apple pie with puff pastry, apple crumble bars, puff pastry apple tart, apple cinnamon rolls, apple crumble cake, apple fritters, and apple crumble muffins.
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Why this recipe works
- Cozy and warm recipe- this soft buttery cake is perfect next to a cup of coffee on a rainy day, or any other day!
- Crumble topping- this cake is made with a cinnamon crumble topping that is perfectly balanced and adds a delicious crunch.
- Simple- this cake is made with simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store in any season.
- Loaded with apples- This cake is filled with freshly chopped and peeled apples.
- Ease- this easy apple crumb cake comes together in one bowl and is super easy to make!
Ingredients
Before you start to make this apple cake recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of this dessert.
Eggs- you will need eggs for this recipe. Make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. cake flour will work great as well.
Baking powder– baking powder allows the cake to rise. Make sure that your baking powder is not expired.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Brown sugar- brown sugar compliments the cinnamon flavor. I used light brown sugar for this but you can use dark brown sugar as well. Make sure that you
Cinnamon- we love adding cinnamon to apple-flavored desserts, it adds so much flavor that compliments the apple flavor.
Nutmeg- we love the flavor combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. Feel free to use either freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt- you can use either Greek yogurt or sour cream. Get your sour cream to room temperature. Any percent of fat will work for this recipe.
Vanilla extract- adds extra flavor.
Buttermilk– gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Kosher salt- you will need about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt for this recipe.
Apples- we like to use granny smith apples for this recipe, they are a little bit less sweet, but any kind of your favorite apples will work! I also love using pink lady apples for a sweeter cake.
Crumble topping
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, cake flour will work great as well.
Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use brown sugar as well.
Cinnamon- we love adding cinnamon to the topping.
Pinch of salt- we used kosher salt.
Melted butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. melt your butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Melted butter adds to this banana bread with lots of moisture.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until it's creamy.
Add the eggs, greek yogurt, and vegetable oil. Mix until well combined.
Add the flour, and baking powder, and mix until almost combined.
Add the buttermilk and mix until almost combined.
Add the chopped and peeled apples and mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined baking pan and smooth it out with a spatula.
Make the crumble topping
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
Top the crumb cake with the cinnamon apple crumb topping and press the streusel topping onto the cake batter so it sticks and does not fall off while baking.
Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-50 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake this cake!
Make a simple glaze
In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined and until the glaze is smooth and silky.
Top the cake with as much glaze as you would like, and serve warm next to a cup of coffee or hot tea. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- To make this process easy, quick, and clean, use an apple peeler and corer. Here is the one I use all the time.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Butter your pan with butter and sprinkle flour to prevent sticking. This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. An hour or two before making this cake, take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. The butter should be soft to the touch. If your butter is too cold, it will be harder to mix and there will be lumps of butter in your mixture.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat this cake as soon as it's ready. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before eating the cake. This step prevents the cake to fall apart.
Faq's
This cake will last up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out.
We use all-purpose flour for this cake. Cake flour will work great as well.
Use your favorite kind of apples! We like using granny smith apples, but any apple kind will work. If you like sweet apples, use Honeycrisp, or pink lady.
Storing
It’s okay to store this cake at room temperature. Make sure that you store this cake in an airtight container so it won’t dry out.
Freezing
This cake is very easy to freeze. After baking, let the cake cool to room temperature, transfer it into a freezer-friendly Ziploc bag, or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw: place the cake in the refrigerator overnight or place it a room temperature for a few hours.
Substitution
Dairy-free - If you are dairy-free, replace the butter with vegan butter or plant-based butter. Do not use margarine. It will change the flavor of this cake and leave a weird taste. Also, replace the buttermilk with vegan buttermilk or plant-based milk.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Variations
Spices- add your favorite spices for cinnamon-spiced desserts! Like nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin spice, ginger, etc.
Caramel- add a luscious caramel drizzle over the cake batter before sprinkling with the crumbly topping for a decadent twist.
Maple syrup glaze- drizzle maple syrup over the baked cake for a sweet and sticky glaze that complements the tartness of the apples and adds an extra layer of flavor to your dessert.
Nuts- add your favorite nuts to the cake batter. I love adding chopped pecans and walnuts.
Serving Tips
- Whipped Cream- Add whipped cream on a slice of the cake to create a light and creamy texture that complements the fruity flavors.
- Apple compote topping- Drizzle a homemade apple compote over the top of the cake for an added burst of flavor and visual appeal.
- Toasted Almond Crunch- Sprinkle toasted almond slices on top of the cake to add a crunchy texture contrast to the soft cake and juicy apples.
- Vanilla ice cream- add a large scoop of ice cream next to a slice of this cake.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8-inch cake pan
- Rubber spatula
- Apple corer and slicer
More apple recipes
Apple crumble muffins- These apple crumble muffins are made with moist cinnamon muffin batter, filled with chopped apples, and topped with a buttery crumble, and topped with a delicious glaze.
Apple fritters- These apple fritters are made with fresh apples, topped with a simple glaze. This recipe takes 30 minutes to make with no yeast or rising time, and it tastes like apple donuts!
Apple upside down cake- This apple upside down cake features an incredibly moist cake that is loaded with cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a caramelized apple topping. This cake is simply irresistible.
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📖 Recipe
Best Apple Crumble Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter melted
- ¾ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 ½ cups Flour
- ½ cup Buttermilk
- 1 ½ cups Apples peeled and chopped
Streusel topping:
- 1 cup Flour
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ Kosher salt
- 3.17 oz Butter melted
Simple glaze:
- 1 cup Powder sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon Milk
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt, and mix with an electric hand mixer until it's creamy.
- Add the eggs, greek yogurt, and vegetable oil. Mix until well combined.
- Add the flour, and baking powder, and mix until almost combined.
- Add the buttermilk and mix until almost combined.
- Add the chopped and peeled apples and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined baking pan and smooth it out with a spatula.
Make the streusel topping:
- Into a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined.
- Top the cake with the streusel topping and press the streusel topping onto the cake batter so it sticks and does not fall off while baking.
- Bake in a 180c (350f) preheated oven for 45-50 minutes (depending on your oven) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Don’t overbake this cake!
Make a simple glaze:
- Into a small mixing bowl, add the powder sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until the mixture is well combined and until the glaze is smooth and silky.
- Top the cake with as much glaze as you would like, and serve warm next to a cup of coffee or hot tea. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- To make this process easy, quick, and clean, use an apple peeler and corer. Here is the one I use all the time.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Butter your pan with butter and sprinkle flour to prevent sticking. This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your cake will release easily from the pan.
- Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. An hour or two before making this cake, take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. The butter should be soft to the touch. If your butter is too cold, it will be harder to mix and there will be lumps of butter in your mixture.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to eat this cake as soon as it's ready. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before eating the cake. This step prevents the cake to fall apart.
Nisha says
Such an easy recipe and so delicious! This is going to be one of our regular recipes we use going forward!! Thank you!
RichandDelish says
Thank you so much for taking the time to share a review! I'm happy you liked it!
Maria says
Parece muito deliciosa,deu água na boca 😋😋😋