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This apple crumb cake recipe features moist, tender buttermilk cake with a layer of cinnamon-spiced apples and a crumbly brown sugar streusel topping. It’s easy to make with less than 30 minutes of hands-on prep time, and you can follow along with step-by-step photograph instructions. It’s a great fall dessert for apple lovers!
If you like Dutch or French apple pie with a crumbly streusel topping, you’re going to love this fall dessert. It has a moist, tender buttermilk cake base, a cinnamon-spiced apple layer, and a buttery brown sugar crumble topping. It’s perfect with a cup of coffee for elevenses, as an after-school snack, or skip the icing on top and serve it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert!
What Is a Crumb Cake?
This autumnal dessert recipe is part coffee cake, part crumble-topped apple pie – and absolutely perfect for fall!
Traditionally, streuselkuchen (which means “crumb cake” in German) is a yeasted cake with a buttery crumble topping known as streusel. According to Wikipedia, this type of baked good is alleged to have originated in the historical area of Central Europe known as Silesia, which mainly encompasses modern-day Poland, but also includes small regions of Czech Republic and Germany. (You can read more about streuselkuchen on Wikipedia or find out more about Silesia on Wikipedia.)
My favorite is New York crumb cake, where the crumble topping is at least as tall as the cake! The cake is typically rich, moist yellow butter cake, which stands up well to the large, soft, buttery brown sugar crumbles. Like my pumpkin crumb cake recipe, this cake is inspired by the New York-style version.
What’s Special About This Recipe
- It’s like a crumble-topped apple pie, but in cake form. If you love pie but steer clear so you don’t have to make shortcrust pastry, this is the fall dessert for you! It has all the same flavors, including sweet cinnamon-spiced apple and buttery brown sugar crumble topping, but there’s no need to fuss with crust. (On the other hand, if you enjoy the process of making pie, check out my cranberry pie with a homemade flaky shortcrust pastry.)
- You may just never have to buy fall scented candles again! Okay, I’m kidding (because who has the time to bake every time they want to light a candle?!). But really, as this bakes, it’ll fill the kitchen with the best autumnal aroma you can imagine.
- Despite multiple steps, it’s easy to make. Don’t be intimidated; this dessert is beginner-friendly and requires less than 30 minutes of hands-on prep time. Each step is straightforward, and you can follow along with the step-by-step photos to guide you through the whole process.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Crumble Topping Ingredients
- Light brown sugar – Adds sweetness with notes of caramel and molasses.
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour here.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon in the crumble topping is a great pairing with butter and brown sugar.
- Salt – A touch of salt helps create a balanced flavor profile and enhances the flavor of everything else.
- Vanilla extract – This adds flavor and aroma.
- Unsalted butter – You want the butter slightly softened here.
Apple Filling Ingredients
- Apple – You can use any type of crisp sweet/tart or tart apple you like; Granny Smith is my favorite here because its tart flavor balances the sweetness of brown sugar. You’ll need 1 medium apple for about 1 cup of peeled, diced apple (1/4-inch dice).
- Light brown sugar – This adds sweetness, as well as rich flavor notes of molasses and caramel.
- Cinnamon – Sweet apple and warm cinnamon is a fall-inspired match made in heaven! It’ll make your whole house smell like a bakery while it’s in the oven.
Buttermilk Cake Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Butter adds rich flavor to this cake. To simulate the flavors in apple pie with a rich, all-butter shortcrust pastry, we use butter in the cake instead of oil.
- White sugar – This not only adds sweetness, but also helps keep the cake moist.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor and aroma.
- Egg – Egg helps us achieve the perfect crumb and lift.
- Buttermilk – Buttermilk is a tenderizer in baking; it lends a tender, moist crumb to this cake.
- Flour – Use regular all-purpose flour here.
- Baking powder – This is the main leavening agent we use in this cake to make it rise.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon in the streusel topping, apple filling, and cake makes ties everything together.
- Salt – A touch of salt makes sure the cake isn’t bland, and pulls out all the other flavors.
- Baking soda – In addition to baking powder, we also use baking soda to leaven this cake because of the addition of an acidic component (here, buttermilk).
Icing Ingredients
- Powdered sugar – This is the base ingredient for the icing we drizzle on top of this cake.
- Vanilla extract – This adds flavor and aroma to the glaze. Another flavoring option is ground cinnamon (use about 1/4 teaspoon).
- Heavy whipping cream – I like a thick and creamy glaze on this cake, but you can use milk if you prefer a thin and runny glaze.
Other Ingredients
- Butter and flour – I recommend buttering and flouring the pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick. Alternatively, you can line the pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so the paper hangs over all 4 sides for easy removal.
How to Make This Apple Crumb Cake Recipe
1: Make the Crumble Topping
- Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl.
- Add the room temperature (or better yet, slightly softened) butter.
- Use a fork to cut the butter into the mixture, then once the dough forms pieces the size of peas, use your hands to work it until it forms large wet crumbs.
- This is how the crumble topping should look when you’re finished working the butter into the mixture. Set it aside for now.
2: Make the Apple Filling
- Peel and dice the apples.
- Add everything to a bowl.
- Gently toss to coat the apples. Set it aside for now.
3: Make the Buttermilk Cake Batter
At this point you should preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour the inside of an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan (see the Notes in the Recipe Card below for more pan options).
- Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, and buttermilk in a large bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda.
- Stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
4: Assemble and Bake the Cake
- Add 2/3 of the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
- Place the apples on top, distributing them as evenly as possible without stirring.
- Add the remaining 1/3 of the batter on top.
- Spread the batter around as evenly as possible without stirring.
- Evenly sprinkle on the crumble topping.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly moist with just a couple crumbs, about 50 to 60 minutes. (I like to drape a piece of foil on top at the 50-minute mark so the top doesn’t brown too much.)
5: Cool the Cake and Top with Icing
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool completely, about 2 hours. Once it’s cool, whisk together all ingredients for the icing and drizzle on top. Let the icing set, and then enjoy.
Variations
- Use pear instead of apple here. Pear is another delicious fall fruit, and it’s completely under-utilized. This cake is a great way to use it!
- Get nutty. Add up to 1 cup of chopped nuts, either to the cake batter, apple layer (just sprinkle the nuts on top of the apples), or to the crumble topping.
Storage
Once the icing hardens (or before you add the icing), you can store this crumb cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. The crumble topping will harden in the fridge, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving after it’s been refrigerated.
Baker’s Tips
- Don’t let the apples sit for too long before assembling and baking the cake. Otherwise, they’ll start to release their juices (sugar naturally draws out the moisture in fruit). If this happens, just drain off the juices before adding the apple layer when you assemble the cake.
- With a layer of apple in the center and a thick crumble topping, this cake takes about an hour to bake. Around the 50-minute mark I like to drape a piece of foil on top to avoid over-browning.
- The icing on top is completely optional. You can omit it, or instead sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top before serving. And if you’re serving this cake as a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday dessert, you can top it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or eggnog-flavored ice cream to really gild the lily!
Frequently Asked Questions
The crumbly streusel topping on coffee cakes, pies, and other baked goods is made of three base ingredients: flour, butter, and sugar. A popular ratio for making crumble topping is 3 parts all-purpose flour (aka “plain flour”), 2 parts sugar, and 1 part butter. However, there are many variations on the ratio!
Also, note that along with these three base ingredients, we add other ingredients for deeper flavor, including cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract. Additionally, in this recipe we swap out the regular sugar for brown sugar for the rich notes of caramel and molasses it adds.
Yes! If you want to make crumble topping with oats, use old-fashioned rolled oats. The ratio is 1.5 parts flour, 1.5 parts old-fashioned rolled oats, 2 parts sugar, and 1 part butter. Essentially, you are just replacing half of the flour with oats.
You’ll Also Love These Fall Apple Dessert Recipes
- Szarlotka (Polish Apple Pie) – This classic Polish dessert has a unique pastry crust, a delicious spiced apple filling, and is just sweet enough without being too sweet.
- Apple Crisp for Two – You can make it in the oven or air fryer, and it’s perfect for when you just want a small batch.
- Mincemeat – Made with fresh apples, dried fruit, and a lovely blend of warm spices, this is perfect for making into mincemeat tarts. Or you can enjoy it spread on toast or as a topping for yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, vanilla ice cream, etc.
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Apple Crumb Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
Crumble Topping:
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter slightly softened
Apple Filling:
- 1 cup peeled and diced apple see Notes
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Other:
- Butter for the pan
- Flour for the pan
Instructions
Make the Crumble Topping:
- Whisk together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter into the mixture, then once the dough forms pieces the size of peas, use your hands to work it until it forms large wet crumbs. Set aside.
Make the Apple Filling:
- Stir together all ingredients. (See Notes.)
Make the Cake Batter:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour the inside of an 8 by 8-inch metal baking pan. (See Notes.)
- Whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, and buttermilk in a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda, and stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
- Add 2/3 of the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Place the apples on top, distributing them as evenly as possible without stirring. Add the remaining 1/3 of the batter on top, and spread it around as evenly as possible without stirring. Evenly sprinkle on the crumble topping.
Bake:
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly moist with just a couple crumbs, about 50 to 60 minutes. (I like to drape a piece of foil on top at the 50-minute mark so the top doesn’t brown too much.)
Cool the Cake and Top With Icing:
- Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours. Once it’s cool, whisk together all ingredients for the icing and drizzle on top. Let the icing set, and then enjoy.
Notes
- Apple: 1 medium apple is about 1 cup of diced apple. Dice it in about 1/4-inch pieces. You can use any type of crisp sweet/tart or tart apple you like; I used Granny Smith.
- When Making the Apple Filling and Assembling the Cake: Don’t let the apples sit for too long before assembling and baking the cake. Otherwise, they’ll start to release their juices (sugar naturally draws out the moisture in fruit). If this happens, just drain off the juices before adding the apple layer when you assemble the cake.
- The Pan and Baking Time: For the most even cooking, I typically like to use a metal pan to bake cakes. Although glass, ceramic, or metal pans will work, metal conducts heat more efficiently and bakes more evenly. If you use a glass or ceramic pan (or a metal pan of a slightly different size), you may need to adjust your baking time.
- Storage: Once the icing hardens (or before you add the icing), you can store this crumb cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. The crumble topping will harden in the fridge, so let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving after it’s been refrigerated.
- Serving Tips: The icing on top is completely optional. You can omit it, or instead sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top before serving. And if you’re serving this cake as a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday dessert, you can top it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or eggnog-flavored ice cream to really gild the lily!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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