Extremely tender apple crumb cake is loaded with heat cinnamon apples and further crumb topping. A home made model of traditional New York-style crumb cake, this breakfast cake is buttery and moist, deliciously tender, and drizzled with candy maple icing.
I initially printed this recipe in 2017 and have since added new pictures and extra success suggestions.
If crumb topping is your love language, you’ve come to the appropriate place. And if heat cinnamon apples make your mouth water, in the present day’s your day. Lastly, if tender buttery cake is your ultimate indulgence, I’m your baker.
At this time’s home made apple crumb cake is like my apple cinnamon crumb muffins, apple cake, and apple cinnamon bread… however in breakfast/espresso cake type. These are favourite seasonal recipes to make (together with pumpkin crumb cake muffins), so a cake model is a no brainer. Readers have liked it:
One reader, Jean, commented: “Among the finest crumb truffles I’ve ever made. The crumb topping adhered fantastically and made the cake. I additionally just like the addition of bitter cream to the cake which helped to make the cake moist, not dry like so many crumb truffles. ★★★★★“
One reader, Les, commented: “There isn’t any different phrase to explain this cake than PERFECT! Tried many recipes out of your website and this one is now in our prime 3 greatest truffles… ★★★★★“
One reader, Martha, commented: “There aren’t sufficient superlatives to adequately describe this cake. Perfection. It is a keeper recipe. ★★★★★“
One reader, Sarah, commented: “THIS CAKE DESERVES WAY MORE THAN 5 STARS. Completely marvelous recipe… this can endlessly be my ‘go-to’ espresso cake recipe… the crumb topping is delightfully crunchy and is definitely the very best streusel I’ve ever had. ★★★★★“
Components You Want & Why
Like my conventional espresso cake recipe, it is a butter- and bitter cream-based cake, AKA the very best form of cake, and right here’s what you’ll want to make it:
- Flour: All-purpose flour supplies the construction of this cake. It’s sturdy sufficient to assist the thick batter and a number of layers of this crumb cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Baking soda and baking powder assist the cake rise.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, and also you want brown sugar for the crumb topping.
- Butter: Butter provides taste and creates construction within the creaming course of.
- Bitter Cream: Bitter cream provides us a particularly moist crumb cake that’s a bit of denser than, say, a fluffy vanilla cake. Tight crumbs, like pound cake, however with a a lot softer texture. Don’t take away the fats from this cake through the use of a lower-fat various. Fats = taste! We don’t need to skimp there. That is cake!
- Eggs: 3 eggs add richness and bind the elements collectively.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Use each for taste.
- Cinnamon: We will’t have crumb cake with out cinnamon!
- Apples: The star of apple crumb cake, after all.
Greatest Apples for This Cake
Use any number of apples you take pleasure in! You want about 2-3 giant apples for this recipe. Personally, I really like tart Granny Smith apples paired with the candy crumb cake. When you take pleasure in a sure kind of apple in your apple pie or apple cinnamon scones, you’ll adore it right here, too.
- Tart apples I really like: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Candy apples I really like: Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Woman, Gala, and Fuji
And right here’s a full listing of the greatest apples for baking.
Overview: Find out how to Make Apple Crumb Cake
Once I first examined this recipe, I blended the apples into the cake batter (identical to we do in my apple cinnamon muffins recipe). This was tasty, after all, however the items of apples every held a soggy define contained in the baked cake. It simply… didn’t look appetizing. I discovered that layering the apples on prime of the cake batter was greatest.
This offers us 3 delectable layers: a tender and buttery cake, topped with tender cinnamon-spiced apples, after which a TRUCK LOAD of crumb topping.
This apple crumb cake comes collectively simply.
Make the crumb topping first. Place that within the fridge or freezer till you want it. The colder the crumbs, the extra they’ll maintain form within the oven.
Whisk the dry elements collectively and put aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Beat within the eggs, bitter cream, and vanilla till mixed—the combination might look curdled, and that’s completely superb. Gently combine the moist and dry elements collectively.
Toss the apple chunks with cinnamon, then unfold the thick batter right into a 9×13-inch pan (this dimension is good for the quantity of batter). I’m utilizing this pan within the pictures. Scatter the apples and crumb topping evenly over the batter, urgent the crumbs down firmly in order that they stick.
Bake till golden and set. If the highest or edges start browning too shortly, loosely cowl the pan with aluminum foil to stop over-baking.
Crumb Cake with Additional Crumbs
You’ll discover A LOT of elements within the crumb topping. Not within the variety of elements, however by way of the quantity of elements… like extra butter, sugar, and simply as a lot flour as within the cake itself. Why? As a result of the crumb topping is the BEST PART of a CRUMB CAKE!
You’re utilizing the identical elements within the crumb topping as you’re within the cake, so it’s a particularly handy recipe. The gang’s all right here: granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and flour, plus brown sugar. Ensure some crumbles keep in bigger chunks as a result of these are the very best bites.
The crumb layer is actually half the cake and I see zero downside with this! In any other case, you may as properly simply make a daily apple cake (additionally scrumptious, by the way in which)!
Icing Choices
This apple crumb cake really doesn’t want something on prime, but when the chance for candy maple icing presents itself, we’d be fools to say no. Listed below are some great icing choices for this cake:
And if you’re on the lookout for extra fall dessert inspiration, here’s a listing of 30+ fall cake recipes.
Description
Scrumptious New York-style crumb cake with heat cinnamon apples and DOUBLE the buttery crumb topping! Make the crumb topping first, after which place it within the fridge or freezer till prepared to make use of. Chilly crumbs maintain their form within the oven.
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (200g) packed mild or darkish brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon floor cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all goal flour (spooned & leveled)
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all goal flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 giant eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat bitter cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375g) peeled chopped apples (about 2–3 giant apples, see Word)
- 1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon
- optionally available: maple icing, vanilla icing, or caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a glass or metallic 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. Put aside.
- Make the crumb topping: Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Stir within the melted butter. Utilizing a fork, frivolously combine within the flour till crumbles type. Don’t over-mix. Place within the fridge or freezer till you want it in step 6. Chilly crumbs maintain their form within the oven.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt collectively. Put aside.
- Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar collectively on excessive velocity till mild and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Right here’s a useful tutorial when you want steerage on the way to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl with a silicone spatula as wanted. Add the eggs, bitter cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high velocity till mixed. The combination will look curdled; that’s okay. Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl as wanted. With the mixer on low velocity, combine within the dry elements till easy. Don’t overmix. The batter will probably be thick.
- Toss the chopped apples and cinnamon collectively.
- Unfold the batter evenly into ready baking pan. Prime evenly with cinnamon-coated apples. Prime with crumb topping. Utilizing a silicone spatula or the again of a big spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking instances differ, so keep watch over yours. The cake is completed when a toothpick inserted within the middle comes out clear. When you discover the highest or edges of the cake is/are browning too shortly within the oven, loosely cowl it with aluminum foil.
- Take away the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Enable to barely cool for a minimum of 30-45 minutes earlier than slicing and serving.
- Drizzle with optionally available icing, if desired.
- Cowl leftover cake tightly and retailer within the fridge for five days.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Put together cake by way of step 8. Cowl the cake tightly and refrigerate for as much as 2 days or freeze as much as 3 months. Carry to room temperature, add icing if desired, and serve.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Apple Peeler | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Bitter Cream: Bitter cream is a key ingredient on this cake. I don’t recommend subbing the bitter cream with a liquid—plain full-fat yogurt would work although. However don’t take away the fats from this cake through the use of a decrease fats yogurt or bitter cream various.
- Apples: For depth of taste, it’s greatest to bake with a mixture of candy and tart apples. For this cake, I often use about 2 giant Honeycrisp apples and 1/2 of a big Granny Smith apple. For slicing, it’s greatest to cut the apple into skinny items. Slice the apple, then minimize every of these slices in half so you could have smaller, thinner, easy-to-eat items. See photograph above.
- Room Temperature: All refrigerated objects ought to be at room temperature so the batter mixes collectively simply and evenly. Learn extra in regards to the significance of room temperature elements.
