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Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
Juicy apples, warm cinnamon, and a buttery crumb topping make this cinnamon apple crumb cake your new favorite fall bake.
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
I don’t think crumb cake it getting the flowers she deserves. It’s always cinnamon rolls this and muffins that, but crumb cake? Crumb cake is quietly holding it down as one of the most delicious treats you can have for breakfast (or snack, or dessert, or basically any time). And this Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake might just be my favorite version yet.
It’s made with a buttery, tender, lightly sweetened cake base, a thick layer of cinnamon-sugar coated apples in the middle and of course a fat, glorious layer of crunchy brown sugar crumble on top. She’s cozy, she’s delicious, she’s full of flavor in every bite, and she’s just sitting humbly on the counter. Basically, meet your new favorite apple recipe.
What is apple crumb cake?
If you’re unfamiliar, apple crumb cake is like if coffee cake and apple crisp had a baby and then made it wear a a crunchy, crumble crown. Our princess.
It consists of 3 different components (triple threat).
- A soft, buttery vanilla cake base that’s just sweet enough.
- A middle layer of juicy apples tossed in a brown sugar cinnamon spice mixture.
- A big ol’ blanket of buttery brown sugar streusel on top.
It’s hearty enough for breakfast, but decadent enough for dessert and perfect for using up your fresh apples you swore you would eat as a snack, but are way less appealing when they’re not wrapped up in butter and sugar.
What ingredients do you need make this cinnamon apple crumb cake?
This cake may look bakery-worthy, but the ingredients list is delightfully simple. Here’s what you’ll need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Dark brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Sour cream (or greek yogurt!)
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Fresh apples
Tips for making the best apple crumb cake
Want your crumb cake to come out professional level perfect? We have all the insider tips and tricks for you.
- Don’t overmix the batter: And overmixed batter creates more gluten bonds which can make your cake taste dry and dense. We don’t want that for you. Once you add in the dry ingredients only mix until just combined for best results!
- Use high quality apples
- Bake until golden brown all over
Happy baking, my friends!
XXX
PrintCinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
Juicy apples, warm cinnamon, and a buttery crumb topping make this cinnamon apple crumb cake your new favorite fall bake.
Ingredients
for the cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
for the cinnamon apple swirl
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
for the crumb topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Set aside.
- First, make the cake. In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Turn off the mixer, then add the eggs one at a time and beat at low speed, scraping down the bowl between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding in the dry ingredients and the sour cream in 3 additions (you’ll add half the dry, then all of the sour cream, then the other half of the dry). It’s okay if the batter still has a few lumps in it–you don’t want to overmix.
- Transfer half the batter to the prepared pan, using a silicone spatula to spread it into an even layer. Set to the side while you make the filling
- Make the cinnamon apple swirl. In a small bowl combine the apple pieces, brown sugar, and spices. Stir to evenly coat the apples.
- Top the batter in the pan with the cinnamon apple mixture and spread it all the way to the edges. Spoon the remaining half of the batter over the apples, carefully spreading it onto an even layer. It will seem a little thin, but don’t worry–it will rise! Set aside.
- Next, make the crumb topping. In a large bowl, add the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Use a fork (or your hands!) to cut the mixture together until the mixture is pebbly. Sprinkle the crumb evenly over the batter.
- Bake until a butter knife inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, 38 to 42 minutes. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. If desired, dust the top with powdered sugar. Slice and serve!
Delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe looks similar to your apple fritter bread which I love! I want to try this recipe but I was curious as to why the difference in sugar, baking powder and soda. The texture of your fritter bread is so good. Does this cake have a similar texture? Thanks for all the delicious recipes!