A soft apple crumb cake topped off with a crisp cinnamon streusel and drizzled with a vanilla glaze. A great recipe to use up any surplus of apples you might have accumulated from apple picking!
Zach and I went apple picking not once, but twice this month. Each time we made our way out of the orchard precariously balancing a crate piled with no less than 15 lbs of apples each time (and when I say “we”, I really mean Zach, he did all the heavy lifting).
That’s… a lot of apples.
I already shared my apple butter recipe that uses nearly 6 lbs of apples alone, but I still had a mountain of apples on my counter that I didn’t want to go bad, and so the baking continued. I made some freezer friendly apple crisp, to be cooked at a later date, my favorite apple pie, and my apple crumb muffins, and then I still had enough apples to make this apple crumb cake over and over (and over) again until I was 100% happy with it.
After my pumpkin coffee cake recipe was such a hit with everyone who tried it, I’d been determined to try to make an apple version and decided a slight variation of that recipe would make a great base for this apple crumb cake.
The apples add a nice touch of moisture, but I included sour cream and melted butter for added moisture, as well. It makes the cake extremely soft.
The streusel is the same one that I used there, as well as on my favorite coffee cake recipe, it’s easy and is made with melted butter, which makes for the most flavorful and easy-to-mix-together streusel that you may have ever tried.
Enjoy!!
Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter melted
- ½ cup sugar (100g)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (50g)
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream (120g)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups diced, peeled apples (165g) (this was about 1 ½ apples for me)
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar tightly packed (150g)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons butter melted
Vanilla Glaze
- ½ cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease and flour a 9" springform pan.
- Combine melted butter and sugars in a large bowl and stir until well-combined
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, stir well
- Stir in sour cream.
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Using a spatula, gradually add dry ingredients and wet and stir until just combined-- do not over-mix!
- Fold in apple pieces and pour batter evenly into prepared pan. Set aside and prepare your streusel.
Streusel
- Prepare the crumble by whisking together flour, sugars and cinnamon.
- Pour the melted butter into the mixture and, using a fork, stir until crumbles form. Evenly sprinkle streusel over batter.
- Transfer pan to oven and bake on 350F (175C) for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before adding vanilla glaze.
Vanilla Glaze
- If desired, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Start with 2 teaspoons of milk and add a third if it isn't thin enough to drizzle.
- Drizzle over cooled cake. Allow glaze to harden, slice, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Amanda
What kind of apples do you recommend using?
Sam
Hi Amanda! Any apple will work here. I like a more tart apple like gala. 🙂
Christy
Can this be frozen and thawed? I would like to bring this to an office party but would like to make ahead and just thaw it a couple days before.
Sam
Hi Christy! That will be just fine. 🙂
Bruce James
Hi Sam, thanks very much for this recipe. I love it when a recipe is as good as it’s rating/s and this one definitely is. Made per the recipe and instructions and wouldn’t change a thing. Much appreciated. Bruce
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Bruce! 🙂
Alissa
If you are using an 8” springform pan instead of 9”, would you suggest keeping it in the oven for maybe an extra 5-10 min? Thanks!
Alissa
And what about using a 9×13” pan? Double recipe? How long to bake?
Sam
You shouldn’t need to make any adjustments to fit this into a 9 x 13 pan, but I am not sure on the bake time.
Sam
Hi Alissa! I haven’t tried it in an 8″ springform, but make sure to not fill the batter higher than 2/3 of the way full or it will overflow the pan. You will probably have some excess batter and it will probably need to bake for less time. 🙂
Michele Reeder
Couldn’t you make it in a bundt pan as well? Would you have to double recipe here?
Sam
Hi Michele! I believe you could get away with just increasing all ingredients by 50%. My only concern about baking it in a bundt pan is the topping not gettin crispy like it should. 🙂
Dr Devika
Hi, can i make it into a loaf cake?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Devika! Yes, you can. The bake time will just be different than what is listed so I recommend keeping an eye on it. Keep me posted on how it turns out. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Pris
I knew when I made your carrot cake cupcakes last week (which were amaaazing not even frosted) that I had to look to your blog again in order to find out what to do with a surplus of apples, haha.
This recipe did not disappoint! Nice, tender cake, little bits of apple, lovely flavour from the cinnamon and brown sugar. The streusel topping alone was sweet enough for us, so we chose to forego the glaze. Funny thing is, I told my husband that this is the first recipe I’ve ever made that calls for streusel topping where I did not kick myself for not doubling the amount of streusel!
I did choose to bake it in an 8×8 pan, so that meant 35/40 mins wasn’t enough and it needed an extra 7 or so minutes in the oven, which worked out just fine. I’d love to make these as muffins another time, too.
Sam
That is so awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed the crumb cake so much! I appreciate that you came to look for recipes on my site. 🙂 I actually have an apple crumble muffin that’s really tasty too. 🙂
Michelle
This is the most delicious cake and I have made it 3 times in the past 3 weeks. It is my favourite cake ever !! Thank you for sharing it with the world 🙂 My kids love it as the apple “dissolves” into the batter when baked as they don’t like to bite into fruit pieces in any baked goods. The first try came out perfect. My second and third “fell in” in the middle and was la little doughy although I baked it longer when the skewer did not come out clean at 35/40 minutes.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Michelle! I’m sorry it sunk in the middle. It may have needed a little bit longer to bake, or if you open your oven too much to test it while baking that could cause it to fall as well. 🙂
Felicia Rearick
Can I use these recipe to create apple crumb cupcakes? If so how long should I bake?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Felicia! Yes, you can! Without trying it myself I am not certain of the exact baking time so you will need to keep an eye on it. I would reccomend to start checking them around 20 mins. I also have an apple crumb muffin recipe that you also like to try. 🙂
Felicia Rearick
I am making care packages for various people and the muffins are on the list too 😁
Sugar Spun Run
What a thoughtful and sweet gesture, Felicia! Chocolate chip muffins and Banana muffins are a few of my most-loved recipes if you need any muffin ideas. 🙂
Monique
I want to use this for a quarter sheet. would I need to double recipe?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Monique! This makes about a 2″ thick cake in a 9″ springform pan. To have the same thickness or a tad bit thicker, I would double the recipe so that it fits well in a 9″ x 13″ baking pan! I hope that you enjoy the apple crumb cake. 🙂
Rick
Incredible recipe. Easy to make and the best apple crumb cake ever….👌😎❤
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Rick! I am so glad that you enjoyed the apple crumb cake! 🙂
MELISSA ORMOND
my3 year old a myself ate this cake for breakfast until it was gone and now im gonna make it again. soooooo good!!
Sam
😂 That sounds like an awesome breakfast to me! I am so glad everyone enjoyed the apple crumb cake. 🙂
Desiree hake
Thank you for the recipes I will try them
Sugar Spun Run
You are welcome, Desiree! I hope that you enjoy the apple crumb cake. 🙂