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
An easy apple crumb cake with a streusel topping and a simple vanilla glaze.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar tightly packed (50g)
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream (120g)
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (156g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups diced, peeled apples (165g) (this was about 1 1/2 apples for me)
Streusel Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar tightly packed (150g)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons butter melted
Vanilla Glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (65g)
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and lightly grease and flour a 9" springform pan.
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Combine melted butter and sugars in a large bowl and stir until well-combined
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Add eggs and vanilla extract, stir well
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Stir in sour cream.
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In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
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Using a spatula, gradually add dry ingredients and wet and stir until just combined-- do not over-mix!
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Fold in apple pieces and pour batter evenly into prepared pan. Set aside and prepare your streusel.
Streusel
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Prepare the crumble by whisking together flour, sugars and cinnamon.
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Pour the melted butter into the mixture and, using a fork, stir until crumbles form. Evenly sprinkle streusel over batter.
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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
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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.
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Drizzle over cooled cake. Allow glaze to harden, slice, and enjoy!
Lindsay says
Easy, Beautiful, & Delicious!!! So glad I tried it!
Sam says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the cake, Lindsay!! 🙂
donna l ledger says
do you have to use a springform pan or will a cake pan work as well?
Sam says
As long as the cake pan is deep enough it will work!
Rosemarie Mcfadden says
I just took this fabulous cake out of the oven to cool. This cake is very moist and tastes terrific. Hubby loves it with a cold glass of goats milk. Thanks for such a great recipe and it’s definitely a keeper.
Sam says
So happy to hear it was such a hit! <3
Joanne says
The cake looks delicious straight out of the oven. Serving for a brunch. I added some walnuts. Spring foam is a must it rises all the way to the top.