4.94 from 32 votes

Apple Crumb Cake

By Sam MerrittUpdated Sep 23, 2024

111 Comments

Servings: 10 servings

1 hr

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.

A soft, moist, and flavorful apple crumb cake topped off with a crumbly cinnamon streusel. It makes a tasty breakfast treat or dessert, especially during fall!

Apple crumb cake cut into slices and drizzled with vanilla glaze

Apple Coffee Cake

This apple crumb cake is the fall snacking cake of your dreams! It’s infused with apples, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar for all the fall flavor. The apples add a nice touch of moisture, but I also fold in some sour cream for even more.

The result is a soft and tender crumb that contrasts beautifully with the crumbly streusel topping. Can you think of a more perfect way to use up all those apples from apple picking?

Slice of apple crumb cake drizled with vanilla glaze on a white plate

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Versatile: can be served as a cozy fall dessert, snacking cake, or breakfast cake. Also, if sweet breakfast treats are your thing, try my pumpkin pancakes next!
Warm, comforting flavor and moist, tender texture. Several readers have described it as “absolutely delicious!” and I couldn’t agree more.
Takes just a few minutes to prepare with pantry staples. It’s a great last-minute treat!
This recipe is easy! Uses melted butter for both the cake and the streusel, so there is no mixer or pastry cutter needed.

Ingredients

I carefully selected today’s ingredients to yield a perfectly dense and tender crumb. Luckily, you don’t need anything fancy–just a few simple staples will do! 🧂🧈🥚

Apples. I typically need 1-2 apples for this recipe. Make sure to peel your apples before dicing, as the peels can become quite tough when baked. I talk more about the best type of apple to use in the FAQ section below.
Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a must for this cake! It adds that warm, cozy flavor and pairs so well with the apples. A sprinkle of nutmeg would be tasty too, if you want even more spice.
Butter. We are using melted butter in this recipe. Make sure your butter isn’t too warm–I like to let it cool to the touch before adding it.
Sour cream. This adds flavor and moisture to the cake, similar to the buttermilk I add to my blueberry coffee cake.
Brown sugar. I use light brown sugar in the cake and streusel. I suppose you could use dark brown sugar or a mix of the two, but the cake will be a bit richer and sweeter if you do.

SAM’S TIP: I bake this cake in a springform pan so it stays nice and thick (springforms are deeper than traditional cake pans) and serves easily. You could try using a different pan, but you need to be mindful to not overfill it and adjust your bake time accordingly (typically less time for a larger pan and more for a smaller pan).

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Apple Crumb Cake

Mixing apples into apple crumb cake batter

First, make the batter. We start with melted butter so the entire recipe can easily be made by hand (no electric or stand mixer required). Combine the wet ingredients, then whisk together the dry ingredients, then gently fold them together.

Then add the apples. Apples should be chopped nice and small (unless you want larger, more discernible pieces) and should be gently folded in with care being taken to distribute the apples evenly but to not over-mix the batter.

SAM’S TIP: Just like when making pancakes or pumpkin bread, over-mixing can cause dense, rubbery results, so mix only as much as you must and use a spatula (not an electric mixer).

Sprinkling streusel over apple crumb cake batter in springform pan

Make and add the streusel topping. I use my easy streusel technique in which I start with melted (but not too hot!) butter and gently claw this into the rest of the streusel ingredients with a fork. Then sprinkle this easily over the apple crumb cake batter, transfer to the oven, and bake.

This streusel topping is the crown jewel, it’s crumbly, perfectly spiced and so flavorful. You might recognize it from my pumpkin coffee cake, as well as from my favorite coffee cake recipe. Perfection, I tell you.

Overhead of an apple cake in springform pan being drizzled with vanilla glaze

Make the vanilla glaze, then drizzle. The glaze comes together quickly and is essentially foolproof. If you accidentally make it to thin, add another spoonful of powdered sugar. Too thick? Add another splash of milk.

For best results, let the cake cool some before drizzling the glaze overtop or it will melt all over the cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of apple works best?

I like a more tart, firm apple like Granny Smith. Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji would also work nicely though (if you have a surplus of these from apple picking, try my fried apples next!). I don’t recommend using softer apples like McIntosh in most of my apple recipes, except for my apple butter.

Does apple crumb cake need to be refrigerated?

I recommend storing in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. If you need to store it longer, you can refrigerate or freeze (instructions below).

Can I freeze this cake?

Absolutely! I recommend wrapping the cake well in plastic wrap before placing in an airtight container and freezing for a month or two.

Can I use this recipe for muffins?

You could, but I would actually recommend you try my apple crumble muffins instead, since that recipe is designed to rise nicely in a muffin tin and is fluffier (as muffins should be!).

Slice of apple streusel cake on a plate with a forkful missing

I have several other coffee cake flavors you might enjoy, like my sour cream coffee cake and banana coffee cake.

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

This recipe was originally published in October of 2017. I’ve updated the post with new photos and made some minor tweaks to the recipe (adjusting the bake time and adding a pinch of salt).