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Easy enough for everyday baking, Apple Crumb Cake has a tender cake base topped with cinnamon apples and buttery brown sugar crumbs. Serve it for breakfast or dessert.
This easy apple cinnamon crumb cake has a soft, buttery texture and comes together in under an hour with simple ingredients and no special equipment. Add a drizzle of icing or maple syrup before serving if you like.
Other easy desserts worth adding to your baking list include Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, and Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.
What Makes This Cake a Favorite
- No special equipment needed. The batter and crumb topping can be mixed by hand with basic baking tools.
- Ready in under an hour. With a 30-35 minute bake time, this cake works well when you want a homemade dessert without a long wait.
- Works for different occasions. Serve it with coffee for breakfast or brunch, enjoy a slice as an afternoon snack, or add ice cream for dessert.
Apple Crumb Cake Ingredients
- Apples: Granny Smith apples provide a tart contrast to the sweet crumb topping. Gala apples, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Fuji also work if you prefer a sweeter apple.
- All-Purpose Flour: You’ll need flour for both the cake and crumb topping. For accurate measuring, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off the top.
- Butter: Melted butter helps keep the cake tender and gives the crumb topping its rich texture. Unsalted butter works best here.
- Granulated and Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar works well for the cake, while brown sugar gives the crumb topping a richer flavor and softer texture.
- Milk: Full-fat milk adds moisture to the batter and contributes to a softer cake texture.
- Cinnamon and Salt: Cinnamon adds warm spice to the apples and crumb topping. Salt helps balance the sweetness.
*See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Apple Crumb Cake
Step 1: Prepare the apple crumb cake topping. Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Stir the melted butter into the mixture, then gently mix in the flour until crumbles form. Set aside.
Note: Don’t overmix the crumb topping. Too much mixing can break down the larger crumbs and give the topping a finer texture.
Step 2: Preheat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
Step 3: Combine the dry ingredients. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until no lumps remain.
Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl until combined.
Step 5: Make the cake batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
Step 6: Season the apples. Toss the diced apples with the cinnamon in a small bowl until evenly coated.
Step 7: Add the apples. Spread the cinnamon-coated apples evenly over the top of the cake batter.
Step 8: Sprinkle the crumb topping. Distribute the prepared crumb topping evenly over the apples. If you feel like it’s too much for you, you can reduce the amount of crumb topping to your preference.
Step 9: Bake the cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Step 10: Cool the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing.
Ways to Switch It Up
Add nuts to the crumb topping: Mix chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumb topping for added texture.
Try different spices: Add a little apple pie spice, nutmeg, ginger, or allspice along with the cinnamon for a different spice blend.
Add a vanilla glaze: Drizzle a simple glaze made with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract over the cooled baked cake for extra sweetness.
Try maple icing: Drizzle maple icing over the cooled cake for a maple flavor that pairs well with the apples and cinnamon.
Tips for Making Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
- Cut the apples into even pieces. Keep the diced apples around the same size to help them soften evenly and prevent firm pieces in the finished cake.
- Keep some crumbs larger. Leave a few larger pieces in the crumb topping. They add more texture and give the topping a better contrast with the soft cake.
- Cover the cake if it browns too quickly. Loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil if the crumb topping starts getting too dark before the center is done.
- Rotate the pan if needed. Turn the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots. This helps the apple crumb cake bake and brown more evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Granny Smith apples are a great choice because they add a little tartness to balance the sweet crumb topping, but you can also use your favorite apple variety. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, and Fuji are all good options.
No. You can leave the peel on for this apple crumb cake recipe. Just dice the apples into even pieces before tossing them with cinnamon.
Serve it on its own or pair it with vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce. Coffee or tea also pairs well with a slice.
Insert a toothpick into the center after about 30 minutes. The cake is ready when the toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover Apple Crumb Cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
To reheat, warm individual slices in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes, or microwave for 10-15 seconds until warmed through.
Want More Delicious Desserts?
- Quick No-Bake Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
- Easy Crème Brûlée Recipe
- Double Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Funfetti Baked Oats Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls With Heavy Cream
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and rate the recipe! Also follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on Facebook |Instagram |Pinterest for all of my latest social posts and recipes.
Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
For the Cake
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 ½ cups apples, diced
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Stir the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then gently mix in the flour until crumbles form. Set aside.Note: Don’t overmix the crumb topping. Too much mixing can break down the larger crumbs and give the topping a finer texture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until no lumps remain.
- Whisk the melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk in a medium bowl until combined.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan.
- Toss the diced apples with the cinnamon in a small bowl until evenly coated.
- Spread the cinnamon-coated apples evenly over the top of the cake batter.
- Distribute the prepared crumb topping evenly over the apples.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing.
Hi-If I double the size for this apple cake, should I use a bigger pan than the 9X13?