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This easy Apple Crumble Cake recipe is a sweet, crumbly, and delicious fruit dessert that you can make on a cool Fall day to use up the rest of those apples lying around! With a cinnamon-sugar topping and moist, fluffy texture, this apple cake is comfort food at its best.
Quick Recipe Overview
WHAT: A very simple apple cake with a thin cake layer + a crumbled topping.
WHY: Another quick & delicious recipe for the fall apple season!
HOW: Whip up the cake batter, fold in chopped apples, and top with crumbs & bake.
Jump to RecipeTable of Contents
Why I Love Making Apple Crumble Cake
Fall just beckons all of the apple and pumpkin recipes, don’t you agree? And if you have an apple tree, you know you need a whole bunch of great apple recipes to use up the bounty that comes with apple harvest. Or maybe you’re just an apple lover like I am! This recipe gives you every excuse to get a big bag of them at the store.
Something about a crumb cake with its buttery crumble just makes me so very happy. I think it’s that moist, spongey cake bottom layer combined with the sweet and lightly cinnamon-y crumbly, crunchy topping. I mean, that is pure heaven if you ask me. Plus, it’s a way to sneak fresh produce into a baked goodie!
🩷 Melissa
Looking for an alternative to good old apple pie? Apple crumb cake is a lovely and delicious pastry that comes together easily and makes the perfect post-dinner sweet treat.
It’s delicious for breakfast, dessert, or a snack, really just any time of day! You can serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, and it’s over-the-top yummy with caramel sauce drizzled on top.
It fills your home with a wonderful aroma and allows you to enjoy a homemade treat that’s made with love.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter – melted
- Applesauce – unsweetened
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour – whole wheat or all-purpose
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Apples – use fresh or canned
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Apple Crumble Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 cups apple, chopped and peeled, fresh or canned
For the crumb topping:
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F., and butter the bottom and sides of a jelly roll pan (mine is 10×15 inches).
- Add the butter, applesauce, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, and beat until well mixed.
- Add the flour to the bowl, and then sprinkle the baking powder and cinnamon over the top. Mix together on low speed until combined.
- Fold in the apples. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- For the crumb topping: Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the melted butter and stir.
- Add the flour, and stir to make a dough that resembles the consistency of cookie dough.
- Take the "dough" in your hands, break off pea-sized crumbles, and drop them on top of the cake batter. Evenly distribute all of the crumb topping over the cake batter in this manner. Don't press or pat the crumb pieces into the cake, just let them rest where they fall.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, until the cake springs back when slightly touched.
- Allow the cake to cool for several hours before serving. Store by lightly covering with a towel, too tight of a covering makes the crumb topping go soft.
Notes
- You can make this in a 9×13-inch pan for a thicker cake, but it’ll take at least twice as long to bake. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
- Keep ingredients like eggs and dairy at room temperature for a smoother batter and better texture. (Normally I recommend the same for butter but this recipe uses melted butter.)
- Use lemon juice to prevent browning. It also adds a tang to the flavor.
Nutrition
How To Make Apple Crumble Cake With a Streusel Topping
Step 1: Beat butter, applesauce, and sugar together until mixture is light and fluffy.
Step 2: Mix in eggs, then add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
Step 3: Fold in the apples, spread the batter into the prepared pan, and prepare the crumb topping.
Step 4: Evenly distribute all of the crumb topping over the cake batter in this manner. Bake 23-26 minutes.
FAQs for Apple Crumb Cake
Cover your crumb cake with foil or a towel after it’s cooled completely, but don’t cover it too tightly. The light covering will keep it moist without being too moist, and it’ll stay fresh for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Cakes often sink in the middle when the batter is over-beaten, which incorporates too much air that later collapses while baking. Opening the oven door too early while it’s baking can also cause cake to fall because the batter still isn’t set, as can closing the oven door too hard.
Crumb cakes consist of two parts: the cake on the bottom, and the crumb topping. This recipe’s cake portion is made of butter, unsweetened applesauce, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and of course, peeled and chopped apples. The topping consists of sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, and flour.
My Best Tips for Making Apple Crumb Cake
- Good quality butter will improve the flavor of the cake and the crumb topping. Use unsalted butter to control the saltiness of your cake.
- A good way to check if the cake is done is to insert a toothpick into the center until it comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
- Another option is to make this in a 9×13-inch cake pan for a thicker cake, but be prepared for it to take at least twice as long to bake.
- If you like vanilla flavoring, add up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter when adding the eggs. It’s just a subtle flavor but it’s really good!
- I like using a mix of tart and sweet apples when using fresh apples – Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples are all great for this recipe.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Cover your crumb cake with foil or a towel after it’s cooled completely, but don’t cover it too tightly. The light covering will keep it moist without being too moist, and it’ll stay fresh for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Don’t cover it with plastic wrap – that’s too airtight and it won’t keep well!
This cake can be eaten at room temperature, but if you’d like to warm it up, just reheat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it’s warm.
More Deliciious Cake Recipes To Try
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Never mind! I see the eggs… Duh! 🙂
Ha! You were fast, I thought I just missed them. 🙂
Looks good! Are there not any eggs in this?
I’m so glad you asked… YES there are eggs! It’s a old recipe, but one that I really like, and I didn’t even notice that typo. You should add 2 eggs. I added that to the ingredients and instructions. Thanks so much for pointed that out!
hmmm… no guilt… So, I guess I’ll be making these then 🙂
Your recipes are starting to haunt me! YUM! I can’t keep up with you! Amazing.