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    Cooking Gorgeous » Recipes » World Cuisine

    Easy Apple Crumb Cake

    Published: Oct 26, 2022 by Ayla Clulee · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Easy Apple Crumb Cake is the perfect fall dessert loaded with cinnamon, walnuts, and delicious cooking apples. Just like Fresh Fig Cake Recipe, it is extremely easy to make from scratch and is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or afternoon snacks. 

    Whether you serve this buttery cake warm with a scoop of ice cream or at room temperature with a dollop of vanilla custard, the whole family will fall in love with it!

    a slice of apple crumb cake
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How To Make Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake?
    • Top Tips From the Chef
    • How to Serve Apple Crumble Cake?
    • Storage Instructions
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Easy Apple Crumb Cake

    This buttery and warm Apple Crumb Cake is made with three different layers.

    A moist and soft sponge cake base, slices of cooking apples, and a crunchy crumble topping loaded with walnuts and cinnamon. It's a feast for all of the senses and is perfect for enjoying alongside a cup of coffee.

    If you enjoy apple dessert recipes, you might want to check out my other simple yet delicious recipes such as Apple and Blueberry Crumble, Apple Crisp without Oats, and Apple and Blackberry Pie.

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • This Apple Crumble Cake is very easy to make with step-by-step instructions and pictures.
    • Same as Orange Cranberry Muffins and Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins, you can have them as a coffee cake for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or as a pudding after dinner.
    • It is versatile. You can use other fruits or berries if you don't have any apples available. Or you can replace the walnuts with other nuts such as almonds, pistachio nuts, pecans, or hazelnuts.
    • The leftovers freeze beautifully. Slice any leftover Apple Crumb Cake, wrap them individually, and keep them in the freezer for up to three months.

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.

    labelled picture of ingredients for easy apple crumble cake

    Best Apples For Apple Crumble Cake

    It is often difficult to choose the right one among hundreds of varieties. For this recipe, I recommend using slightly sour cooking apples such as Braeburn, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Bramley, and Cox's. I sometimes use Gala apples for extra sweetness and some texture.

    The type of apples you want to use depends on how sweet or sour you want your Apple Crumble Cake. Simply make sure you pick the apples that don't fall apart when cooking.

    • Sugar -  I use caster sugar but granulated sugar, light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar would be great too. The amount of sugar given in the recipe works perfectly for the apples I used in this recipe. Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste and the apples you are using.
    • Eggs - Use fresh free-range eggs at room temperature.
    • Unsalted butter - This Apple Crumb Cake recipe requires soft unsalted butter at room temperature.
    • All Purpose Flour - Also known as plain flour. It is perfect for making cakes, cookies, pastries, and thickening sauces. You can use self-raising flour instead and leave the baking powder out.

    Ingredients For Crunchy Cinnamon Crumb Topping

    Labelled picture of ingredients for the crumble
    • Walnuts - Baking with nuts is a great way to add flavor and texture to your crumble. Use pecan nuts, hazelnuts, or almonds if you prefer. Lightly toast them for a more intense flavor before adding them to your baked goods.
    • Cinnamon - I love adding cinnamon to apples to intensify the flavor. You can omit it or use vanilla instead.
    • Butter - Melted butter works better for the crumble mixture with this Apple Crumb Cake recipe.

    How To Make Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake?

    It is very easy to make this moist and buttery coffee cake and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

    Prepare the Sponge

    Preheat the oven to 175° C (350° F) and lightly coat a 23 cm (9") springform pan with butter or nonstick spray.

    Beat softened butter with sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, for about 4 to 5 minutes.

    sugar and soft butter are beaten until fluffy

    Lower the speed to medium-low, add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract, and keep whisking until fully incorporated.

    the eggs are added to beaten butter and sugar

    Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder and gently fold them with a spatula into the wet ingredients until nicely combined, without overmixing them. 

    dry ingredients are gently folded into wet ingredients

    Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform cake pan.

    cake batter is poured into the cake tin

    Peel and core the apples using an apple corer to make the job easier! Cut the apples in half, then slice them thinly.

    peeled, cored and sliced apples for making crumble

    Evenly distribute thinly sliced apples on top of the batter. Set it aside and start preparing the crumb mixture to cover the top of the cake.

    sliced apples are scattered on top of cake batter

    Prepare the Crumble

    Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stove and let it cool down for a few minutes. Combine the melted butter with sugar, cinnamon, and flour, and mix until it forms a crumbly mixture.

    butter, sugar, cinnamon and flour are mixed in a bowl to form a crumble

    Add the chopped walnuts into the crumble mixture and mix until combined.

    chopped walnuts are added to the crumble

    Cover the top of the apples with the buttery crumble.

    apples are covered with crumble mixture

    Bake it for 45-50 minutes or until the crumble looks golden brown and the cake is fully cooked. 

    apple crumb cake is baked until the crumble is golden brown

    Let it rest for an hour to cool down before serving.

    a slice of apple crumble cake

    Top Tips From the Chef

    • Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature before using them for making the cake.
    • When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, do not use an electric whisk as it will cause the cake to be denser and less spongy.
    • Make sure to measure the flour correctly using an electronic scale. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife to avoid overfilling the measuring cup.
    • Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste, and the type of apples you are using for your cake.
    • Every oven is different, so you may need to adjust the cooking time and let it cook a bit longer if needed.

    How to Serve Apple Crumble Cake?

    Just as Easy Puff Pastry Apple Pie and Apple and Blackberry Pie, you can serve this delightfully light and buttery apple cake with a scoop of Homemade Turkish Ice Cream - Maras Dondurma when it is still warm and fresh out of the oven.

    Or you can drizzle on caramel or maple syrup if you fancy some extra sweetness.

    Homemade vanilla custard, heavy cream, or a dollop of cream/Kaymak (clotted cream) is perfect if you want to serve this coffee cake as a dessert after dinner.

    Storage Instructions

    To store the leftovers, allow them to cool down completely, then slice and wrap each individual portion with cling film.

    They will remain fresh for up to two days at room temperature, for up to five days when refrigerated, or for up to three months in the freezer.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I replace apples with other fruits?

    Yes, you can use other fruits or berries such as pears, plums, peaches, apricots, raspberries, or quince.

    How do I know when the cake is fully baked?

    Insert a toothpick or a cake tester into the middle of the cake.
    If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the cake is ready. Overbaking can result in a dry cake.

    Can I make this cake ahead of time?

    Yes, you can prepare the cake in advance. Store it in an airtight container or cover it well with plastic wrap.
    It should stay fresh for a couple of days at room temperature or longer when refrigerated.

    Related Recipes

    For more scrumptious fall desserts why not try:

    • a slice of Russian honey cake
      Medovik - Russian Honey Cake
    • dark chocolate mousse recipe
      Mousse au Chocolat - French Chocolate Mousse
    • sticky toffee pudding
      Easy Sticky Toffee Pudding
    • apple and blackberry pie with lattice top
      Apple and Blackberry Pie

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delectable Easy Apple Crumble Cake as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂 

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!

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    Easy Apple Crumb Cake

    Ayla Clulee
    Easy Apple Crumb Cake is the perfect fall dessert loaded with cinnamon, walnuts, and delicious cooking apples.
    5 from 2 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 45 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, british, Western
    Servings 10 portions
    Calories 521 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 kitchen scale
    • 1 measuring spoons
    • 1 Measuring cups
    • 1 9" springform cake tin

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the Sponge

    • 165 g soft butter (at room temperature)
    • 240 g caster or granulated sugar
    • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
    • 180 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ⅓ teaspoon salt
    • 2 medium apples

    For The Crumble

    • 180 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
    • 90 g melted butter
    • 60 g caster or granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
    • 75 g chopped walnuts

    Instructions
     

    Preparing The Sponge Base

    • Preheat the oven to 175° C (350° F) and lightly coat a 23 cm (9") springform cake tin with butter or nonstick spray.
    • Beat softened butter with sugar until light and fluffy, for about 4 to 5 minutes.
    • Add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla, and keep whisking until fully incorporated.
    • Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder and gently fold them into the wet ingredients until nicely combined, without overmixing them.
    • Pour the cake batter into the pan.
    • Peel and core the apples using an apple corer to make the job easier! Cut the apples in half, then slice them thinly.
    • Evenly distribute sliced apples on top of the batter. Set it aside and start preparing the crumble to top the cake.

    Preparing The Crumble

    • Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stove and let it cool down for a few minutes.
    • Combine the melted butter with sugar, cinnamon, and flour, and mix until it forms a crumbly mixture.
    • Add the chopped walnuts into the crumble mixture and mix until combined.
    • Cover the apples with the crumble and cook it for 45-50 minutes or until the crumble looks golden brown and the cake is fully cooked. 

    Video

    Notes

    • Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature before using them for making the cake.
    • When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, do not use an electric whisk as it will cause the cake to be denser and less spongy.
    • Make sure to measure the flour correctly using an electronic scale. However, if you don’t have a scale, be sure to fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife to avoid overfilling the measuring cup.
    • Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste, and the type of apples you are using for your cake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 521kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 8gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 328mgPotassium: 136mgFiber: 2gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 741IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cookingorgeous or tag #cookingorgeous!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Claire

      December 08, 2022 at 5:37 am

      5 stars
      This is the best apple crumb cake recipe ever! This is added to my recipe book. I followed the recipe to the letter. No modifications needed. It’s perfect.

      Reply
      • Kkrathish

        September 06, 2023 at 1:46 pm

        Are the sugar used in this recipe powdered

        Reply
        • Ayla Clulee

          September 06, 2023 at 2:21 pm

          It is caster or granulated sugar. Hope this helps!

          Reply
    5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Welcome to Cooking Gorgeous, where delicious easy-to-follow recipes and culinary inspiration await you! My name is Ayla Clulee, a passionate and professional Cordon Bleu-trained chef, recipe developer, and food content creator with decades of experience. I am based in the UK, and I'm thrilled to have you here.

    The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy.

    More about me →

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