I baked an Apple Crumble Cake with a thick cinnamon apple layer and extra crumb topping, and in the recipe I reveal a simple trick that creates the extra-thick crumb.

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I never set out to impress but this Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake always does it anyway. Ultra soft cake, warm cinnamon apples folded into thick, stubborn crumbs that kinda fall apart in the best way.

I used apples and cold unsalted butter in the topping because that contrast gives surprising texture, and yeah it makes every slice feel a little reckless. It’s my take on a Homemade Cinnamon Coffee Cake and it leans right into what you picture when you think Apple Crumb Cakes from a little bakery, but not exactly like anything you’ve had before.

You might even eat it for breakfast.

Ingredients

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Apples: Sweet tart slices bring moisture, fiber and natural sweetness, with bright zip.
All purpose flour gives structure and carbs, not much protein or fiber.
Light brown sugar adds caramel warmth, moisture and sweetness, higher in sucrose.
Granulated sugar makes it sweet and tender, pure carbs, no nutrients.
Butter gives rich flavor and tender crumb, mostly fat and calories.
Sour cream or Greek yogurt adds tang, protein and moist crumb, balances sweetness.
Cinnamon spices the cake with warm flavor, tiny antioxidants, negligible calories.
Oats or chopped nuts add chew, fiber or healthy fats, extra texture.

Ingredient Quantities

2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (240 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

3 medium apples (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled cored and thinly sliced), Granny Smith or Honeycrisp

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar for apples

2 tablespoons light brown sugar for apples

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for apples

1 tablespoon cornstarch or all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour for crumb

1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed for crumb

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar for crumb

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for crumb

1/2 teaspoon salt for crumb

3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Optional 1 cup old fashioned oats or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

How to Make this

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1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment so you can lift the cake out later, set aside.

2. Toss the peeled cored and thinly sliced apples with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; let sit while you make the rest so they release a little juice.

3. Make the crumb topping: in a bowl combine 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in the cold cubed 3/4 cup unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces. Stir in the optional 1 cup oats or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Reserve about one third to one half of this crumb mixture for the top.

4. Press the remaining crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a compact base for a thick crumb layer, set aside.

5. Whisk together the dry cake ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.

6. In another bowl cream 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy. Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and mix until combined.

7. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain, scrape the bowl well, the batter will be thick and soft. Spread the batter evenly over the pressed crumb base.

8. Spread the macerated apples over the batter in an even layer, then sprinkle the reserved crumb on top so you have a thick crumb topping. Press very lightly so crumbs stick to the apples.

9. Bake at 350F for about 45 to 55 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter. If the top browns too fast tent loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 20 to 30 minutes before lifting out and slicing. Store covered at room temp for 1 to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days, slices freeze well for up to 2 months.

Equipment Needed

1. 9×13 inch baking pan, lined with parchment for easy lifting
2. Mixing bowls (large and medium)
3. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you use grams
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (or a sturdy whisk)
5. Pastry cutter or fork for cutting cold butter into crumbs
6. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding and spreading batter
7. Sharp knife, vegetable peeler and cutting board for the apples
8. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts for safe cooling and handling

FAQ

Q: What pan should I use and how long do I bake it? A: I usually bake this in a 9×13 inch pan. Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and bake about 45 to 55 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. If you use a deeper 9 inch pan, add 10 to 15 minutes. Let it cool so the filling firms up before you slice.

Q: What apples work best and can I use frozen? A: Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are my top picks because they hold shape and give nice tart-sweet contrast. You can use other firm apples too. Frozen apples will get softer, so thaw and drain them very well and toss with the cornstarch to absorb extra juice, otherwise the cake can get soggy.

Q: How do I stop the cake from getting soggy from the apples? A: Toss the sliced apples with the lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch like the recipe says. Cut the apples thin, dont overfill the pan, and bake until fully set. Cold, cubed butter in the crumb helps absorb moisture too. If you see lots of liquid before baking, blot it off with a paper towel.

Q: Can I make this ahead or freeze it? A: Yes. Bake and cool completely. Store at room temp for up to 2 days in an airtight container, or in the fridge up to 4 days. For longer storage wrap slices tight and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and warm gently in a 300F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to revive the crumb. Microwave will make it soggy.

Q: Any easy swaps for sour cream or other ingredients? A: You can swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt 1 to 1, no problem. If you only have salted butter, cut the added salt a bit. For a gluten free version try a cup for cup GF flour but texture will be slightly different. Eggs and butter are important for structure so swaps there will change the cake a lot.

Q: How do I get big, bakery style crumbs? A: Work the cold cubed butter into the flour and sugars with a pastry cutter, two knives, or quick pulses in a food processor until you have pea to walnut sized lumps. Dont overmix, and if the kitchen is warm chill the crumb 10 minutes before topping the cake so the chunks stay chunky while baking. Adding oats or nuts also gives that bakery vibe.

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour → Cake flour (for a lighter, more tender cake). Make your own: for each cup of cake flour use 1 cup AP minus 2 tbsp, then stir in 2 tbsp cornstarch. (So per cup: AP – 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp cornstarch).
Sour cream / plain Greek yogurt → Buttermilk or milk + acid. Use 1 cup full fat buttermilk, or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar, let sit 5 minutes. For dairy free swap 1:1 with plain coconut or soy yogurt.
Unsalted butter (softened or cold) → Oils or solid plant fats. For the batter swap softened butter 1:1 with a neutral oil (canola, vegetable) for a moist, slightly denser crumb. For the crumb topping replace cold cubed butter 1:1 with cold solid coconut oil or chilled vegetable shortening, and keep it very cold so crumbs stay flaky. If you use salted butter reduce added salt by ~1/4 tsp.
Light brown sugar → Granulated + molasses or coconut sugar. If you dont have brown sugar mix 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses to make 1 cup light brown. Or use coconut sugar 1:1 for a similar caramel note, but the cake may be a bit drier.

Pro Tips

1. Use firmer apples and slice them all about the same thickness so they cook evenly, not one part mush and one part raw. If your apples are super juicy, let them sit a bit then pour off some juice into a small pan, stir in a teaspoon of cornstarch and simmer till it thickens, then toss it back with the apples so the cake doesnt get soggy.

2. For the crumb, keep the butter very cold and work it just until you still have pea sized bits, those bits make the best crunch. If you have a food processor pulse a few times, but dont overdo it or you get paste, and save a good chunk of crumbs to drop on top for texture.

3. Press the bottom crumb in firmly and consider parbaking it 8 to 10 minutes so the base sets and wont soak up too much batter. It seems extra work but the result is a cleaner slice and less of a wet bottom.

4. Watch the bake near the end, rotate the pan once if your oven has hot spots and if the top is getting too brown loosely tent with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan at least 20 to 30 minutes so the filling firms up, otherwise it will fall apart when you try to lift it out.

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

Recipe by Sammy Hunter

0.0 from 0 votes

I baked an Apple Crumble Cake with a thick cinnamon apple layer and extra crumb topping, and in the recipe I reveal a simple trick that creates the extra-thick crumb.

Servings

servings

Calories

611

kcal

Equipment: 1. 9×13 inch baking pan, lined with parchment for easy lifting
2. Mixing bowls (large and medium)
3. Measuring cups and spoons, plus a kitchen scale if you use grams
4. Electric hand mixer or stand mixer (or a sturdy whisk)
5. Pastry cutter or fork for cutting cold butter into crumbs
6. Rubber spatula and wooden spoon for folding and spreading batter
7. Sharp knife, vegetable peeler and cutting board for the apples
8. Wire cooling rack and oven mitts for safe cooling and handling

Ingredients

2 cups (250 g) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (240 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
3 medium apples (about 2 1/2 to 3 cups peeled cored and thinly sliced), Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar for apples
2 tablespoons light brown sugar for apples
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for apples
1 tablespoon cornstarch or all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour for crumb
1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, packed for crumb
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar for crumb
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon for crumb
1/2 teaspoon salt for crumb
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Optional 1 cup old fashioned oats or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Grease and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment so you can lift the cake out later, set aside.
Toss the peeled cored and thinly sliced apples with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; let sit while you make the rest so they release a little juice.
Make the crumb topping: in a bowl combine 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cut in the cold cubed 3/4 cup unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea sized pieces. Stir in the optional 1 cup oats or 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans if using. Reserve about one third to one half of this crumb mixture for the top.
Press the remaining crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan to form a compact base for a thick crumb layer, set aside.
Whisk together the dry cake ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.
In another bowl cream 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar until light and a bit fluffy. Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and mix until combined.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet just until no streaks of flour remain, scrape the bowl well, the batter will be thick and soft. Spread the batter evenly over the pressed crumb base.
Spread the macerated apples over the batter in an even layer, then sprinkle the reserved crumb on top so you have a thick crumb topping. Press very lightly so crumbs stick to the apples.
Bake at 350F for about 45 to 55 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter. If the top browns too fast tent loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack 20 to 30 minutes before lifting out and slicing. Store covered at room temp for 1 to 2 days or refrigerate up to 4 days, slices freeze well for up to 2 months.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.