This Apple Crumb Cake is the perfect fall treat! Featuring spiced apples, an extra thick crumb layer, and a tender cake, the easy homemade caramel sauce drizzled on top makes it taste even better!
Apple Crumb Cake
Fall is finally here in Colorado, and I am hoping it will stick around for a while because I am not ready for winter, lol!
Things are still really really busy around these parts. I thought for sure once school started I could get back into a routine. BAH, I was wrong! My husband decided to start up his own business in September, and I couldn’t be more proud of him for taking that leap.
So while that’s been keeping him (and, I’ll be honest, us!) busy, I’ve been working on some new fall desserts like this apple crumb cake with caramel glaze. And what screams fall more than apples and caramel? It also has a nice thick layer of crumble on top — one of my favorite parts!
My apple crumble cake is also super easy to make, trust me. There are a few steps involved, but I promise they’re all very straightforward!
A few of my other favorite fall-time desserts include Homemade Banana Pudding Cups, Caramel Apple Pecan Cake, and my Skillet Blondie with Bourbon Caramel Pecans… try those next!
Why You’ll Love Apple Cake with Crumble
- Full of fall flavors
- Made with simple ingredients
- Ready in just over 1 hour
- Perfect for entertaining
- …or to keep at home for yourself!
Key Ingredients to Make Apple Crumble Cake
- APPLES – You can use any apple you like to eat for apple cake with crumble! I like all apples and just prefer to use what is on sale. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Jazz, Gala, and Fuji are all good choices.
- SUGAR – I went with regular granulated sugar for the cake, and brown sugar for the caramel and topping.
- FLOUR – All-purpose flour works just fine for this apple crumb cake recipe. You’ll need it for the topping and the cake batter.
- BAKING POWDER & BAKING SODA – Leavening agents that will help the cake rise.
- BUTTER – You need it for every component of your apple crumble cake! Make sure it’s melted for the streusel and the batter.
- SPICES – Cinnamon and allspice flavor the spiced apples, and you’ll also add more cinnamon to the crumble.
- BUTTERMILK – Needed to activate the baking soda!
- HEAVY CREAM – For the homemade caramel. I wouldn’t recommend replacing with milk or even half-and-half — you want the heavier fat content here.
- EGG – The final key ingredient for the cake batter.
- VANILLA – You’ll add it to the crumb, cake, and caramel.
Instruction to Make My Apple Crumb Cake Recipe
MAKE THE TOPPING: Combine the crumble ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
COOK THE SPICED APPLES: Heat a large skillet over medium then add the butter and apples. Allow to cook until tender before adding the sugar and spices. Simmer until thickened and set aside.
PREPARE THE CAKE: Preheat your oven and grease your desired baking pan. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the wet ingredients until just combined.
ASSEMBLE & BAKE: Spread half of the cake batter into your prepared pan and top with the spiced apples and 3/4 cup of the crumble. Top with the remaining cake batter and crumb and bake for 35-40 minutes.
MAKE THE CARAMEL: While the cake cools, heat the caramel ingredients in a small saucepan over medium. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then let cool for 5 minutes before using.
SERVE: Drizzle the cooled apple crumb cake in the caramel glaze before serving it with some vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
FAQ
The base of most crumbles is a mixture of butter, sugar, and flour. All recipes will be slightly different, but my apple crumb cake topping is made with flour, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
Crumb cake tends to be denser and boasts a more indulgent and rich crumble topping. Coffee cake is typically on the lighter side and doesn’t feature as much topping. That said, they are definitely super similar!
It doesn’t necessarily need to be refrigerated, but your apple cake with crumble will last a few extra days if you store it in the fridge.
If the topping on your caramel apple crumb cake isn’t as crispy or crunchy as you’d like, you probably didn’t bake it for long enough! Be sure to leave it in the oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the crumble is golden-brown.
Caramel Apple Crumb Cake Pro Tips
- When choosing your apples, know you’ll get the best flavor if you use a few different varieties! My all-time favorites are Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith, but you can use your preference.
- To save time you can prep the apples the night before. After cooking and seasoning them, let them cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. This extra time will actually make them even more flavorful!
- Another note on apples… don’t overcook them! They can go from nice and soft to overly mushy very quickly. Ideally, you want them to keep a bit of a bite so they become tender-crisp.
- Cool the topping slightly before using. This will help it hold its shape and keep it from melting into the cake batter. That’s why I make it first — it has plenty of time to cool down while you work on the apples and cake.
- My apple crumb cake is freezer-friendly. Just skip the caramel topping before freezing and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before drizzling with caramel topping.
More Apple Desserts To Try
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this apple cake with crumble!
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Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
CRUMB (STREUSEL) TOPPING:
- 1½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (145g) packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup (113g) butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
SPICED APPLES:
- 3 cups (300g) thinly sliced, peeled apples (about 2 large)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼-½ teaspoon ground allspice
CAKE:
- 1½ cups (180g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (110g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (56g) butter, melted
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ½ cup (118ml) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
CARAMEL GLAZE:
- ¼ cup (56g) butter
- ¼ cup (45g) packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Instructions
CRUMB (STREUSEL) TOPPING:
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add melted butter and vanilla. Stir with a fork to combine. Set aside.
SPICED APPLES:
- In a large skillet cook apples in the butter over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice. Simmer, uncovered until slightly thickened (about 30-60 seconds). Set aside.
CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch square or round baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add melted butter, egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir just until combined.
- Spread ½ of the batter in prepared baking pan. Top with spiced apples and ¾ cup of the reserved crumb topping. Top with remaining batter by dropping batter in small mounds and carefully spreading. It will not cover the entire top of the cake and that's ok. Sprinkle with remaining crumb topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean with no wet cake batter.
- Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Serve with caramel glaze.
CARAMEL GLAZE:
- In a small saucepan heat the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 1 minute without stirring.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt. Let stand 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Notes
- For the best flavor when baking with apples choose a couple different varieties. A few of my favorite apples to bake with are Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Jazz.
- Freezer Friendly: Just skip the caramel topping before freezing and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before drizzling with caramel topping.
Nutrition
This post was originally part of the A Fall Festival Blog Hop, a week during which a huge group of amazingly creative bloggers shared different fall themes… one for every day.
If you’re hopping over from Cherished Bliss, welcome! I’m so glad you stopped by!
Now be sure to hop on over to Love In My Oven for some more fall fun!
Mantles on Monday
Joy In Our Home | County Road 407 | Poofing the Pillows |
Follow The Yellow Brick Home | City Girl Meets Farm Boy
Tablescapes on Tuesday
The Latina Next Door | My Creative Days | Elizabeth Joan Designs |
The Crowned Goat | Farmhouse Flare Designs
Recipes on Wednesday
Cherished Bliss | Countryside Cravings | Love In My Oven |
Chocolate with Grace | Making It In The Mountains
Vignettes on Thursday
anderson + grant | DIY Beautify | Timeless Creations |
The Painted Hinge | Rain & Pine
Front Porches on Friday
Lantern Lane Designs | Little Brags | Chatfield Court
Camelot Art Creations | R and R at Home
I am so glad I found this recipe! I was searching last minute for a take on Irish apple cake to bring to an early st Patrick’s day dinner. The recipe has several steps but they’re simple enough that my 4 year old was able to help me! I did brown the butter for the cake and crumb topping (because browned butter makes everything better) but otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
It was a HUGE hit at dinner, warm with ice cream and hot caramel sauce. Everybody was raving about it! Thank you thank you. And the leftovers were so perfect with coffee for breakfast this morning. I will be making this cake again!
Thank you so much Alexa!! So glad you liked the cake!
Delicious. Loved it~
Thank you very much Grandma!! So glad you liked it!!
Great recipe, well done!
Thank you very much!! I really appreciate it!