Ultra soft apple crumb cake is loaded with warm cinnamon apples and extra crumb topping. A homemade version of classic New York-style crumb cake, this breakfast cake is buttery and moist, deliciously tender, and drizzled with sweet maple icing.
I originally published this recipe in 2017 and have since added new photos and more success tips.
If crumb topping is your love language, you’ve come to the right place. And if warm cinnamon apples make your mouth water, today’s your day. Finally, if soft buttery cake is your ideal indulgence, I’m your baker.
Today’s homemade apple crumb cake is like my apple cinnamon crumb muffins, apple cake, and apple cinnamon bread… but in breakfast/coffee cake form. Those are favorite seasonal recipes to make (along with pumpkin crumb cake muffins), so a cake version is a no-brainer. Readers have loved it:
One reader, Jean, commented: “One of the best crumb cakes I have ever made. The crumb topping adhered beautifully and made the cake. I also like the addition of sour cream to the cake which helped to make the cake moist, not dry like so many crumb cakes. ★★★★★“
One reader, Les, commented: “There is no other word to describe this cake than PERFECT! Tried many recipes from your site and this one is now in our top 3 best cakes… ★★★★★“
One reader, Martha, commented: “There are not enough superlatives to adequately describe this cake. Perfection. This is a keeper recipe. ★★★★★“
One reader, Sarah, commented: “THIS CAKE DESERVES WAY MORE THAN 5 STARS. Absolutely marvelous recipe… this will forever be my ‘go-to’ coffee cake recipe… the crumb topping is delightfully crunchy and is easily the best streusel I have ever had. ★★★★★“
Ingredients You Need & Why
Like my traditional coffee cake recipe, this is a butter- and sour cream-based cake, AKA the best kind of cake, and here’s what you need to make it:
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides the structure of this cake. It’s sturdy enough to support the thick batter and multiple layers of this crumb cake.
- Baking Soda + Baking Powder: Baking soda and baking powder help the cake rise.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake, and you need brown sugar for the crumb topping.
- Butter: Butter adds flavor and creates structure in the creaming process.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream gives us an extremely moist crumb cake that’s a little denser than, say, a fluffy vanilla cake. Tight crumbs, like pound cake, but with a much softer texture. Don’t remove the fat from this cake by using a lower-fat alternative. Fat = flavor! We don’t want to skimp there. This is cake!
- Eggs: 3 eggs add richness and bind the ingredients together.
- Salt + Vanilla Extract: Use both for flavor.
- Cinnamon: We can’t have crumb cake without cinnamon!
- Apples: The star of apple crumb cake, of course.
Best Apples for This Cake
Use any variety of apples you enjoy! You need about 2-3 large apples for this recipe. Personally, I love tart Granny Smith apples paired with the sweet crumb cake. If you enjoy a certain type of apple in your apple pie or apple cinnamon scones, you’ll love it here, too.
- Tart apples I love: Granny Smith, Braeburn, Jonathan, and Pacific Rose
- Sweet apples I love: Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, and Fuji
And here’s a full list of the best apples for baking.
Overview: How to Make Apple Crumb Cake
When I first tested this recipe, I mixed the apples into the cake batter (just like we do in my apple cinnamon muffins recipe). This was tasty, of course, but the pieces of apples each held a soggy outline inside the baked cake. It just… didn’t look appetizing. I found that layering the apples on top of the cake batter was best.
This gives us 3 delectable layers: a soft and buttery cake, topped with tender cinnamon-spiced apples, and then a TRUCK LOAD of crumb topping.
This apple crumb cake comes together easily.
Make the crumb topping first. Place that in the refrigerator or freezer until you need it. The colder the crumbs, the more they will hold shape in the oven.
Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until combined—the mixture may look curdled, and that’s perfectly fine. Gently mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
Toss the apple chunks with cinnamon, then spread the thick batter into a 9×13-inch pan (this size is just right for the amount of batter). I am using this pan in the photos. Scatter the apples and crumb topping evenly over the batter, pressing the crumbs down firmly so they stick.
Bake until golden and set. If the top or edges begin browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent over-baking.
Crumb Cake with Extra Crumbs
You’ll notice A LOT of ingredients in the crumb topping. Not in the number of ingredients, but in terms of the volume of ingredients… like more butter, sugar, and just as much flour as in the cake itself. Why? Because the crumb topping is the BEST PART of a CRUMB CAKE!
You’re using the same ingredients in the crumb topping as you are in the cake, so it’s an extremely convenient recipe. The gang’s all here: granulated sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and flour, plus brown sugar. Make sure some crumbles stay in larger chunks because those are the best bites.
The crumb layer is literally half the cake and I see zero problem with this! Otherwise, you might as well just make a regular apple cake (also delicious, by the way)!
Icing Options
This apple crumb cake truly doesn’t need anything on top, but if the opportunity for sweet maple icing presents itself, we’d be fools to say no. Here are some wonderful icing options for this cake:
- Maple icing from my maple cinnamon rolls (what I use)
- Vanilla icing (my go-to topping for classic coffee cake and crumb cake muffins)
- Caramel icing from my apple cinnamon rolls
- Brown butter icing from my brown butter apple blondies
And if you are looking for more fall dessert inspiration, here is a list of 30+ fall cake recipes.
Apple Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Crumb Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Delicious New York-style crumb cake with warm cinnamon apples and DOUBLE the buttery crumb topping! Make the crumb topping first, and then place it in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use. Cold crumbs hold their shape in the oven.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
Cake
- 2 and 1/2 cups (313g) all purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (375g) peeled chopped apples (about 2–3 large apples, see Note)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- optional: maple icing, vanilla icing, or caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a glass or metal 9×13-inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping: Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Using a fork, lightly mix in the flour until crumbles form. Don’t over-mix. Place in the refrigerator or freezer until you need it in step 6. Cold crumbs hold their shape in the oven.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture will look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Toss the chopped apples and cinnamon together.
- Spread the batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Top evenly with cinnamon-coated apples. Top with crumb topping. Using a silicone spatula or the back of a large spoon, press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a cooling rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Drizzle with optional icing, if desired.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare cake through step 8. Cover the cake tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, add icing if desired, and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Apple Peeler | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. I don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid—plain full-fat yogurt would work though. But don’t remove the fat from this cake by using a lower fat yogurt or sour cream alternative.
- Apples: For depth of flavor, it’s best to bake with a mix of sweet and tart apples. For this cake, I usually use about 2 large Honeycrisp apples and 1/2 of a large Granny Smith apple. For slicing, it’s best to chop the apple into thin pieces. Slice the apple, then cut each of those slices in half so you have smaller, thinner, easy-to-eat pieces. See photo above.
- Room Temperature: All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Best apple crumb cake I’ve ever made and I’ve made a lot.
Made this first time today and the cake turned out amazing but the crumb topping was hard and crispy. When I was putting the ingredients together and the topping was very moist so I added a few tbsp of flour. It wouldn’t crumble without the additional flour. Any suggestions?
Hi Amy, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. The additional flour could be the culprit here, drying out the crumble and making it hard and crispy. The topping will be moist, and you can use your fingers to help break it apart/make smaller bits of crumble. If you find the topping is browning too fast, you can also try tenting the pan with aluminum foil towards the end of bake time. We’re glad you enjoyed the cake!
Not only did this taste amazing but it’s made the whole house smell amazing too! I added more cinnamon to the apples and crumb. The cake is so moist and the maple icing tops it off. It is a monster of a cake! I will be sharing lots of this out this week.
Could I use brown butter for the crumb topping?
Hi Allie, Sure!
I’d love trying this but I want it in a 9 inch cake pan. Can you please tell me how can I adjust the measurements?
You can halve this recipe for a 9 inch cake pan. Enjoy!
Hi Queen D, did halving the recipe work for you? I too would like to prepare this in a 9″ cake pan (9.21″D x 9.29″W x 2.8″H)
How do I view my saved recipes on your new and improved site
Hi James! You can save any recipe from the recipe card or click the white heart on the lower right-hand side of the webpage to get started. You’ll be prompted to log in to your account (or sign up for one). Clicking on that heart in the lower left hand corner will save any recipe to your account. Then you can find your recipe favorites by clicking on the saved tag again, or the magnifying glass at the upper right hand of the page. Hope this helps!
Thia was yummy right out if the oven with a bit of vanilla ice cream. Made it exactly to recipe except added abt a tsp of cinnamon to batter and 2T of vanilla instead of tsp. Next time I might add nuts and cranberries.
I have a question…What are your thoughts about substituting/replacing the cinnamon with Apple Pie Spice?
That should be great!
Every recipe I’ve ever tried turns out Great! Sally is a baking treasure and I’m so happy I found her website. My first try was the snickerdoodle cupcakes. Big hit!
9×13 is too much for me. I wish you had a section for smaller recipes.
Hi Pat! You can halve this recipe for a smaller cake, we would use a 9×9 square pan. Or you may love our apple cinnamon bread!
I was not a fan of this recipe. I I would consider it more of a coffee cake than a crumb cake. The cake had a great texture but no flavor. I could not taste the apples. There just were not enough of them for the size of the cake. It did not WOW me like Sally’s recipes usually do.
I can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving. I plan to make it ahead and freeze then serve it on Thanksgiving morning. Could you please tell me the best way to defrost and serve it so it will taste the freshest? Thanks so much! I love all your recipes and depend on them for so many of our celebrations.
Hi Kathleen, we recommend freezing without the icing. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then ice once completely thawed. Feel free to serve it at room temperature or heat pieces individually in the microwave. Hope it’s a hit!
Hi Sally- is it possible to use a glass pan for this cake recipe?
Hi Jo, yes, a glass 9×13 pan is fine here!
Thanks so much for your quick response – I made the cake and it is delicious! The apple and crumb are the perfect combo, but the cake is wonderful on its own too. Many thanks to Sally and team for yet another great recipe!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Hi Kari, absolutely! See recipe Notes for details.
Oh sorry about that! Didn’t see that… lol… just made this recipe!!! It’s delicious even my husband was impressed!
There is way way too much crumb topping in this recipe for the size of the cake
Against my better judgement I used it all and as a result it weighed down the cake and it was totally raw and undercooked I had it all throw it out
Unfortunately when I took the tooth pick out I thought it was clean but when I cut the cake it was totally raw and I cooked it for the total cooking time of 55 minutes
I would use half or a little more if the topping if I decide to ever make it again
I have made this 3x & it is fabulous. I would not change a thing.
Can I use a bundt pan? Do I need to double the recipe?
Hi Lia, we haven’t tested this specific one in a Bundt pan, but you may enjoy our apple Bundt cake instead!
I loved this recipe so much and it was a huuuuge it. Do u think I can use apricot (canned) instead of apples and almond extract for cinnamon? Thanks so much for all the delicious recipes 🙂
Hi Les! I’m sure that would work just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Off the charts delicious!
Delicious! Moist and yummy. Also easy to make (besides the labour of peeling and cutting apples). Will definitely make again!
I was wondering how I could make this dairy free, instead of sour cream what could I use instead that is dairy fre please? Thank you 🙂
Hi Jo, Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. We don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid– you could try a plant-based yogurt instead. The cake may not be as moist and tender. Let us know what you try!
This cake was the bomb! Followed recipe exactly except for 4 apples instead of 2. It was so moist and delicious and the perfectly crunchy crumbs with the maple icing … amazing!
Amazing! This tastes just like the New Jersey apple crumb cake I hunt down anytime I visit the Northeast. I live for this stuff and now I’ve made one for my dad for an early Father’s Day. I did have the recipe and using 8×8 pan using one whole egg and one egg white. I did also use nonfat plain Greek yogurt and it still turned out fantastic.
This coffee cake was a HUGE hit at our family reunion this weekend! When people ask for the recipe, you know it’s a keeper! Love the recipes on this site – my first choice “Go-to-baker” every time!
Sooo good! Made this for multiple groups of people and they’ve all absolutely loved it. So delicious!
There is no other word to describe this cake than PERFECT! Tried many recipes from your site and this one is now in our top 3 best cakes. Used dark brown sugar and 4 apples. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Made this for the first time yesterday and it was amazing! Huge hit with everyone. I used Pink Lady apples because it’s what I had, and they were perfect. Thank you for this recipe!
Good recipe! I used canned cinnamon apples and it was perfect! Definitely is a monster of a cake!
I’ve made this time and again. It’s delicious. I usually halve the recipe as it’s a whopper of a cake, but sometimes when it’s for a charity cake sale or something the full size is great. So delicious.
Do you have any guidance for making this cake as mini loaves? I’d love to give these out as holiday gifts to my neighbors!
Hi Amanda! You can definitely make mini loaves from this recipe. Mini loaf pan sizes vary, so we’re unsure of the exact bake time. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.