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 moist, deliciously spiced, and drizzled with sweet maple icing.
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 breakfast indulgence, I’m your baker.
Because today we’re indulging in APPLE CRUMB CAKE! It’s your morning fall indulgence and the smart answer for breakfast, but also very acceptable for lunch, dinner, or dessert. Today’s homemade apple crumb cake is like my apple cinnamon muffins, regular apple cake, and apple cinnamon bread but in breakfast cake form. Those are favorite seasonal recipes to make (along with pumpkin crumb cake muffins), so a cake version is a no-brainer.
Speaking of cake for breakfast, have you tried my cranberry Christmas cake yet? The Also perfectly acceptable all day long… and all year long, too!
Video Tutorial
Apple Crumb Cake Ingredients
I tested this apple crumb cake a few times, changing things ever so slightly to land on this final recipe. 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 is 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.
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake.
- Butter: Butter adds flavor and provides 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.
- Eggs: Three eggs add moisture and bind the cake 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 Apple Crumb Cake
Use any variety of apples you enjoy! You need about 2 medium 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, 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
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 a soft and buttery cake, topped with soft and sweet cinnamon apples, and a TRUCK LOAD of crumb topping.
This crumb cake comes together easily:
- Make the crumb topping.
- Whisk the dry ingredients except cinnamon together.
- Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, then beat until combined. The mixture may look curdled, that’s OK.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Toss apples and cinnamon together.
- Pour batter into pan. A 9×13-inch pan works perfectly for this volume of batter.
- Top with apples and crumb topping. Press the crumb topping tightly down into the cake so it sticks.
- Bake. If you find the top and/or edges of the cake are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Top with icing.
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? 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 because it’s not crumb topping without brown sugar. 🙂 Make sure some crumbs stay in larger chunks because those are the best bites.
The crumb layer is literally over half the cake and I see zero problem with this!
Icing Options
This apple crumb cake truly doesn’t need an accessory on top, but if the opportunity for sweet maple icing presents itself, we’d be fools to say no! Here are some icing options:
- Maple icing from my maple cinnamon rolls (what I used!)
- Vanilla icing (my go-to topping for classic coffee cake)
- Caramel icing from my apple cinnamon rolls
And if you are looking for more fall dessert inspiration, here is a list of 30+ fall cake recipes.
PrintApple Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes (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!
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
- 2 cups (250g) peeled chopped apples (about 2 medium apples)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- maple icing, vanilla icing, or caramel icing from apple cinnamon rolls
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 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 overmix.
- 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 smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may 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 apples. Top with crumb topping. Using a rubber 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 wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Top with icing, if desired. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare cake through step 7. 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) | Rubber 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. Fat = flavor! We don’t want to skimp there.
- 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.
Keywords: apple crumb 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)
Think this could use 1-2 cups more apple. Sadly apples were barely noticeable beneath the topping which is great.
★★★
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.
I had bought some granny apples not planning on baking pie but they were beauties and cheap. Had sour cream I needed to use. Google me sour cream apple cake and the rest is history. There are not enough superlatives to adequately describe this cake. Perfection. This is a keeper recipe. Thank you Sally.
★★★★★