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
Just made this wonderful apple crumble cake for part (ahem!) of our breakfast today. Followed directions, weighed ingredients. Another great recipe Sally.
One small confusion I had with the directions was for the crumble. With melted butter, after I added the flour it was a thick paste not a loose crumble. I moved on to making the cake. By the time a was ready to use the crumble, it was cooled and fairly firm. I broke it up with a fork into bits and sprinkled the loose crumble goodness on top. It all baked perfectly.
If one wants a strong apple flavor, maybe add 50%-100% more apple. It’s fine as is though with a nice hint of apple.
Thank you!
Terrific! A wower! I,too, doubled the apples to 4. Perfect.
I decided to try this recipe (+ the suggested maple icing) for a Thanksgiving breakfast potluck at work because it was so easy to throw together and wow this was such a hit! I liked it so much I decided to make it again Thanksgiving morning for the family could enjoy with their morning coffee while cooking and everyone decided this should become a new Thanksgiving tradition.
This recipe is great as is, but I made a couple tweaks the second time I made it. First, I added another apple and chopped it more coarsely to get more of a pronounced apple layer (I chopped it into smaller cubes the first time and thought it got a bit lost in the crumb). Second, added buffalo trace bourbon for a fun and festive kick! Mixed a tablespoon or so in with the apples and cinnamon before anything else and let that marinate while the rest of the cake was made. I also added bourbon in the icing, just reduced the milk to keep the liquid ratio consistent. This was faaaantastic!! Adding more apple and some liquid in the apple layer makes it harder to get a consistent bake as the outside edges were more overdone while the middle could have baked longer. Will try baking with foil around the edge and at a reduced temp for longer next time but you can be sure I will be baking this for many years to come!
Thank you!!
Everyone loved this! May I have your thoughts on using the crumb topping in apple pie for Thanksgiving ( or any time)
Hi Dee, so glad this was a hit! We aren’t sure this crumb topping would be the right texture for pie, but here’s our apple crumble pie recipe!
This recipe is amazing. Used 3 apples and added the topping after 25 minutes of baking. This is my favorite crumb cake. Will not make another!!! Absolutely wonderful!! Husband loved it. He asked me to make this regularly for him
Hi Sally! Love this recipe so much! Been baking it over the years. I was wondering… could I make this cake into a bundt cake?
Hi Mj R, we haven’t tested this specific one in a Bundt pan, but you may enjoy our apple Bundt cake instead!
My husband wanted an apple cake as a change from our typical apple pies in the fall. I found this, but because I’m gluten intolerant, decided to try the recipe using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF flour instead. I didn’t tell him I’d done that when serving the cake, and he was blown away with the flavor! Awesome recipe!!
This was amazing! I didn’t have sour cream so I used full fat Greek yogurt. I also used gluten free flour. The texture was amazing as was the flavor. I was nervous about the apples sinking but they didn’t and it looked just like the pictures. Next time I’m going to double the apples!
Delicious! If I make this again (which seems very likely) I’ll add an extra apple as the apple flavor gets lost in the cake. You really only need 1/2 of the crumb topping unless you want a MASSIVE layer of crumb. I think I used about 3/4 of the topping and it’s so much. Great recipe, cake is fluffy and moist, I just have a couple adjustments I’d make to have it suit my tastes better.
This apple crumb cake is absolutely delicious! I used gluten free flour and made 1/2 of the crumb mixture which was just the right amount for my husband and me. I did cut cold butter into the crumb mixture with a dough blender/cutter, rather than using melted butter. Also, as suggested by other people, I put the crumb topping on the cake about half way through the baking time. I look forward to sharing this cake at our friends’ party later today.
Was excited to try this recipe, but a bit disappointed in the topping. It was 1/2” thick and falling off when the cake is sliced. May be better if divided??
Can’t really tell there are apples in it. May try doubling apples and placing half of apples and topping over half the batter and repeating layers. The cake itself is nice, just wouldn’t realize there were apples in this if I hadn’t made it!
Hi. Does this cake freeze well? Love all of your recipes that I’ve tried so far! Thank you!
Hi Janet, yes, this cake will freeze well for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature, add icing if desired, and serve.
Have you tried doubling the recipe for 11×14 jelly roll size pan? Thoughts?
I’ve made this apple cake a few times and it’s always a big hit.
But I find myself with a crate of blueberries… Do you think I could substitute the apple for blueberries in this recipe?
Hi Tracy, we can’t see why not! Let us know if you do give it a try.
Worked perfectly! I coated the blueberries in cinnamon just like I would have with the apple pieces. The only thing I did differently was gently fold the blueberries into the cake batter instead of putting them on top.
This cake was a hit. I live in a condo building and shared the cake with others! I’m asked to make it again!
I’d love to use the streusel top on an apple pie! Please give your thoughts
Sally,
I love all of your recipes, but I live in a small apartment and the stoves here are less than useful in many instances, ie baking. The oven is small and I cannot fit a 9×13 size pan into the oven and if I slide the pan in the long way the cakes won’t bake evenly. Any suggestions-can I use a slightly smaller baking pan or dish?
Hi Linda, for this particular recipe, you can halve it for a smaller cake. We would use a 9×9 square pan, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Enjoy!
Hi Sally! This is a delicious recipe. Do you think the same recipe could be made with peaches?
Without a doubt! Same amount.
Best apple crumb recipe! I have a problem trying to scale down as I only have a small oven that only takes 8 & 9″ square pans. I’ve tried 60% and it didn’t quite work – Any help would be really appreciated!
Hi Amela, check out this page on cake pan sizes and conversions for some help with this!
Done! Two 9×9″ it will be! Many thanks!
An 8 x 8″ pan would be closer in area and volume to 1/2 of a 9 x 13″ pan.
This recipe is beyond delicious. All the recipes on this site are terrific. I make this for all sorts of occasions. The crumb to cake ratio is insanely naughty. I do double the apples to four apples, though.
Very nice recipe, used feijoa, strained so not so much juice. Went down a treat
The cake was great. I added an extra apple. The crumb topping, not my favorite. Too much of everything. I wasn’t fond of the melted butter as opposed to the softened butter method. Turned out hard, crunchy, and just too much. I’ll try a different crumb topping, and it should be perfect.
I have a question, I have a glass top stove and am not supposed to use aluminum foil in the oven, can you suggest anything else to use? Sure would appreciate it. I love all your recipes and have had no issues with any of them and they all have been fantastic, thank you Sally and do have a pleasant day. Sincerely, Rhonda
Hi Rhonda, you don’t have to use foil here. We just recommend it if you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly.
hello, since im baking for just myself I was excited when I saw that half the recipe can be baked in a square pan, but at what temperature and for how long?
Hi Carolina, keep the temperature the same. The bake time will be shorter!
Made this cake last night for work today,yummy! After reading comments added 2 pears to apples. Baked for 55 minutes but that’s my oven.
Sally I make your recipes all the time ,you have never let me down. Keep on baking!
I made this last night for work. Yummy! Yummy! Added 2 pears to apples after reading the other comments. Baked 55 minutes but I’ll chalk that up to my oven.
Sally ,I make your recipes all the time and you haven’t let me down yet. Keep baking!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe twice now. The first time it came out perfectly! The second time I decided to try adding more apple to it to increase the apple flavor. While I love the amount of apple in it, the cake came out denser than the first time I made it. I’m assuming this is due to the extra liquid from the apple. Is there something else I can alter in the recipe to combat the extra apple and make the cake lighter?
Also, the crumble topping didn’t clump together the second time I made it like it did the first time. It came out as a paste instead of a crumb topping. Any ideas on why it didn’t form clumps?
I love your blog and have tried several of your recipes, and have loved all of them!
Hi Katie, we’re so glad you loved it! Adding more apple definitely increases the liquid as you mention. You’ll likely need to tinker with the other ingredients to achieve the desired texture. When you first make the crumble, it does kind of resemble a paste. But it should cool down as you are making the rest of the recipe by the time you use it it crumbles beautifully with your fingers or a fork. Hope this helps!
I made this for a family lunch. It was a huge hit with all ages. Added the extra Granny Smith apple other reviewers mentioned and also half a cup of oats to the crumble. I baked the cake and apples covered with foil, put the crumble topping on at the 20 minute mark and continued cooking for another 20 – perfect! Thanks for sharing this brilliant recipe.
Sally, how do you do it? Why does every single recipe turn out INCREDIBLE the very first time I make it? You make me look like a professional baker not a frazzled mom of young kids who can’t remember if she put on deodorant or not.
It’s a lovely recipe. It was so delicious but so full of sugar. Also adding two apples is a great idea.
Excellent… dense delicious cake and generous crumbs. After reading reviews, I agreed with one person and added an extra apple. Then, my own update, I would bake the cake halfway… perhaps 20 minutes… before adding the crumb topping. I would cover with foil to protect the apples. Then I would add the crumbs, and complete baking. This would keep the crumbs softer. It was the only improvement I would want to add. Otherwise, wonderful
Great recipe! I don’t think it needs icing, perfect as is. I added some oats to the crumb and fresh grated ginger to the apples. Also used 3 large apples instead of 2 and very happy with those alterations. Mine should’ve come out at 40 mins (suggested 45-55 mins), so maybe watch your bake time!!
Is it really 5 cups of flour for this recipe, or a typo?
2 and 1/2 cups go in both the cake and the crumb topping, yes!
This was delicious! Everybody loved it. I used 2 Sweet Tango apples and it came out great! Next time I might use 3 large apples though. I also saved the crumb topping I had left after covering the cake completely lol, and still had a bunch left. So I’m freezing it to put on top of some pumpkin bread next time. Excellent all around – from the cake, to the apples to the crumb topping. Thanks for sharing Sally! And you were right, if you have the opportunity to use a maple glaze icing, do it!