Apple Crumb Cake
Tender cinnamon-spiced cake studded with juicy apples, crowned with a thick buttery crumb topping and a light vanilla glaze. It tastes like apple pie without the crust — and it is easier, feeds a crowd, and makes ahead beautifully for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 cups peeled diced apples Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, about 2 medium apples
Crumb topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
Vanilla glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the pan: preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan (or a 9x9-inch square pan) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Make the crumb topping first: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cold butter cubes and rub or cut them in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture forms pea-sized crumbs with some larger clumps. Refrigerate while you make the batter — cold crumbs stay crumbly in the oven.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Cream the butter and sugars: in a large bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla: beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Finish the batter: mix in the sour cream, then add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until no flour streaks remain. Fold in the diced apples with a spatula.
- Assemble: spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping generously over the top, pressing it very lightly so it adheres — do not press it into the batter.
- Bake: bake at 350°F for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs and the crumb topping is deep golden. Tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes if the top browns too fast.
- Cool and glaze: cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then release the springform ring (or lift out by the parchment) and cool for at least 30 minutes more. If using the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake before slicing.
Notes
Use firm, tart-sweet apples that hold their shape — Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Braeburn. Dice them small (about 1/2 inch) so they bake through and distribute evenly. The butter for the crumb must be cold, straight from the fridge, or the topping melts into the cake instead of staying crumbly.
Cold butter is the whole secret of the crumb: warm or melted butter makes a paste that sinks. Cube it straight from the fridge and chill the finished crumbs while you mix the batter.
Do not overmix once the flour goes in — a few streaks are fine before you fold in the apples. Overmixed cake bakes up tough instead of tender.
Dice the apples small, about 1/2 inch. Big chunks stay crunchy and sink; small dice bake soft and stay suspended in the crumb.
This cake is a make-ahead star: bake up to 2 days ahead, cover tightly once cool, and keep at room temperature. Warm slices briefly in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream, or at room temperature with coffee — it works for Thanksgiving dessert, brunch, and the day-after breakfast table.