This easyApple Crumble Cakerecipe is a sweet, crumbly, and delicious fruit dessert that you can make on a cool Fall day to use up the rest of those apples lying around! With a cinnamon-sugar topping and moist, fluffy texture, this apple cake is comfort food at its best.

Apple Crumb Cake with two squares of apple crumb cake on a plate with vanilla ice cream and apple slices.

Quick Recipe Overview

Two crumbly apple dessert bars, reminiscent of apple crumb cake, sit on a green plate with vanilla ice cream and apple slices. Another plate with more bars is in the background, alongside a whole green apple.

WHAT: A very simple apple cake with a thin cake layer + a crumbled topping.

WHY: Another quick & delicious recipe for the fall apple season!

HOW: Whip up the cake batter, fold in chopped apples, and top with crumbs & bake.

Why I Love Making Apple Crumble Cake

Fall just beckons all of the apple andpumpkin recipes,don’t you agree? And if you have an apple tree, you know you need a whole bunch ofgreat apple recipesto use up the bounty that comes with apple harvest.Or maybe you’re just an apple lover like I am! This recipe gives you every excuse to get a big bag of them at the store.

Something about a crumb cake with its buttery crumble just makes me so very happy. I thinkit’s that moist, spongey cake bottom layer combined with the sweet and lightly cinnamon-y crumbly, crunchy topping.I mean, that is pure heaven if you ask me. Plus, it’s a way to sneak fresh produce into a baked goodie!

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Looking for an alternative to good old apple pie? Apple crumb cake is a lovely and delicious pastry that comes together easily and makes the perfect post-dinner sweet treat.

It’s delicious for breakfast, dessert, or a snack, really just any time of day! You can serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, and it’s over-the-top yummy with caramel sauce drizzled on top.

It fills your home with a wonderful aroma and allows you to enjoy a homemade treat that’s made with love.

Ingredient Notes

Butter –melted
Applesauce –unsweetened
Sugar
Eggs
Flour –whole wheat or all-purpose
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Apples –use fresh or canned

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Apple Crumble Cake With a Streusel Topping

mixing bowl filled with brown sugar cinnamon mixture green apples in the background.

Step 1:Beat butter, applesauce, and sugar together until mixture is light and fluffy.

apple crumble topping with butter being poured into it

Step 2:Mix in eggs, then add flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.

Step 3:Fold in the apples, spread the batter into the prepared pan, and prepare the crumb topping.

Step 4:Evenly distribute all of the crumb topping over the cake batter in this manner. Bake 23-26 minutes.

FAQs for Apple Crumb Cake

How do you store crumb cake?

Cover your crumb cake with foil or a towel after it’s cooled completely, but don’t cover it too tightly. The light covering will keep it moist without being too moist, and it’ll stay fresh for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Why did my crumb cake sink?

Cakes often sink in the middle when the batter is over-beaten, which incorporates too much air that later collapses while baking. Opening the oven door too early while it’s baking can also cause cake to fall because the batter still isn’t set, as can closing the oven door too hard.

What is crumb cake made of?

Crumb cakes consist of two parts: the cake on the bottom, and the crumb topping. This recipe’s cake portion is made of butter, unsweetened applesauce, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and of course, peeled and chopped apples. The topping consists of sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, butter, and flour.

two squares of apple crumb cake on a plate with vanilla ice cream and apple slices.

My Best Tips for Making Apple Crumb Cake

Good quality butter will improve the flavor of the cake and the crumb topping. Useunsalted butter to control the saltiness of your cake.
A good way to check if the cake is done is toinsert a toothpick into the center until it comes out cleanand the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
Another option is to make this in a9×13-inch cake pan for a thicker cake,but be prepared for it to take at least twice as long to bake.
If you like vanilla flavoring, add up to 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cake batter when adding the eggs. It’s just a subtle flavor but it’s really good!
I like using a mix of tart and sweet apples when using fresh apples – Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Granny Smith apples are all great for this recipe.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Cover your crumb cake with foil or a towel after it’s cooled completely, but don’t cover it too tightly. The light covering will keep it moist without beingtoomoist, and it’ll stay fresh for 1 to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Don’t cover it with plastic wrap – that’s too airtight and it won’t keep well!

This cake can be eaten at room temperature, but if you’d like to warm it up, just reheat it in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until it’s warm.