Apple Crumb Cake

This moist and delicious apple crumb cake perfectly complements your breakfast or dessert table this season! Made with a cinnamon cake base and topped with a crunchy apple crumb topping and sweet apple glaze, it delivers a burst of warm fall flavor that the whole family will love! Serve it with a cup of warm apple cider or hot chocolate to make the perfect dessert!

Best Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

This easy apple crumb cake recipe is not only super delicious but also incredibly simple to follow (even for beginners)! It is very similar to your typical cinnamon coffee cake recipe but with much more crumble and the sweet flavor of apples. Some may call it an apple crumble coffee cake!

You'll start by creating the crumble, the fresh apple topping, and the moist and flavorful cinnamon batter. Once it bakes, you'll make and apply the sweet apple glaze for the finishing touch!

This apple crumble cake recipe uses the freshest, highest-quality ingredients to create a mouthwatering, sweet, and soft buttery cake that is 100% made from scratch. No special ingredients are required, and you may already have most of the ingredients in your pantry!

Make The Crumble

Start by making the crumble topping. First, cut the butter into small pieces and let it sit until it reaches room temperature. I recommend taking it out of the fridge an hour in advance. Use unsalted butter to avoid adding salt to the recipe.

Next, whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Don't skip the salt; it is essential to balancing the flavors! Sifting the ingredients first is a good idea to avoid lumps in the batter. Feel free to add oats or chopped nuts in place of some of the flour. 

Afterward, add the softened butter chunks. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix the ingredients until the flour, salt, and sugar are coated with butter.

Press the mixture together with your fingers to adjust the size of the crumbs to your liking. Place your finished streusel crumble in the fridge while you prepare the cake batter and apple topping!

Prepare the Apple Topping

If desired, peel the apples. Then, remove the core and cut them into small chunks. Sprinkle the pieces with freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent them from browning while you continue the recipe.

Thoroughly mix the apple pieces with the sugar and cinnamon, then set them aside. The amount of sugar you use may vary depending on how sweet the apples are. The crumble will also provide plenty of sweetness, so you may not need sugar at all!

Make the Cake Batter

Before starting on the cinnamon cake batter, preheat the oven to 175°C / 347°F and line the bottom of a 23cm / 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together the yogurt, eggs, sugar, and oil in a mixing bowl. The yogurt and eggs should be at room temperature to emulsify correctly. Next, add the vanilla extract.

Sift the flour, cinnamon powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Then, use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient mixture, only until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Then, place the coated apple chunks on top of the batter and gently press some of them into the batter. Avoid mixing the apples into the batter, as it will cause them to sink to the bottom.

Lastly, remove the crumble from the fridge and spread a thick layer on top.

Bake The Apple Crumb Cake

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test (when a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Cover the top with aluminum foil if you notice the cake is browning too quickly.

Once thoroughly baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.

Mix the apple juice with the powdered sugar to make the glaze, then spoon it over the cooled cake.

Storing & Freezing

If you have leftovers of your apple crumb cake, you can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can also preserve its freshness by placing the container in the refrigerator.

To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then store it in the freezer for up to three months. 

Flavor Variations

One of the best parts about this apple crumble cake recipe is that you can customize it with several variations!

For the crumble:

Spices: Enhance the warm flavor with pumpkin spice, ginger, or cardamom.

Different Sugar: For a more caramel-like flavor, omit the white sugar and use only brown sugar. Add coconut sugar for a tropical taste. You can also use all white sugar!

Other Add-Ins: Mix in chopped nuts, raisins, or coconut to give your crumble additional texture and flavor!

For the cake and topping:

Different base flavor: Instead of an apple cinnamon crumble cake, you can skip the cinnamon and make a vanilla sponge. You can also make a chocolate sponge or infuse it with peanut butter (as in my peanut butter cake).

Spices: Similar to the crumble, you can replace (or add to) the cinnamon powder with pumpkin pie spice, ginger, or cardamom. Add a pinch of espresso powder to create a tasty apple crumb coffee cake!

Chopped Nuts: To add some crunch to the center of the cake, add finely chopped nuts to the muffin batter before baking. Pecans and walnuts pair perfectly with apples!

Different Fruit Topping: Instead of an apple topping, try other fresh fruits such as pears, blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.

With Different Glaze: You can swap out the apple glaze for my homemade caramel, walnut butter, or pecan butter, or top it with my homemade cream cheese frosting instead!

Ingredient Substitutions

When making ingredient substitutions, it may be necessary to adjust the ratios of the other ingredients in the recipe to achieve the proper balance between flavor and texture. While I cannot provide specific instructions to accommodate every diet, feel free to try your cinnamon crumble apple cake with the following ingredient alternatives:

Different Flour: You can substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour. Or, for a gluten free cake, use a gluten free flour. See my flour guide for more information on the best types of flour to use in cakes and their alternatives.

Without Yogurt: If you do not have Greek or Turkish-style yogurt, you can use sour cream with a similar consistency and tangy flavor.

Egg-Free: To make this recipe eggless, you can try one of these egg substitutes. Applesauce is a popular substitute in eggless applesauce crumb cake recipes!

Expert Tips For Making Apple Crumb Cake

1. Always use the highest quality ingredients for the best flavor and texture. I recommend using 82% fat, European-style butter for the crumble and thick, plain Greek yogurt or Turkish-style yogurt for the muffin batter.
2. Room-temperature eggs, butter, and yogurt are required for the ingredients to blend properly. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, place them in a bowl of hot water for approximately five minutes. See my guide on softening butter for more tips on quickly getting it to the right temperature without microwaving. 
3. Use firm, sweet apples such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady apples when making your cinnamon apple crumble cake. You can also use Granny Smith apples if you prefer a tart flavor. Avoid soft apple varieties, which only become mushy during baking.
4. Use light brown sugar for a lighter caramel flavor when making the crumble. For a bolder flavor, use dark brown sugar. 
5. To avoid overbaking and dry cupcakes, use the toothpick test versus the time in the oven to determine their doneness.

What Equipment To Use

Always use a digital scale to measure ingredients when baking, as it gives the most accurate measurements and consistent results. Likewise, a digital oven thermometer helps to ensure the most precise oven temperature.

You will need a hand whisk to combine your wet ingredients thoroughly. A rubber spatula is necessary for folding ingredients together without overmixing.

I use a 9-inch / 23 cm spring form pan to make one cake layer. However, if you want to make apple crumble cup cakes or cakes of different sizes, refer to my cake pan sizes and conversions guide.

Try Some Of My Sweet Breakfast Recipes

This delicious apple crumb cake is just one of the many delicious desserts you can enjoy at the start of the day! Make sure also to try my other apple breakfast recipes:

• Apple Crumble Muffins
• Apple Dutch Baby
• Apple Roses with Puff Pastry
• Apple Bread Pudding
• Cinnamon Apple Babka
• Spiced Apple Cake

Check out my Top 35 Best Sweet Breakfast Recipes roundup for even more breakfast desserts!

Have You Tried This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your desserts turned out and your feedback also helps other Readers!