Apple Crumb Cake

Why You'll Love This Recipe

✨ Fresh apple cake recipes are total crowd pleasers. Be it this apple crumb cake, or an apple crumble cheesecake, or an apple cake swirled with cinnamon. This recipe is part coffee cake, part dessert, and totally fabulous as a teatime treat.

✨ The recipe is no-fuss, comes together in 20 minutes with pantry staples, and then all that’s left is to bake! The cake is perfect for afternoon tea or festive gatherings. I love it for breakfast too!

✨ The crumb topping is everything! Sweet, spiced, and perfectly golden, it gives the cake a bakery-style finish without any extra effort.

✨ Serve warm with ice cream, caramel sauce, or just as is. Either way, the cake is too good to be missed this autumn!

Recipe Ingredients

Flour: All-purpose flour gives a light, tender crumb. If you want a nuttier flavor, you can use wholewheat flour or a mix of the two.

Sugar: Regular white sugar works just fine, but you can also use brown or coconut sugar. Both are lovely options, especially if you like a hint of caramel flavor and deeper color to your bakes.

Apple: Any variety with a firm, crisp texture works well in this recipe.

Apple cider brightens and lifts the sweetness of the apples. Use store-bought or my homemade apple cider recipe.If you don’t have cider on hand, use apple juice instead.

Oil: I used regular canola oil. But really, any neutral oil (sunflower vegetable) will work just as well. You can even use coconut or olive oil.

Cinnamon powder is the soul of this crumb cake! If you love spices like I do, a pinch of nutmeg or allspice will add extra depth.

Milk: I used soy milk in this apple cake recipe, but honestly, any milk works here. Regular, cashew milk, oat milk, almond milk. Use what you love or have handy.

Walnuts are for crunch and a nutty flavor. Pecans would also be fantastic if you prefer.

Butter: You would need melted butter for the crumble. Swap it with oil if you’re making a vegan apple cake with crumb.

Please see the recipe card below for full information about ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Apple Crumb Cake

Step 1: Combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, melted butter,and walnuts in a small bowl.

Step 2: Mix well with a fork or your fingertips. Keep aside.

Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon powder.

Step 4: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, apple cider, soy milk, and sugar.

Step 5: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Mix well.

Step 6: Fold in the diced apples and walnuts. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin.

Step 7: Decorate the top of the cake batter with apple slices.

Step 8: Spoon the crumble mixture around the apples on the cake batter. Bake the cake for about 45-50 minutes until the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.

Step 9: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then turn it out on a cooling rack to cool. Serve warm.

How To Serve

Apple crumb cake recipe needs nothing. The soft, spiced, and special cake is *chef’s kiss*! But don’t let that stop you from being EXTRA!

• Drizzle it generously with caramel sauce for a gooey, indulgent finish.
• Pair it with a spoonful of stovetop apple butter for double the apple goodness.
• Dress it up with a simple vanilla icing, like I did with my cinnamon roll focaccia, or maple glaze, like I did with my apple cranberry scones.

For a cozy fall dessert spread, it pairs beautifully with other seasonal favorites like pumpkin snickerdoodle cookies or cinnamon streusel coffee cake.

Recipe FAQs

More Easy Apple Recipes

Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat WafflesApple Cider Hot ToddyPeanut Butter Apple MuffinsBaked Apple Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar