Why I love this apple crumb cake recipe
Some of the best apple desserts are the old-fashioned recipes that taste like they came out of Grandma’s kitchen.
This apple crumb cake is one of those recipes.
And the best part is that it’s incredibly easy to make.
It’s also a good choice for apple season when you have lots of apples to use up.
Since there are so many baked into the cake, it has lots of apple flavor and stays soft and moist.
Add the crunchy walnut crumb topping and a dollop of whipped cream, and it’s the perfect fall dessert.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 12 pieces):
- Fresh produce – 4 to 5 apples
- Sugar – 2 cups sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
- Baking supplies – 3 cups flour + ½ cup for the topping, 2 teaspoons baking soda
- Spices – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Eggs – 2 eggs
- Dairy – ½ cup butter, whipped cream or non-dairy topping (optional for garnish)
- Oil – 2/3 cup oil
- Flavoring – 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Nuts – 1 cup walnuts
- Seasoning – 1 teaspoon salt
How to make apple crumb cake
1 | Prep work
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Allow it to come fully to temperature before the cake goes in so it bakes evenly.
In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs with a fork.
Peel, core and chop 4 to 5 apples. The easiest way to do this is with an apple peeler* and corer/slicer*. It makes the job so much easier than doing it manually.
Chop 1 cup walnuts.
Grease a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.
2 | Make the apple mixture
Add the 2 cups sugar and the eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Beat them together until the mixture is evenly combined and there are no visible streaks of egg.
Add the peeled, chopped apples to the mixture.
Mix on low speed until the apple pieces are distributed throughout without breaking them down.
3 | Mix the batter
Add 3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt.
Mix on medium speed just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and you no longer see pockets of dry flour.
Avoid continuing to mix once everything is combined, or the cake may turn out too dense.
Pour in 2/3 cup oil and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
Mix until they are incorporated into the batter.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed so the batter is evenly mixed.
Pour the batter into the prepared greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
4 | Make the topping
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour, and ½ cup butter.
Use 2 knives or a pastry cutter to chop the butter into small pieces while combining it with the sugar and flour.
Mix until the butter is worked through the dry ingredients and the mixture forms loose, crumbly pieces rather than a smooth paste.
Stir in the chopped nuts.
Spread the crumb topping evenly over the batter, including the edges and corners, so that the whole top is covered.
5 | Bake
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
The top should look baked and set rather than wet.
A toothpick inserted into the cake portion should come out without wet batter.
Remove the cake from the oven.
6 | Serve
This cake can be served warm or cold. (But it is really good when served straight out of the oven).
Add whipped cream or non-dairy topping to individual servings, if desired.
How to make ahead
This cake can be baked up to 1 day ahead.
Let it cool completely, then cover the baking dish tightly.
Serve at room temperature or warm individual slices before adding whipped cream or non-dairy topping.
Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 4 large apples peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- whipped cream or non-dairy topping optional for garnish
Equipment
- apple peeler
- apple corer/slicer
- measuring cups and spoons
- stand mixer
- 9- x 13-inch baking dish, greased
- Small bowl
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and eggs together.2 cups sugar, 2 large eggs
- Add apples. Mix on low speed.4 large apples
- Add dry ingredients and mix until combined on medium speed.3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt
- Mix in oil and vanilla.⅔ cup oil, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pour into greased pan.
- Combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl and mix until crumbly.1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour, ½ cup butter, 1 cup walnuts
- Spread over top of the batter.
- Bake at 350℉ for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven. Serve warm or cold, and topped with whipped cream or non-dairy topping.whipped cream or non-dairy topping
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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