Apple Crumble Cake: The Comfort Pudding
Apple crumble cake is for those who love crunchy crumbs with the soft spongy cake put together. Enjoy it as it is, or drizzle it with vanilla custard, and you’ll have one of the most comforting puddings ever.
Apple crumble cake
As the name implies, apple crumble cake literally means apple crumble and a cake in one tin. So you get the crispy crumbs on top of the decadent sponge cake.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check our disclosure policy.
This cake has many names depending on where you get it.
In Europe, it is called apple streusel cake. In America, it has the name apple crisps cake. And here in the UK (and I believe in Australia as well), it is known as apple crumble cake.
But all of them refer to the same thing.
It’s a cake with some crispy toppings.
Ways to enjoy it
Honestly, you don’t really need anything else to enjoy this delectable dessert because it has a mix of different textures and flavors.
The sweet sponge cake pairs and cinnamon-ey crumb pair so well with juicy and tangy fruits. A slice of it will tick every requirement of a sweet dessert after a meal.
However, if you like to take this pudding to another level, you can have it with an extra accompaniment.
My favorite is drizzling the vanilla custard over it. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or homemade chocolate ice cream goes well with it too. Or, a pour of cream. They all can add awesomeness to this apple crumble cake. Simply indulgence.
What you need to make Apple Crumble Cake
So, there are three elements of this dessert. The cake. The crumbs. The fruits.
For making the cake, you will need plain flour/ all-purpose flour, baking powder, butter, caster sugar, milk, and eggs.
The crumbs will need you to prepare plain flour/ all-purpose flour, demerara sugar, butter, and almonds.
And for the fruits, you need granny smith apples and raspberries. The latter is optional. If you don’t want them, replace raspberries with any other berries you like. Or, you can add more apples.
Though I personally find granny smith apples are the best choice for this recipe, by all means, you can use other types of apples. The closest options will be Bramley apples or Cox apples. The reason is they don’t go mushy when they’re cooked.
When it comes to butter, salted butter is the best option because the little salt in it makes your sweet desserts more flavorsome. And not bland.
As for the almonds, you can use shop-bought almond flakes or use different nuts you love. Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, and cashew nuts are worth a try, as they all have a crunchy texture.
Equipment needed
- Mixing bowl.
- Wooden spoon.
- Food processor.
- Apple corer.
- 9-inch round cake tin with spring form loose base.
How to make Apple Crumb Cake
First, you want to make your topping crumbs ready. Mix the flour with cinnamon powder. Then rub the flour mix with butter until they resemble breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor to quicken the process if you like.
Stir the sugar into the flour mix. Then chop the almonds and add them to the crumb mixture. Set aside.
Secondly, you prepare the fruits. Peel, core, and cut the apples into small pieces. Sprinkle some lemon juice and stir well. Leave it aside.
Lastly, make the sponge cake by creaming the sugar and butter. Then add in the eggs one by one. Beat the mixture after each addition until it’s smooth. Next, fold the flour and baking powder in. Then add the milk as you keep stirring. The batter will be a bit thick and sticky.
Place the cake mixture in the prepared tin and spread it evenly. Then place the apples on top of the batter. Try to make an even layer of apples. Scatter some berries if you use them. Then, top it up with the crumb mixture. Take care not to create big clumps of crumbs. And make sure it covers the tin evenly.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes in a preheated oven (gas 4/ 170°C/ 338°F) or until a skewer comes out clean.
Top tips for the best tasting Apple Crumble Cake
- Work lightly on rubbing the flour and butter for the topping. You don’t want to create wet dough for this. Make sure your butter is cold and firm before using it.
- Some apples taste tangier. You may want to sprinkle a teaspoon of demerara sugar on the apples. If not, you can skip the lemon but make sure you work fast to avoid the apples going brown.
Storing matter
This apple crumble cake can be a good dessert option for keeping. You can freeze the ready-baked cake for up to 2 months. Before serving, reheat the cake in a preheated oven at gas 4/ 170°C/ 338°F for about 30-40 minutes.
You can also make the cake on the weekend and keep it in the fridge/ refrigerator to enjoy throughout the week. It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week.
More comfort dessert recipes
If you need more ideas for comfort dessert recipes, you can try apple and raspberry crumble a healthy version that will make you less guilty, sticky toffee pudding traybake, decadent carrot cake with mascarpone cheese frosting, Mary Berry’s apple cake, or Plum and Almond Cake.
Thank you for checking out this apple crumble cake recipe. I hope you’re now thinking of trying it. When you do, can you share your thoughts in the comments below (leave a reply)? I’ll really appreciate it.
Lastly, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen.
Take care and all the best.
Apple Crumble Cake
Equipment
- Mixing bowls.
- Spatula
- Wooden spoon
- Food processor
- Handheld mixer
- Apple corer
- Kitchen knife
- 9 inch round cake pan with spring form loose-base
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 8 ounces all-purpose flour/ plain flour.
- 2 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
- 5 ounces salted butter.
- 4 ounces caster sugar.
- 2 eggs.
- ½ cup milk.
For the crumble:
- 3 ounces plain flour.
- 2 ounces salted butter.
- 2 ounces demerara sugar.
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon powder.
- 2 ounces almonds sliced (see the note).
For the fruits:
- 7 ounces granny smith apples or Bramley apples.
- 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice optional.
- 4 ounces berries of your choice see the note.
Instructions
For the crumble:
- Place the flour and butter in a mixing bowl and rub them until they look like breadcrumbs.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and almond into the flour mix. Stir well but make sure the mixture will be like big crumbs. But slightly wet. Set aside.
- Peel, core and cut the apples into small chunks. And get your berries ready.
For the cake:
- Prepare a 23 cm springform cake. Grease it with butter and line the base with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to gas at 4/ 170°C.
- Place the flour, baking powder and butter in a mixing bowl. Rub them until you get a breadcrumb-like mixture.
- Stir in the caster sugar.
- Beat the eggs with milk in a jug. Then pour the egg mix into the flour mix as you stir it using a spatula or wooden spoon. You can also use a handheld mixer to quicken the process.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.
- Scatter the apple chunks and the berries on top of the batter.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture all over the fruits.
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a skewer test comes out clean.
Notes
- You can use shop-bought almond flakes.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.
