Bake a tender apple cinnamon crumb cake with fresh apples and a buttery streusel topping. An easy weekend dessert for family and friends.
A tender, warmly spiced cake layered with fresh apples and finished with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping.
🍽️ Your Daily Dish
Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Few things make a weekend kitchen feel more inviting than the smell of a freshly baked cake.
This apple cinnamon crumb cake combines tender apples, warming cinnamon and a generous buttery crumb topping for a dessert that works beautifully with afternoon coffee, tea or a relaxed family gathering.
It is also flexible enough for different kitchens and ingredient preferences, making it a useful recipe to keep in your weekend baking rotation.
💬 Today's Table Talk
Weekend baking doesn't have to mean spending an entire afternoon making an elaborate dessert.
A good everyday cake can be simple, comforting and impressive enough to put in the middle of the table when family or friends arrive.
This apple cake is particularly suited to relaxed weekend baking because much of the flavor comes from familiar ingredients: apples, cinnamon, butter, flour and brown sugar.
🛒 Ingredients
For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
2 medium apples, peeled, cored and diced
For the crumb topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
5 tbsp melted butter
👩🍳 How to Make It
1. Prepare the oven and pan.
Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Mix the dry ingredients.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. Cream the butter and sugar.
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
5. Combine the batter.
Add the dry ingredients in portions, alternating with the milk. Mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
6. Fold in the apples.
Gently fold the diced apples through the batter.
7. Make the crumb topping.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the melted butter until coarse crumbs form.
8. Assemble.
Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and scatter the crumb mixture evenly over the top.
9. Bake.
Bake for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
10. Cool before slicing.
Allow the cake to cool for at least 15–20 minutes before cutting.
🔄 Easy Ingredient Substitutions
No apples?
Pears can work well as a substitute.
Need a dairy-free version?
Use a plant-based butter and unsweetened plant milk.
Want more texture?
Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping.
Prefer less sweetness?
Reduce the granulated sugar slightly and use naturally sweet apples.
Want extra spice?
Add a small pinch of nutmeg or ground ginger alongside the cinnamon.
🔪 Baking Tips
Don't Overmix the Batter
Once the flour is incorporated, stop mixing. Overmixing can make the finished cake dense rather than tender.
Choose the Right Apples
Firm apples hold their shape better during baking. A combination of sweet and slightly tart apples can also give the cake more depth of flavor.
Let the Cake Rest
It may be tempting to cut into the cake immediately, but allowing it to cool gives the crumb time to set and makes cleaner slices.
🏆 Kitchen Win
Turn Leftover Cake Into a Dessert
If you have leftover slices the next day, don't assume the cake has lost its appeal.
Warm a slice gently and serve it with:
Greek yogurt
Whipped cream
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh berries
A drizzle of honey
You can turn an ordinary leftover slice into a completely different dessert with almost no additional preparation.
💡 Weekend Cooking Tip
Measure Everything Before You Start
One of the easiest ways to make weekend baking less stressful is to measure every ingredient before beginning.
Place your flour, sugar, spices and other ingredients in separate bowls or containers.
This mise en place approach makes it easier to spot missing ingredients before you've already started mixing and helps prevent mistakes when you're working quickly.
🗣️ Conversation Starter
What's your favourite homemade cake to bake on a weekend—apple cake, chocolate cake, carrot cake, banana bread, cheesecake or something else?
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