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Who’s up for a soft buttery cake today?
Cool, because I may just have the best cinnamon apple crumb cake in all the land. All you need to decide is whether to eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner? Because really, when is cake not the most perfect thing ever? Truth… it’s always perfect, any time of day! But especially this cake, it’s loaded with apples, is crazy buttery, and topped with the most cinnamony crumb topping ever.
I’m not sure if you guys know this or not, but it’s officially fall cookbook season, and well… there are just so many great new cookbooks being released!
SIDE NOTE: thinking about doing a Holiday Gift Guide for cookbooks, what do you think?
I’m really excited to share this recipe with you today because it comes from Meike Peters new cookbook, Eat in My Kitchen.
Ever since embarking on this journey of writing a cookbook, I’ve realized just how much work goes into writing a book. You guys, it’s no joke!! I am currently working through all the edits, and while I am so excited to be getting closer to sharing the book with you all, it’s also crazy scary…and well, my eyes are slightly tired. Basically I am just praying that when the book is released you guys will all love it to pieces!
It’s so awesome that I have the opportunity to help others celebrate their cookbook release by sharing a recipe from their book with you guys! It’s fun for me, and such a great way to let you all in on the books I am loving!
SO. Today we are talking about Eat in My Kitchen. Oh man, this book is just packed to the brim with recipes I love, so many great ones and so many that I know you will all love. But when I stumbled on this most perfect cinnamon fruit crumble cake, I knew that this was the recipe I needed to make and share with you all.
Let me just start off by saying that this cake is all kinds of incredible, AND that Meike made it really adaptable to all of the seasons by suggesting three types of fruit you can use – plums, rhubarb or apples.
Seeing as I am obsessed with all things fall, and all things honeycrisp apples, I went with apples as my fruit… so, so, so good!
What I love most about this cake is that while some fruit cakes can be on the dry side, this cake is anything but. It’s moist, buttery and almost even doughy in the center if you cook it for just under and hour…which I did…and it was perfection.
This cake is somewhat broken up into three layers. The base cake layer, the apple layer and then the crumble layer. All three layers are delicious, but together they truly make for the most perfect cake, and all of that cinnamon sugar crumble atop of those crisp apples… beyond amazing!
This is the perfect cake to serve warm, dusted lightly with powdered sugar.
And yes, I do think this cake is acceptable, not only for dessert, but also as a very special (i.e. something to look forward to) breakfast or mid-day snack. <–hey, apples qualify for both breakfast and a snack ?
Bottom line: apple crumb cake recipe like this is great anytime, and since Tuesdays are usually in need of a little pick me up, you should totally be making this cake after work…
Cinnamon Apple Crumble Cake.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean, seeds removed (or 1 vanilla)
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4-5 baking apples, halved, cored and sliced
Crumble
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean, seeds removed (or 1 vanilla)
- 2 1/8 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Butter a 10-inch springform pan.
- To make the cake: in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla seeds for a few minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg in before adding the next. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until creamy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the butter-sugar mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until well combined. Scrape the batter into the butter springform pan and arrange the apples on top, pushing the apples slices gently into the batter.
- For the crumble, whisk together the flour, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla seeds, and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbles form. Sprinkle the crumble over the fruit. Then in a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, sprinkle over top of the crumble.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden on top. If you insert a skewer in the center, it should come out almost clean. Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
It’s the right thing to do – trust me.
Trick question. EVERYBODY is up for cake! In particular, I would absolutely fall weak in my knees for anything with a sweet, crunchy and aromatic cinnamon crumble! What a perfect recipe for the fall and winter season!
This looks so amazing! Just decided I’m going to bring this for Christmas dessert. Wondering how far ahead I can make it? Keep up the good work! Love so many of your recipes.
This was OUTSTANDING! So easy to make and unbelievably delicious! My kitchen smelled divine. When can we preorder your book?
Thank you! Pre orders should start this spring! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
We just made this cake with pears instead of apples since that is what I have in the fridge. It came out great and the house smell AMAZIN!! Good Luck with your cookbook! We are working on ours and it is soooo much work.
I had this bag of apples i didn’t know what to do with. Made this yesterday & it’s really great. The presentation is gorgeous! I wanted it to look like your pictures & I have a deeper dish glass pie plate. Worked perfectly. The kids loved it.
Thank you!!!
Gorgeous cake! How far in advance can the cake be made?
About a day in advance. Thank you!
I just made this for a trial run for Thanksgiving and wasn’t that happy with the final outcome – mostly because of the cake part, which came out pretty dry. I only baked it for 50 minutes, I wonder if it overbaked a bit somehow.
HI Michconnors, it sounds like it was over baked. What was the oven temp at? Is it possible that your oven cooks things higher than it reads? Hope I can help more. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks!
It sounds like it did but I’m not sure how, I had it at 350. I wonder if it’s because I had a dark (nonstick) springform? I read recently in another recipe site that there is a cooking time difference between regular aluminum springforms and the dark ones?
HI! Dark pans can cook things at a faster pace. I use a non-stick spring form pan. Let me know if you have questions.
Hi! Just finished making the cake as a test run for Thanksgiving. I was wondering how you get the crumble to get so dark? The cake part on mine is cooked through but the topping is very light. Do you have any tips? Thanks!
Hey Lindsey! Hmmm, I am not really sure. You could try adding a little more cinnamon to the crumble. Pretty sure this will darken it up for you and the extra cinnamon will be delish! Hope that helps. Thank you! 🙂
I like to include some type of apple dessert for Thanksgiving, along with the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. I think this will the be the one this year. Thank you!
Awesome! I hope you love it, thanks Jann!
I think this cake has just bumped pumpkin spice out of first for my favorite Fall flavor. Just made the recipe tonight – used a GF flour blend and added cardamom to the crumble. Holy cow. I could take a bath in that stuff.
Always love your recipes, Tieghan! I’d love to see you do a cookbook gift guide for the holidays. Can’t wait for your cookbook, too!
So happy you loved this so much! Thank you Rachel!
Good luck on the cookbook! I can’t wait to pick up a copy, your recipes are brilliant!
Thank you so much, really happy you are enjoying my recipes! And I hope you love my book just as much, I am super excited for it to come out!
Such a gorgeous cake, that crumble topping is everything!
So happy you are loving it! Thanks Laura!
OMG this looks amazing! I’ll definitely making this over the weekend, but I’m wondering – what apple would you recommend as a sub if I can’t find honeycrisps at my local grocery store?
Thanks in advance for your opinion!
Brie
Hey Brie! Use any apple that you personally love. granny smiths would be great! ? Let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
Thank you soooo much, Tieghan! This cake is a beloved family recipe and your post touches me so much. It’s beautiful! I can’t wait to see your book!
Lots of love, Meike xx
WOW, thank you so much!! I’m so happy you like it!! (:
I just went apple picking! This will definitely be on my baking list for this weekend. Thank you for this Tieghan!!
Thank you Sabrina!! I hope you love it!