Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

a slice of cake sitting on a piece of brown parchment paper

5 from 2 votes

This super easy moist and tender apple crumb cake recipe is made with fresh apples, topped with a crunchy and buttery streusel crumb, and drizzled with a light vanilla glaze.

Servings slices

Prep 15 mins

Cook 45 mins

Total 1 hr 5 mins

Course : Dessert

Cuisine : American

Author : Cambrea Gordon

Equipment

cheese grater
large bowl
rubber spatula
8x8 non stick baking pan
parchment paper
whisk

Ingredients

2 cups grated red apples
1 cup canola oil
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Crumble Ingredients

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon corn starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed

Vanilla Glaze Ingredients

⅓ cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoon any milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F/163 degrees C. Line an square 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper that hangs over the sides and set it aside.
In a small bowl, grate the apples with a cheese grater. Measure out the 2 cups of apples and discard any extra juice. Set the bowl aside.
2 cups grated red apples
In a large bowl, add the brown sugar and oil and use a rubber spatula to mix them together.
1 cup canola oil, 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
Add the room temperature eggs and vanilla extract and mix to combine them completely into the oil and sugar.
2 large eggs, room temperature, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the apples and mix to combine them into the batter.
2 cups grated red apples
Add the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and flour. Mix with a rubber spatula to combine, scraping to the bottom of the bowl until there are no more flour pockets.
2 teaspoon baking soda, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Pour the apple batter into the prepared pan place it in the oven. Set a timer for 25 minutes. Meanwhile make the crumble topping.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and baking powder. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the bowl. Work the butter into the flour with your hands until the streusel is crumbly. Place the bowl in the freezer until the timer goes off.
¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon corn starch, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 3 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cubed
When the timer goes off, carefully remove the cake from the oven and carefully sprinkle the streusel on top.
Once all of the streusel is added, place the cake back in the oven and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Place on a cooling rack to cool completely. When the cake is cool, make the vanilla glaze.
In a small bowl, add the powder sugar, milk and vanilla and whisk to combine. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, cut into slices and enjoy!
⅓ cup powdered sugar, 1-2 teaspoon any milk, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Notes

If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I'd love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!

Step by step process photos are provided above, in the body of this post.

FAQ

Should I peel the apples?- No need to peel the apples, they will still bake up really tender and you wont even notice they're there.
Can I leave the cake out at room temperature? - Yes, the cake can sit out on the counter wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or covered with a lid.

Expert Tips

Don't squeeze the juice out of the apples- The cake stays extra moist from the apple juice so there's no need to squeeze it out before adding them to the batter. There will be lots of extra juice at the bottom of the bowl once the apples have been measured out, but this should not be added to the batter.
Only use fresh apples- Do not use older apples as they will be too mushy to grate and will hold too much juice.
Don't over mix the batter- Stop mixing as soon as the batter is completely combined.
Always spoon measure your flour when baking! This means using a spoon to fluff the flour first, then spoon it into your measuring cup. This will give the most accurate results when baking if you do not use a kitchen scale.

Nutrition