A delicious creamy apple cake, with layers of apple and a creamy custard filling, encased in a lovely shortbread-like crust and topped with a generous crumble topping. Great enjoyed as an apple dessert cake or as an apple coffee cake.
Why you’ll love this apple crumb cake
This delicious apple cake is unlike any other cake I’ve made and is one of my favourite ways to bake with apples. With a shortbread crust, a creamy custard filling, lots of apples and a generous, crispy crumble topping!
This is a cake to bake and share or bake and take when you need to bring a dessert to an event. You can bake it up in the morning and enjoy it later in the day.
As this cake is also lightly sweet, it’s also nice to enjoy as an apple coffee cake.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Apples – use any apple that you’d use for an apple pie. I’ve used Pink Lady here, but Spy, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, etc., also work well.
Heavy cream – aka whipping cream (35% b.f.) Heavy cream will give you the creamiest results, though you can use a lighter cream, such as 18% table cream or 10% half-and-half cream, if you like.
Sour cream – Full-fat sour cream or Greek Yogurt is recommended for the best texture of the apple filling. I haven’t tested this recipe with low- or no-fat sour cream or yogurt.
How to make apple crumb cake: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this cake. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Set aside,
Step 2: Make the shortbread crust by mixing together the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until you have a sandy mixture.
Step 3: Add 3/4 of the crumb mixture to the springform pan and press lightly into the bottom and up the sides slightly.
Step 4: Add the prepared apples to the pan.
Step 5: Scatter the remaining crust mixture over the top. Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 6: While base and apples are baking, prepare the creamy filling.
Step 7: When the base has cooked, remove from the oven and pour the creamy filling mixture over-top. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Step 8: While the filling is baking with the apples, prepare the crumble mixture and pop it into the freezer until needed.
Step 9: When the filling has set, remove from the oven and scatter the crumble mixture over the top. Return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.
Recipe tips!
- If you want to be able to transfer your baked cake to a serving platter, be sure to line the bottom of the springform pan with a round of parchment paper.
- Be sure not to skip the short trip to the freezer after you mix the crumb topping. It’s the secret to a crispy and crumbly crumble.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This cake is best enjoyed on the day it is baked, to really enjoy the crumble topping. It will keep well for several days, though the crumble may soften the longer it sits. I like to cover it well and refrigerate the leftovers after the first day.
This cake will freeze as well for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Creamy Apple Cake with Crumble Topping
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter , cold, cut into 6-8 pieces
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35% b.f.), or table cream (18%) or half and half cream (10%)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, full-fat, or plain full-fat yogurt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
For the crumble topping:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 5 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or salted butter and omit the pinch of salt)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. (non-convection) and grease an 8-inch springform pan. *A parchment round on the bottom of the pan is recommended if you plan on removing the cake to a serving platter. Set the springform pan on a baking sheet and set aside. *Note: if you are using a dark springform pan, reduce the temperature to 340F.
- Make the cake: In a food processor, add the flour, sugar and baking powder. Pulse a couple of times to combine. Add the cold butter and pulse until the butter is combined with the flour. You'll end up with a very dry mixture, almost like sand.
- Sprinkle about 3/4 of this mixture over the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Using the back of a spoon, spread the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the pan and up the side just a bit. You don't want to compress the crumb mixture too much. Scatter the prepared apple slices over the crumbs (avoiding placing the apples right up against the side of the pan), then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over the top. Again, do not press down. Leave it as is. Place the springform pan on top of a baking sheet (to catch any liquid from the apples that might leak from the pan!). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sour cream, brown sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- When the cake base has baked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and carefully pour the egg mixture over the top. REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 325F (or 315F for a dark pan), return the cake to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the crumble topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Add melted butter to the mixture, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the mixture comes together in large clumps. Place the bowl in the freezer until needed.
- When the cake has baked for 20 minutes, remove it from the oven. (The egg mixture should have set somewhat so that the crumbs won't sink into the cake. If it is quite liquid still, return to the oven for a few more minutes.) Evenly sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top. Return to the oven and bake a further 20 – 30 minutes or until the edges are pulled away from the sides of the pan, the top crumbles are light golden, and the centre is set. As long as it's not too jiggly and a tester inserted in the centre comes out with just crumbs (not liquid), it's ready to take out of the oven. It should have baked for about 60-65 minutes total, including all 3 steps.
- Allow to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outside and carefully remove the outer ring of the springform pan. Allow to cool more before removing from the base.
- Dust with powdered/icing sugar, if desired.
Notes
More apple cake recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Made this cake yesterday and it’s fabulous. Great recipe and explanations, easy to follow! The crumbles are a bit too sweet for me and take attention from the rest of the cake, so will use half the sugar next time. Thanks so much!
So glad you enjoyed it, Winfried. Thanks so much!
I’ve made this lovely cake several times. It’s delish😛👍. Thank you.
So glad you are enjoying it, Kim! Thanks so much :)
Always a hit! Thank you.
So glad you are enjoying it! It’s one of my favourite little cakes :) Thanks so much.