Delicious and unique creamy apple crumb cake, with layers of apple and cream, encased in a lovely crust and with a wonderful crumb 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.
Ingredient Notes
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 – a full-fat sour cream or Greek Yogurt is recommended, for best texture of the apple filling. I haven’t tested this recipe with low or no-fat sour cream or yogurt.
Step-by-Step Photos
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this cake. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe, as not all steps may be illustrated here.
1. Start by making the shortbread crust by mixing together the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor until you have a sandy mixture. (You can simply cut the butter in with a pastry cutter if you don’t have a food processor.). Add 3/4 of the crumb mixture to the springform pan and press lightly into the bottom and up the sides slightly. Add the prepared apples, then scatter the remaining crumb mixture over top. Bake for 20 minutes.
2. While base and apples are baking, prepare the creamy filling. 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.
3. While the filling is baking with the apples, prepare the crumble mixture and pop into the freezer until needed. When filling has set, remove from oven and scatter the crumble mixture over top. Return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes, or until set and lightly golden.
Cook’s Notes
- 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.
- 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 well and refrigerate the left-overs after the first day.
- This cake should freeze well.
How to make a crispy, crumbly crumble
Freeze it! 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 crumble crumble.
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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, 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. 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 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, like sand almost.
- 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 agains 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 cake base has baked 20 minutes, remove from oven and carefully pour the egg mixture over the top. REDUCE THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 325F (or 315F for a dark pan and return the cake to 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 into the freezer until needed.
- When the cake has baked for 20 minutes, remove from 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 bake about 60-65 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
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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!
I made this today,and it came out lovely. I had no cream or half and half, so I used canned milk. I also added cinnamon to the custard base and baked at 350.
Glad you enjoyed it, Laurie. How long did it bake at 350?
I fancy trying this it looks delicious. Crumble is my favourite dessert. Not sure about the table cream though? I wonder if single cream is similar? I’m in the UK.
Hi Andi, Yes, table cream in Canada is comparable to single cream in the UK. You could also use double cream, but I found the lighter cream quite nice.
This is going to be the feature of my Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for sharing.
It will be lovely for Thanksgiving, Darsha. Enjoy!
This looks amazing. I’ll be making it this weekend. What kind of apples did you use?
Thanks Liv. I think I used Courtland apples (or maybe Empire). Any good cooking apple will work well.
This sounds amazing! Apple bounty everywhere. I love the color of the edges!
And I love the term “table cream”… it just sounds like something delicious and European and elegant :)
Thanks Sophie. They actually sell a cream called Table Cream here. I’m not exactly sure what to do with it. I always use half and half for my coffee and heavy cream for whipping etc. I guess based on the picture, I’m supposed to pour it over my fruit :)
Oh, I love the sound and look of this cake. I know what our baking project will be this week!
Thanks Cheri. I’m sure you will enjoy it! And I’ll be trying your Hazelnut Coffee Creamer soon, too!
Your cake looks gorgeous!
Thanks, Ceclilia. You have a beautiful blog! Enjoyed browsing. Great photos.
it looks delicious!
Thanks so much, Dina.
This looks amazing. This looks like something my entire family will enjoy.
Thanks Angie. It’s definitely family friendly!
Whichever muses led to this finished product, whether they be the Italians or just Fate, I must tip my hat to them and to you for staying the course. This pie/cake looks positively mother-in-law worthy.
Thanks so much Sarah and yes, it’s definitely mother-in-law-worthy :)
Someone just told me of your blog and also “Cooking With Mr. C.” on Facebook. (also a blog) I just “Liked” his Facebook page and came to your blog. It’s wonderful. I love when people share blogs with each other. Denise
Thanks Denise and thanks so much for visiting.
I have a trunk full of apples and my curiosity is peaked enough to give this a try.
Let me know how you make out with it, Valerie. It is such an interesting preparation technique. It has me thinking about how to use it for other variations :)
annnnd my mouth is officially watering!
Thanks Jacquelyn. It was a treat. Highly recommend!
Your cake looks fabulous, I adore the crumble topping!
Thanks so much, Laura and yes, that crumble was yummy.
Jennifer, it looks so thick and gooey and moist! I would love a piece of this – too bad I wasn’t just a little bit closer! :)
Thanks Liz. It’s actually like a cross between a cake and a pie, really. So delicious, whatever it is :)