Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake with Sour Cream and Streusel Topping

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

If you ask me, fall baking belongs to apples. This Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake is the kind of dessert that makes the whole house smell like a bakery.

It is a coffee style apple cake packed with fresh apples, then finished with a crunchy brown sugar cinnamon streusel and a simple apple cider glaze. If you are team apple instead of team pumpkin, this is your cake.

Serve it warm with coffee, watch how quickly it disappears, and enjoy how it turns an ordinary Tuesday into something that feels like a weekend.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Crumb Cake

Some desserts are pretty. Some desserts are pure comfort. This Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake is both, and that is exactly why it has earned a permanent spot in my recipe box.

Here is what makes it worth turning on the oven:

• A moist, tender sour cream cake that stays soft and sliceable.
• Fresh tart apples baked right between the layers, so every bite gets fruit.
• A buttery brown sugar cinnamon streusel that turns golden and crisp in the oven.
• A simple apple cider glaze that adds a tangy, sweet finish.

Let me tell you how this cake and I became friends.

A few years ago, my friend Dana called me on a Thursday afternoon. Her family was driving in the next morning and she had nothing sweet in the house. Can you make something, she asked.

Anything with apples. I said yes before I checked my fruit bowl, which is a rookie mistake I have repeated at least a dozen times since.

My fruit bowl was empty. Completely empty. I had used the last of my apples earlier that week for a batch of apple cookies, and I had zero regrets about that until this exact moment.

So I did what any reasonable person does. I spent about 45 minutes scrolling through recipe ideas, saved half a dozen of them, and then drove to the shop for apples anyway.

I landed on this cake because it solved a problem. It is a coffee cake, so it feels right for a morning visit. The apples are baked inside instead of just piled on top, so it tastes like a real apple dessert. And the streusel makes it look impressive without any frosting work.

Then came the fun part. The batter is thick, the layers look absurdly thin, and I stood over the pan convinced I had ruined everything. I had not. That is just how this cake builds. I pulled it from the oven, set it on the counter, grabbed my camera, and discovered the battery was dead. Of course it was.

Dana arrived the next morning anyway. We cut two slices, poured coffee, and sat at the kitchen table while her kids ran circles around the living room. She took one bite, looked at me, and said, This is perfect.

I told her the truth. It is an easy cake. Anyone can make it with a little patience and a good tart apple.

That is the thing about this recipe. It does not ask for fancy skills or a long session with a stand mixer. You cream butter and sugar, you beat in an egg, you stir in the dry ingredients, and then you layer.

The streusel comes together in one bowl with a spoon. If you can stir, you can make this cake.

What I love most is how the textures stack up. The sour cream keeps the crumb soft and slightly tangy. The apples soften just enough in the oven, so they stay distinct instead of melting into sauce.

The streusel stays crisp on top. Then the glaze drizzles down the sides in thin ribbons and pools in the little valleys of the crumb.

It also fits almost any occasion. Coffee with friends. A lazy Sunday breakfast. A holiday brunch where you need something that travels well. A bake sale where you want the table to look good. I have brought this cake to all of those, and it never comes home.

The pan matters more than you might think. A springform pan lets you release the cake without flipping it, which keeps that streusel right where it belongs, on top. Lining the bottom with parchment paper means the cake slides free instead of sticking.

One more reason I keep coming back to this cake: it is forgiving. If your layers look uneven, the oven smooths them out. If your streusel clumps are bigger in some spots than others, nobody minds. It is a homemade cake, and it should look like one.

One more thing before we get to the recipe. If you have ever had a dry coffee cake, you know the disappointment. This is not that cake. Between the sour cream and the apples, it stays moist for a couple of days, which is convenient, because it also tastes wonderful the next morning with a fresh cup of coffee.

Give it a try, friends. The batter is thick, the layers are thin, but when that apple cinnamon smell fills your kitchen, you will know it was worth the effort.

Tips for the Best Apple Crumb Cake

Four small things make a big difference here:

• Do not panic about the batter. It is very thick, and each layer will look thin in the pan. That is completely normal.
• Choose firm, tart apples. They balance the sweet cinnamon streusel and hold their shape while baking.
• Do not precook the apples. Chop them and add them raw, straight from the cutting board.
• Check the center with a tester instead of trusting the clock alone. When it comes out clean, the cake is done.

None of these steps are fussy, and they are the reason this cake turns out right every time.

Craving more delicious apple desserts!? Check these too:

If apples are your thing, do not stop here. There is an Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling that is moist and nicely spiced for fall. There are Apple Pie Cookies, bite sized and sticky, like little caramel apple pies.

And there are warm Apple Dumplings that work on their own or with a scoop of ice cream. All three are worth a look when the apple mood strikes, so pick one and keep the apple streak going.

Ingredients

This recipe has three parts, and it helps to treat them separately: the streusel, the cake, and the glaze.

For cinnamon streusel crumb

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large tart apple, or 2 small ones, peeled and chopped

For the cake

• 4 Tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Apple cider glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons apple cider

Instructions

You will need an 8 inch springform pan and a sheet of parchment paper for the bottom. A whisk, a couple of bowls, and a spatula are all the tools this cake asks for. Here is the whole process, step by step.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set it aside.
2. Make the cinnamon streusel crumb. In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the melted butter and vanilla, then stir until the mixture is evenly moist. Set it aside.
3. Make the cake. In a large bowl, cream 4 Tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well. Add the vanilla and the sour cream and beat again.
4. In another bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, the baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until just combined.
5. Spread half the batter in the bottom of the pan. It will be a very thin layer. Spread the apple chunks evenly over the batter, then sprinkle about 1 cup of the streusel crumbs over the apples. Spread the remaining batter over the crumbs, then finish with the rest of the streusel.
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Run a thin knife around the cake before you remove the ring of the springform pan.
8. Make the glaze. Whisk the powdered sugar with the apple cider, then drizzle it over the cake.

The layers will look thin. Trust the process, keep layering, and let the oven do its job.

Notes

A few notes from my kitchen to yours.

• The batter is very thick, and the layers look thin when you spread them. That is normal, so keep going.
• Use a firm, tart apple for the best flavor and texture. There is no need to cook the apples first.
• Plain Greek yogurt can stand in for the sour cream.
• For the glaze, use apple cider juice, not apple cider vinegar. They are very different things, and your cake will notice the difference.
• Store the cake covered at room temperature for one to two days. For longer storage, keep it covered in the refrigerator.

This recipe is adapted from neighborfoodblog.com.

Recipe details

Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 40 minutes. Total time: 60 minutes. Yield: one cake, about 12 servings.

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Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

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Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake If you ask me, fall baking belongs to apples. This Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake is the kind of dessert that makes the whole house smell like a bakery.

• Total Time: 60 min
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For cinnamon streusel crumb
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 large tart apples, peeled and chopped

For the cake
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Apple cider glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 and 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons apple cider

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350 F: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 8 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, set aside.
2-To make cinnamon streusel crumb, first in: To make cinnamon streusel crumb, first in a bowl, whisk together dry ingredient. Then add melted butter and vanilla and stir until the mixture is evenly moist, set aside, too.
3-To make the cake in a large: To make the cake in a large bowl, cream together 4 tbsp butter with 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, then add egg and beat well. Finally, add vanilla and sour cream and beat again.
4-In another bowl, stir together 1 cup: In another bowl, stir together 1 cup flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder and add to the butter mixture, stir until just combined.
5-Spread half the batter at the bottom: Spread half the batter at the bottom of the pan ( it will be very thin layer). Spread the apple chunks evenly over the batter, then sprinkle about 1 cup of the cinnamon streusel crumbs over the apples. Spread the remaining batter over the crumbs and on top spread the rest of the cinnamon streusel.
6-Bake 35-40 minutes or until a tester: Bake 35-40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
7-Before remove the ring of springform pan: Before remove the ring of springform pan run a thin knife around the cake.
8-To make the glaze, whisk together powdered: To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar with apple cider and drizzle over the cake.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 40 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1