Looking for a treat to welcome in your favorite season, but exhausted every pumpkin recipe on the internet? This Apple Cake with Crumble is going to be your new Fall favorite!
I love a delicious apple recipe in the Fall (this Brie and Apple Grilled cheese is on REPEAT for lunch!), and this cake is just so easy to eat. It’s moist and fluffy with a crumbly top and highlights the apple so beautifully.
AND your kitchen is about to smell like a Fall Harvest without having to buy one of those over-the-top, almost offensive-to-your-nostrils cinnamon brooms.
Plus, as a mom with a packed schedule and passion for baking, I appreciate a simple and versatile recipe like this that comes together easily, has an option for a streusel top if I have extra time, and uses real ingredients to bring depth of flavor naturally!
Apple Crumble Cake Ingredient Highlights & Substitutions
I used Gala apples in the one pictured, but you can also opt for Fuji, Honeycrisp, Ambrosia, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious. Or any combination of these.
Any percentage of dairy milk or unsweetened nondairy milk works here. Use unsweetened apple sauce.
I love using coconut oil in solid form in this recipe because the subtle fruity and floral flavor plays so well with the apple. That being said, you can substitute softened unsalted butter instead.
Apple Crumble Cake Tips and Tricks
How to Make Apple Cake with Crumble
Start by creaming the coconut oil and sugar together. Then, mix in the apple sauce, vanilla extract, and milk.
With the hand mixer on low, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. You should be left with a smooth, thick batter. Set it aside.
Peel the apple and cut it around the core. Use a cheese grater or a food processor with a grating attachment to shred the apple. Fold the shredded apple into the batter.
Transfer into a lined or greased cake pan and set aside to mix up your crumble topping. Melt the butter first, then add it to a bowl with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Whisk it carefully with a fork. You should be left with a crumbly mixture. If it’s not crumbly enough, add a little extra flour. Then, crumble it on top of the cake in a generous layer. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Store Apple Cake with Fresh Apples
Because there are 4 fresh apples packed right into the batter for this cake, it’s best to keep this cake refrigerated after 24 hours. From then, it will last 4-5 days.
Cover it or slice it and store it in an airtight container, or you can opt to freeze it for up to 3 months before thawing and enjoying it within 5 days.
Moist Apple Cake with Crumble and Real Fresh Apples
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PRINT RATEEquipment
- Cheese Grater * or *
- Food Processor with shredding attachment
- 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch baking pan I used a round springform pan
Ingredients
Apple Cake with Fresh Apples
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar (tightly packed)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (in solid form)
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 cup milk of choice (I use coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 sweet apples, shredded (I use Gala)
Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar (tightly packed)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup powdered sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)
Instructions
Apple Cake with Fresh Apples
- Preheat an oven to 350°F and line or grease a 9-inch cake pan (I used a springform pan for easy removal!). You can use a round or square pan- both work!
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and oil together until well-combined.1 ½ cups light brown sugar, ¼ cup coconut oil
- Add the apple sauce, milk, and vanilla extract and mix well.¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce, 1 cup milk of choice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With your hand mixer on low, add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until a thick batter forms and set aside.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Peel the skin off the apples and use a cheese grater or food processor to shred the apple into a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula to fold the shredded apple into the cake batter.4 sweet apples, shredded
- Pour the batter into your prepped cake pan and set it aside to prepare your streusel.
Streusel Topping
- Melt the butter in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until completely liquefied.¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Add butter to a mixing bowl with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Use a whisk to combine, forming a crumbly mixture. If your mixture isn't crumbly, add a little more flour, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is nice a crumbly.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Use clean hands to crumble the mixture on top of your cake.
- Bake cake for 30-40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and enjoy!¼ cup powdered sugar to sprinkle on top
Pro Tips
- Grate your apple just before adding it to the batter to avoid it from browning.
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2 thoughts on “Moist Apple Cake with Crumble and Real Fresh Apples”
I probably ate this in a day! I can’t get enough! I would definitely recommend making this. It’s perfect for the holidays.
Right? It’s always gone in an instant!