Classic Apple Crunch Cake on The Dinner Recipe is a single-layer, spiced apple cake with a thick crumble topping, meant to taste like cake plus apple crisp in one pan and served warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients (1× batch)
Cake
- 2 large apples (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji), peeled, cored, diced.
- 1½ cups all‑purpose flour.
- 1 cup granulated sugar.
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (1½ sticks), room temperature.
- 3 large eggs, room temperature.
- ⅓ cup buttermilk.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ½ teaspoon salt.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Crumble topping
- ⅔ cup all‑purpose flour.
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar.
- ⅓ cup cold unsalted butter (about 5½ tablespoons), cubed.
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Method (stepwise)
- Heat oven to 175°C (350°F); grease and flour an 8–9 inch square or springform pan.
- Make crumble: mix flour, both sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg; cut in cold butter until coarse crumbs and chill while you make the batter.
- Prep apples: peel, core, and dice; set aside.
- Dry mix: whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon in a bowl.
- Cream butter & sugar: beat butter and sugar 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs & buttermilk: beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla; alternately add dry mix and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in apples: gently fold diced apples into the batter.
- Assemble: spread batter evenly in pan, then sprinkle chilled crumble over the top.
- Bake 55–65 minutes, tenting with foil near the end if the topping browns too fast; a toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool 15–20 minutes in the pan before slicing; serve plain or with vanilla ice cream.
Tips and variations
Extra crunch: fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the streusel.
No buttermilk: acidify milk with vinegar or lemon and let it curdle slightly before using.
Other fruits: firm peaches or pears work, though timing may vary slightly.
Prevent sinking apples: toss apples in some flour or layer batter–apples–batter.
Storage: room temperature, airtight, up to 3 days; topping softens over time.
Classic Apple Crunch Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Pan
- Set the oven temperature to 175°C (350°F). An 8 or 9-inch square or springform baking pan should be greased and floured.
- Step 2: Make the Crumble Topping
- Mix the flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium-sized bowl. Incorporate the chilled, cubed butter. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. While you prepare the cake batter, keep the bowl refrigerated.
- Step 3: Prepare the Apples
- Peel, core, and dice your apples. Set them aside.
- Step 4: Make the Cake Batter (Dry Ingredients)
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a different medium basin. Put aside.
- Step 5: Make the Cake Batter (Wet Ingredients)
- Beat the granulated sugar and room-temperature butter in a large basin with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 6: Combine Wet and Dry
- Beat well after adding each egg one at a time. Add the vanilla essence and stir. Next, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and finishing with the flour mixture. Do not overmix; simply blend the ingredients. Some bumps are OK.
- Step 7: Fold in Apples
- Using a spatula, gently incorporate the chopped apples into the cake batter.
- Step 8: Assemble the Cake
- Evenly distribute the batter after pouring it into the prepared pan.
- Step 9: Add the Topping
- Evenly distribute the cooled crumble topping on top of the cake mixture.
- Step 10: Bake
- A toothpick placed in the center of the cake should come out clean after 55 to 65 minutes of baking. For the final 10 to 15 minutes of baking, you may lightly cover the pan with foil if the topping starts to brown too rapidly.
- Step 11: Cool and Serve
- Before slicing and serving, allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Why You’ll Love Classic Apple Crunch Cake Recipe
- Perfect Texture Contrast: Classic Apple Crunch Cake Apple crunch recipe The buttermilk and apples give the cake a wonderful moisture content and tenderness, which contrasts beautifully with the crunchy, buttery, cinnamon-sugar crunch topping Apple crunch Recipe.
- Warm, Comforting Spices: The combination of nutmeg and cinnamon gives your kitchen the classic scent of autumn, making the preparation as much fun as the finished product.
- Adaptable Treat: It is easy enough to serve as a decadent coffee cake in the afternoon or as a rich dessert on the weekend.
- Simple and Forgiving: This single-layer cake with a plain streusel is easy to create and, because to its abundant topping, conceals any tiny flaws, unlike some stacked cakes.
FAQs
If I do not have buttermilk, what then?
Adding 21 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice to 21 cups of milk in a measuring cup is a simple way to produce a buttermilk alternative. After five minutes, let it rest until it slightly curdles, then proceed as instructed.
Are other fruits acceptable?
It is possible to modify this recipe. Although the baking time may change somewhat, you can use firm peaches or pears in place of the apples.
What can I do to stop the apples from sinking?
To keep them from sinking, coat the chopped apples in the flour/cinnamon mixture. Use a two-layer construction approach to better suspend the fruit (half the batter, then the apples, and then the remaining batter) for the best outcome.
What is the best way to store the cake?
For up to three days, keep the cake at room temperature in an airtight container. Over time, the crunchy topping could get softer because of the moisture from the apples.
Is it possible to reheat it before serving?
Of course! To bring back some of the crunch, reheat a piece in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds or bake the entire cake, uncovered, for around 10 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius).
Final Notes
- Avoid Overmixing: Overmixing the cake batter can cause the gluten to form, making the cake thick and difficult. Just stir until the flour strands are gone.
- Ingredients at Room Temperature: Make sure the buttermilk, egg, and butter are all at room temperature. This enables them to properly emulsify, producing a batter that is smooth, soft, and has a superior rise.
- Customize the Topping: To add even more “crunch,” you may add 41 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping mixture.
