Apple Crumb Cake
Apple Crumb Cake
This is officially my new favorite coffee/breakfast/snack/anytime cake. It has a comforting heft to it. It will remind you of apple picking and old fashioned donut shops. The cake on its own is wonderful, but the crumb topping makes it swoon-worthy. You will eat every last crumb. Promise.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
For the Apple Cake:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup olive oil
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced (about 3 cups) – I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Honeycrisp
For the Crumb Topping and Layers:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
3 1/2 cups cake flour *
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Make the crumb topping: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a medium bowl to combine. Add cake flour and stir with a spatula or spoon until the mixture resembles thick crumbles; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10-15 minutes.
- Make the apple cake batter: Put all ingredients in one large bowl. Mix with your hands, gently, but thoroughly (do not use a spoon or mixer).
- Assemble: Lightly grease your bundt pan (or 9×13 pan). Now layer your crumb topping and apple cake mixture. Start with a bottom layer of a third of the crumb mixture, then half of the batter, second third of the crumbs, remaining half of the batter, and finally, the last of the crumbs.
- Bake for 1 hour. Test that it’s done by inserting a knife or skewer. If it comes out clean it’s done. Loosen the edges with the edge of a knife and invert the cake onto your serving plate to cool.
* If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute using this handy formula:
= 1 cup cake flour
Be sure to sift everything well, 3-4 times, before using.
Cook’s Note: I think that this cake is plenty sweet as it is, but if you are looking to bring this over the edge on the presentation and indulgence front, feel free to drizzle on some powdered sugar icing after the cake has fully cooled. Recipe for the glaze below for your sweet tooth pleasure:
Powdered Sugar Icing (aka White Fondant Glaze)
Recipe from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons (or up to 1/2 cup) warm milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift 4 cups of powdered sugar into a bowl. Slowly add 6 tablespoons to 1/2 cup of warm milk, briskly whisking until all the sugar is dissolved. Only add as much milk as is needed to make a thick, smooth paste. Whisk in the vanilla.
