Apple Crumble Cake!
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A deliciously light and autumnal apple crumble cake with an apple brown sugar crumble sponge and cinnamon buttercream frosting
Apple baking
I’ve been wanting to post something like this for a while… It’s well and truly Autumn now, the weather is changing, and its nearly Halloween. I saw a delicious looking post the other day of some apple crumble cupcakes from Zoella, and this inspired me to use the countless amount of apples that have been growing in my garden recently.
I kid you not, I think we have had over 60 apples in just the past couple of weeks, and I can’t keep up with the baking. Some squirrels got to them, and some were eaten away at by bugs, but there were some absolute beauties which I just HAD to bake with – when you have something literally growing in your garden it’s rude not to use them.
I would say that it is important to use cooking apples because you want the apples to retain some texture when baking. The cake bakes for quite a while, so I would avoid using eating apples as they lose their texture, quicker.
Crumble mixture
I posted my recipe for a caramel apple crumble pie last year, and it was well and truly loved and I knew something crumbly and yummy would be ideal for this post.
A crumble mix is very simple – it’s a simple mix of plain flour, sugar and butter. I always use plain flour in my crumble mix as you really don’t need to use anything else, there is no need for a raising agent. You can use caster sugar, light brown soft sugar, or anything you really have in the cupboard.
It is important to use block unsalted butter and not a margarine in the crumble mix, however, You need to add the ingredients to a bowl and rub the three ingredients together to a find breadcrumb like texture. If you don’t want to make it yourself, I don’t judge you buying a shop bought crumble mix.
Cake mix
I went for a regular idea with my sponge, using a very similar one to my salted caramel drip cake using light brown sugar. I used a touch of cinnamon in the sponge to give it a bit of an autumnal kick, and it goes SO well with the apples it would be rude not to.
- Butter – for a sponge mix, you can use a block butter at room temperature, or you can use a baking spread for the sponge mix
- Sugar – as mentioned above, I like using light brown soft sugar for this because it compliments the other ingredients. You can use caster sugar or even golden caster sugar if you preferred though.
- Flour – self raising flour, of course.
- Eggs – I use medium eggs, so I use six medium eggs, but five large would also work
- Cinnamon – this is 100% optional, but I love the addition of cinnamon with apples.
Baking the cakes
I fold the apple mixture through the cake mix and then split the cake mix between two deep 8″ cake tins. I sprinkle most of the crumble mix on top of the two cakes, and then I bake the cakes in the oven. They take quite a while to bake at 45-55 minutes typically.
I will admit I was a little unsure of how the apples would bake in this cake… Let’s just say, I tried part cooking the apples before I put them into the cake, but it didn’t work. After trying this cake four different times with this method, it’s safe to say that just coating the apples with sugar for a bit of sweetness, and baking them as they are is best. The amount of time that the cake is in the oven bakes the apples to the perfect texture (as you can see in the picture) and I wish I had just tried it the first time.
I tend to leave the cakes to cool fully in the tins to prevent handling the sponges too much – they can be more delicate due to the moisture.
Buttercream frosting & decoration
The spare crumble mix can be baked on a tray for 10-15 minutes until slightly golden, and used as decoration. You can also use fudge sprinkles (such as good combo with the apple and cinnamon again).
Using a cinnamon buttercream frosting was ideal for this as again, flavour heaven. I made it an easy buttercream frosting of 1:2 of unsalted block butter at room temp to icing sugar and it worked wonderfully with the tsp of cinnamon, and a touch of boiling water for smoothness.
I pipe the frosting onto the cake in swirls using my favourite piping tip like always – but you can slather it on instead if you prefer, or pipe it differently.
Tips & Tricks
- I use two 8″ cake tins for this cake
- I use my favourite piping tip for the decoration
- You could also use a ready made crumble mix if you like as well as it does save time, but you’ll still need to bake it on top of the cake in the same way, and bake the spare in the same way as well!
- This cake will last in an airtight container for up to 3-4+ days
- You can freeze this cake for 3+ months if you want
Apple Crumble Cake!
Ingredients
Crumble
- 120 g plain flour
- 60 g caster sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
Cake
- 500 g cooking apples (peeled & chopped weight)
- 300 g unsalted butter/baking spread
- 300 g light brown soft sugar + 50g
- 300 g self raising flour
- 6 medium eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Buttercream
- 250 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
- 500 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line two 8″/20cm round tins.
- Make the crumble mixture. Rub together the sugar, flour and butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs, leave to the side for now.
- Peel and core the apples, cube the apples into about 2cm pieces.
- Put the apples into a bowl, and cover with 50g of light brown sugar. Mix it up so all the apple pieces are covered and leave to the side.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, eggs, and cinnamon and beat until smooth. Fold through the apple mixture and split between two 8” lined tins.
- Sprinkle on a layer of the crumble mixture (only about 1/2cm worth per cake) and then bake in the oven for 45-55+ minutes or until baked through
- Leave the cakes to cool in the tins
- Beat the butter for a few minutes until really light and supple.
- Add in the icing sugar and beat fully after each incorporation.
- Add in the cinnamon and 1-2tbsps of boiling water and beat for about 5 minutes until really light and fluffy.
- Get the first cake and spread/pipe some of the buttercream onto it
- Add the second cake on top and pipe on the other half of the buttercream.
- Sprinkle on the crumble mixture and maybe an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, and some sprinkles and yaaaay you’re done!
Notes
- I use two 8" cake tins for this cake
- I use my favourite piping tip for the decoration
- You could also use a ready made crumble mix if you like as well as it does save time, but you’ll still need to bake it on top of the cake in the same way, and bake the spare in the same way as well!
- This cake will last in an airtight container for up to 3-4+ days
- You can freeze this cake for 3+ months if you want
I made this in 2016 with our windfall baking apples. We were asked to enter a competition at work to raise money for McMillan coffee morning. Put of 8 entries, I won! My colleagues raved about how amaxing it was. So, thanks Jane for the amazing recipe. Nearly 10 years later I have one in the oven baking as I type! 😃
Hi Jane,
Would this work baked in a loaf tin at all?
Thanks! X
Hi Jane
Well another amazing recipe . I have made this twice and everyone just loved it
Doesn’t matter what recipe I use of yours , everyone just says wow ,what’s next lol
So thank you for sharing all your fabulous recipes and making me a better baker
I made this cake it was amazing Does anyone have a recipe for custard frosting or buttercream as this would take the cake to the next level
Hi Jane! Wondering if this would work with the 8inch 3inch deep PME cake pan, or it is better with the masterclass 8inch x 2inch deep loose bottom ones? Got both in my basket on Amazon debating which would be better!!! Thanks xxx
Hi Jane could I bake this in 8inch tins that are 4 inches deep?
Yes!
Hi Jane,
Would it be possible to freeze the sponges ahead of time?
Yes, that should be fine!
Would this work as a 3 tier cake? If so, what quantities would I need?
I made 3 tiers with 7 inch tins, plenty of mix
I’m going to try this for my daughters 21st next week.
What sprinkles did you use on the top in the photos? Are they fudge?
Yes, small fudge pieces! Hope this helps, enjoy! x
My husband adored this – he said it was the best cake I’d ever made!
Thank you for always having such inspiring yet easy to follow recipes 🙂
Hi Jane. I really want to cover the sides in butter cream like your drip cakes, can you please advise the quantities for covering the cake in just an ordinary butter cream and also would I decorate it with the same instructions on your other cakes? Xxx
It varies per recipe, but for this one, I would double it x
Hi Jane, I really want to make this and cover the sides with butter cream like you do on your salted caramel drip cake, how much ingredients would I need to do that please, and would I decorate it following the instructions on your salted caramel drip cake? I want to make this for my sisters 30th next week! Any tips would be amazing please xxx
Hi Jane,
This looks amazing!! I was just wondering what you would recommend substituting the eggs for to make the recipe vegan? (I presume dairy free butter would work ok in replace of the butter)
Hi. Could I use golden caster sugar if I can’t get light brown sugar? Thanks so much
Yes for sure!!
I’ve made this before and it was fantastic!
What’s your thoughts on adopting this to a loaf cake? How would you change the volume of ingredients please Jane? X
I made this as loaf cakes and it made 3 !