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The Ultimate Moist Apple Crumb Cake with Buttery Cinnamon Streusel

A close-up of a moist slice of apple crumb cake showing chunks of apple and a thick cinnamon streusel topping.
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This recipe delivers a deeply satisfying Apple Crumb Cake featuring tender, cinnamon-spiced apples nestled in a moist cake base, topped with a generous, buttery streusel. It is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Cake: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 medium apples (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for apples)
  • For the Buttery Crumb Topping (Streusel): 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • For the Optional Cinnamon Drizzle: 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan or an 8-inch round cake pan.
  2. Prepare the apples: In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. Make the cake batter: In a small bowl, whisk together the 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1 cup of granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
  6. Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Scatter the cinnamon apples evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading gently.
  7. Make the buttery crumb topping: In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon for the topping. Cut in the cold butter pieces using a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  8. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the cake batter.
  9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
  10. Make the optional cinnamon drizzle: While the cake cools slightly, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until smooth.
  11. Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake before serving, or let the cake cool completely before drizzling. This is the best apple crumb cake for coffee breaks.

Notes

  • For the moistest cake, use room temperature eggs and milk.
  • If you prefer a rustic apple cake, use a 9×13 inch pan and reduce the baking time by about 10 minutes.
  • This apple streusel coffee cake tastes excellent served warm with vanilla ice cream for a cozy dessert.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gourmetgaze.com/apple-crumb-cake-recipe-moist-cinnamon-streusel/