Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

A soft and tender apple crumb cake topped with lots of jumbo crumbs! I love adding walnuts to the topping because it adds so much texture. This is seriously the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning!

Today’s post is sponsored by California Walnuts! We are using their delicious walnuts in the crumb topping of this fall inspired apple crumb cake.

This apple crumb cake has been my breakfast // snack // dessert of choice more times this month than i’d actually like to recall at the moment. And while i’m starting Monday off with all the honesty, I might as well tell you that you’ll also occasionally (read: almost always) find me stealing all the crumbs off of hubby’s cake as well. There’s just something about a good buttery crumb topping that just makes fall mornings a little more perfect.

When I say my crumb cakes are ‘crumby’, I mean they are extra super duper heavy on the crumbs. Would you ever OR have you ever heard anyone say, “this cake has too much crumb”. You know why? Because there’s no such thing.

We’re talking about 3 amazing layers all jam packed into one apple crumb cake. And so much taste and texture in each bite. It starts with the cinnamon, butter, sugar, and walnut jumbo crumbs. Then you get these thinly sliced apples that are soft and salty-sweet from being bake between a vanilla cake and buttery crumbs. And finally comes the vanilla scented cake base. Talk about heart emojis x 10.

SAW-WEET.

Let’s get baking.

The recipe starts with the easy crumb topping. You’re going to melt the butter in the microwave in a small bowl while you whisk together a little AP flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and ½ a cup of California Walnuts in another bowl. The walnuts add such nice texture and nuttiness to the crumb cake. Plus, melted butter, flour, and sugar coated walnuts become crunchy little tidbits when they get a little baking time in. Which literally makes my morning cup of joe, extra perfect.

The next main component — apples. This is an cinnamon apple crumb cake after all. When I think of fall desserts the very first thing to go through my mind are apples. Growing up right outside of Chicago guaranteed two things come October, there would be colorful leaves everywhere and loads of apple picking to be done. My brother and I would come back with a few brown paper bags overflowing with them each year. Never tasted an apple as good as one that was hand-picked. And till this day the smell of apple cinnamon cakes remind me of my childhood.

Now that we’re in the thick of apple-picking season, it’s only appropriate that we make an apple crumb cake to celebrate! Also, if you went/are going apple-picking, pick a shiny one out just for me. My search for an ‘apple farm’ in Houston is still ongoing ?.

The cake portion of the apple coffee cake is pretty straightforward. It starts with whipping the butter and adding in the sugar, followed by the vanilla to scent up this whole thing. Follow it up with the eggs, one by one until each is incorporated completely before adding the next. Once that’s taken care of, we’ll add the flower mixture in 3 additions alternating it first with ¼ cup of greek yogurt and the second time with 2 tablespoons of milk. This really helps keep the cake both tender and moist.

Once it’s all ready to go, we add the cake batter to a prepared pan. I find that a springform pan is the easiest way to get this cake out in one simple go. Follow up the cake batter with the thinly sliced apples. And finally, top with all the crumb topping.

Now just sit back while the oven works it’s magic. My whole house was warmed up with the smell of apples and cinnamon wafting from my kitchen. Who needs a scented candle when you can get all the smells and a apple coffee cake at the end to enjoy?

This is totally my jam.

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Yield: 8-12 generous slices

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

A soft and tender apple crumb cake topped with lots of jumbo crumbs! I love adding walnuts to the topping because it adds so much texture. This is seriously the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning!

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Ingredients

Crumb topping:

• ½ cup butter, melted (see notes)
• ½ cup chopped California Walnuts
• 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup butter, room temperature (see notes)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 medium apples, quartered, cored and thinly sliced (such as granny smith and pink lady)

Instructions

1. CRUMB TOPPING: In a medium bowl combine the walnuts, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon whisk together using a fork. Use the fork to stir while you pour in the melted butter. You'll notice the crumbs start to form. Break up any huge crumbs with the fork. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you make the batter.
2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray, set aside.
3. CAKE BATTER: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 2 minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to beat for an additional 1-2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until each is incorporated before adding the next. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three editions alternating with the greek yogurt the first time and the milk the second time. Do not overmix. The batter with be quite thick and it's okay if it has a few lumps.
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the sliced apples followed by the crumb topping and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out mostly clean (or with just a few crumbs). Let cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from springform pan.

Notes

• I like to use salted butter for most of my baking. If you're using unsalted butter, add in ¼ teaspoon of salt for EACH the crumb topping and the cake batter.
• I suggest using a 9-inch springform for this recipe as it makes it so much easier to get the coffee cake out.

 Thank you to our friends over at California Walnuts for sponsoring this post. We truly love working with companies that promote good, wholesome ingredients!

Have you made this recipe?

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