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Easy apple crumb cake with a cinnamon apple drizzle offers a delicious and simple dessert.

Apple Crumb Cake Heaven with Cinnamon Apple Drizzle

This Apple Crumb Cake is the epitome of comfort food, featuring a moist and flavorful cake base, a buttery crumb topping, and a luscious cinnamon-infused glaze. Perfect for busy bakers, this recipe delivers impressive results with straightforward steps and readily available ingredients. Indulge in a slice of apple crumb cake heaven!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour for cake
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for cake
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for cake
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 cups peeled and diced apples Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or a mix
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour for crumb topping
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar for crumb topping
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for crumb topping
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar for drizzle
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for drizzle
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for drizzle
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 9x13 inch baking pan
  • Medium bowl
  • Large bowl
  • Whisk
  • Electric mixer (optional)
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Pastry blender or fingertips
  • Small saucepan
  • Wooden skewer
  • Oven
  • Cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the 1 tsp vanilla extract.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
  6. Gently fold in the diced apples.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly.
  8. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 cup flour, brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon (crumb topping).
  9. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  10. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apple cake batter.
  11. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the topping starts to brown too quickly, loosely tent the pan with foil.
  12. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before drizzling with the cinnamon apple drizzle.
  13. In a small saucepan, melt the 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.
  14. Stir in the brown sugar, milk, and cinnamon (drizzle). Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  15. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract (drizzle).
  16. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. If the drizzle is too thick, add a little more milk. If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
  17. Drizzle the cinnamon apple drizzle evenly over the cooled cake.
  18. Let cool completely before serving.

Notes

For the best flavor, use a mix of tart and sweet apples like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp. Ensure the butter for the crumb topping is very cold for a perfect crumbly texture. You can add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumb topping for extra crunch. Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds before serving. For an enhanced flavor, consider browning the butter used in the crumb topping before adding the other ingredients.