Apple Crumb Cake

Perfectly sweet, moist Apple Crumb Cake – made with fresh apples, ground cinnamon, and a delicious brown sugar pecan topping. One of our family’s favorite desserts… and it doubles as a sweet breakfast treat!

There are some recipes that, no matter where you eat them, will always feel like home. And this Apple Crumb Cake is one of them.

It’s a recipe that was passed down to my mom from my grandma, and one of those desserts we ate all the time when I was growing up. And once you try it… I’m sure you’ll see why!

Not only is it super easy to make, and oven-ready in 15 minutes or less, but the flavors in it are so classic. So cozy. So comforting.

This cake is made with 2 cups of fresh, chopped apples, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans. Pretty much everything you need to make the best fall apple cake that’s equally delicious for breakfast OR dessert!

what you’ll need for this recipe

Dry ingredients – All purpose flour, baking soda & salt.

Wet ingredients – Butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract & buttermilk. Feel free to add apple pie spice in place of cinnamon for extra flavor. Also, my grandma’s recipe called for sour milk, so this is a great way to use up the milk in your fridge!

Apples – Finely chopped, peeled apples are the star of the show. I used Gala apples, but any variety (or a combination) will work well.

Crumb topping – Brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans create a simple topping that’s perfect for this recipe. For a more decadent cake, substitute streusel topping or cream cheese frosting.

how to make apple crumb cake

Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.

Combine the wet ingredients. In a separate larger bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix well.

Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. To the creamed butter, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.

Stir in the apples. Stir in the chopped apples.

Bake. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Add the crumb topping. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

storage tips

Leftover Apple Cake should be covered and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. To freeze, remove cake in portions from the pan and wrap in plastic wrap or foil, then place in a freezer safe ziploc bag or container and seal tightly. Cake can be frozen for up to 6 months, then thawed at room temperature before enjoying.