Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

A stack of two slices of apple crumb cake drizzled with caramel, on a wire rack.

4.99 from 67 votes

Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

My Caramel Apple Crumb Cake is made with a fluffy layer of spice cake, a layer of caramelized cinnamon apples, and a generous amount of crumb topping. Finish it off with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce for true fall bliss!

Prep Time45

Cook Time42

Total Time1 27

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Keyword: Apple Cake, Crumb Cake, Fall Dessert, Fall Breakfast Recipes

Servings: slices

Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar 210 grams
6 tbsp salted butter, cubed 85 grams
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream 135 grams
pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Caramelized Apples

3 tbsp salted butter 42 grams
2 large apples, sliced into 1/2" slices honeycrisp or golden delicious work well
3 tbsp brown sugar 40 grams
3/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

For the Cake

1/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 4 tbsp or 57 grams
1/2 cup granulated sugar 105 grams
1/4 cup brown sugar 55 grams
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup milk, at room temperature 80 grams
3 tbsp full fat sour cream, at room temperature 45 grams
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 173 grams
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of allspice
pinch of ground cloves
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed - for the cinnamon sugar layer 40 grams
1 tbsp cinnamon - for the cinnamon sugar layer

For the Crumb Layer

1/2 cup salted butter 113 grams
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 110 grams
3 tbsp granulated sugar 38 grams
1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 173 grams
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Optional but amazing!
Make the salted caramel sauce according to my 10-Minute Salted Caramel Sauce recipe. Set aside to cool, or make up to 1 week ahead and store in the fridge.
1 cup granulated sugar, 6 tbsp salted butter, cubed, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream, pinch of flaky sea salt
Prepare the Apples: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (Let it go a few extra minutes if you want browned butter.) Add the apples and remaining apple filling ingredients. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring lazily, until apples are slightly softened but still have a bit of a crunch. Set aside to cool slightly.
3 tbsp salted butter, 2 large apples, sliced into 1/2" slices, 3 tbsp brown sugar , 3/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of nutmeg, pinch of salt
Make the Cake Batter: Cream butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the sugars and mix until well creamed with the butter. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, & sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices and mix just until the last streaks of flour disappear. The batter will be fairly thick. Set aside.
Stir together the extra brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
1/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature , 1/2 cup granulated sugar , 1/4 cup brown sugar , 1 large egg, at room temperature , 1/3 cup milk, at room temperature , 3 tbsp full fat sour cream, at room temperature , 1 tsp vanilla extract , 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch of allspice, pinch of ground cloves
Make the Crumb Layer: Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Whisk in the sugars. Stir in the remaining crumb ingredients until you have large crumbs.
1/2 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, 3 tbsp granulated sugar , 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of salt
Assemble & Bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 9-inch round (or square) pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper for easy removal. Spread half of the batter in the pan (it will seem like too little batter, but don't fret). Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture, then add the remaining batter. (An offset spatula is helpful here.) Spoon the apples over the top of the batter in an even layer, leaving the excess liquid behind (I'll drizzle a spoonful or two over, but not all of it). Sprinkle on the crumble topping, then gently press them down a bit so they stick.
Bake for 36 to 42 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have a small amount of moist crumbs, not wet batter. The crumbs will appear baked and will be slightly browned.
3 tbsp brown sugar, packed - for the cinnamon sugar layer, 1 tbsp cinnamon - for the cinnamon sugar layer
Serve + Store: Let cake cool to your liking or enjoy warm! Slice and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or salted caramel sauce. This is best on the first day (the crumb will lose its crisp ness after that), but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. Be sure to keep in the fridge if the slices have salted caramel on top.

Notes

Note: Nutrition info does not include the caramel sauce, as there was not an easy way to include just a portion of the batch and sending the calorie count far too high.

Nutrition