Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake
This easy Cinnamon Apple Cake recipe features one of most beloved and classic flavor combinations in a simple one layer cake that comes together in just about 30 minutes. It is supremely soft, tender and moist with a sour cream cake base and a buttery cinnamon sugar topping. The topping has a crunchy layer after it bakes and cools which is a delicious contrast to the soft cake beneath. It packs so much cinnamon flavor with fresh juicy apples. Although this cake is great any time of the year, it is especially lovely during Fall in the cooler months as cinnamon warms up the house. Serve it for brunch or enjoy it alongside a cup of coffee or tea in the morning or afternoon. If you love baking with apples, try my Apple Cinnamon Muffins, Brown Butter Caramel Apple Crumb Cake and my Cinnamon Apple Fritter Cake too!
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make - this simple one-bowl recipe comes together in just 30 minutes without any special equipment. You can use a bowl, a whisk and a spatula.
- Moist sour cream cake - the sour cream cake batter makes a very moist, soft and tender crumb that melts in your mouth. You won't believe how moist it is!
- Fresh apples - fresh sweet and tart diced apples have a perfectly soft texture as they bake into the cake.
- Cinnamon sugar topping - the buttery cinnamon sugar sprinkle on top brings so much spicy cinnamon flavor and also adds crunch.
- Vanilla glaze - a quick 3 ingredient icing is the finishing touch that almost makes this cake taste like a glazed donut.
INGREDIENTS FOR CINNAMON APPLE CAKE
- Oil - this is an oil-based cake unlike my equally delicious Apple Fritter Cake that uses butter. The oil in this recipe creates a very soft and spongy texture and helps this cake rise taller even with all the apples weighing it down.
- Granulated sugar - simple granulated sugar keeps this cake soft and doesn't interfere with the clean apple cinnamon flavor. You'll also need granulated sugar for the cinnamon sugar topping.
- Eggs - one large egg will add nice structure for the soft sour cream cake.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to make this delicious cake. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Sour cream - full fat sour cream adds richness in the absence of butter and also creates a wonderful moist texture. If you don't have sour cream where you live, read down below in my FAQ section for my substitution recommendations.
- Milk - any type of milk will do. I prefer whole milk for baking. It should be at room temperature so measure it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
- All purpose flour - unbleached all-purpose flour works great for this cake.
- Apples- you must use fresh apples for this recipe. It really works with any kind of apple, but I prefer tart apples such as Granny Smith or Red Prince, which is what I used here.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Blend dry ingredients. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk very well until evenly blended.
- STEP 2). Mix in apples. Add chopped apples and toss them through the dry ingredients so they are evenly coated.
- STEP 3). Combine wet ingredients. Combine egg, oil, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth and well blended.
- STEP 4). Combine wet and dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold it all together gently with a spatula being sure to get down to the bottom and bring up any dry pockets. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
- STEP 5). Bake. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan using an offset spatula.
- STEP 6). Make the cinnamon topping. Combine cinnamon topping ingredients in a small bowl until evenly blended and sprinkle it randomly over the batter.
- STEP 7). Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then run a knife or offset spatula around the edges to release the cake and transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- STEP 8). Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over parchment-lined tray. Pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip over the edges. Scrape up the glaze that drips off the cake onto the parchment and spoon it back over the cake.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR CINNAMON APPLE CAKE
- Use room temperature ingredients. Since this is a simple one bowl mixing method, it is important to have all ingredients at the same temperature (not cold!) in order to help them blend evenly together. Make sure the egg and sour cream are at room temperature.
- Sift the dry ingredients. This is optional, but it will minimize the amount of mixing needed to combine the ingredients evenly so that you do not over-mix the batter. It will give you the best results for a finer texture crumb as well since the sieve will break up all the flour particles and help disperse the baking powder.
- Do not over-mix the batter. It is important that the batter is smooth, but stop as soon as you get to that point. Over-mixing can lead to a gummy cake, although this particular recipe is pretty foolproof.
RECIPE FAQ
You can make this cake the day before you plan to serve it and keep it covered overnight after it cools. If it is not too hot where you live, then you can store it at room temperature, but otherwise you can refrigerate it. It is still soft even after days in the fridge!
This cake is so soft because it uses oil in the batter. Oil is a liquid fat which means that the cake will have a softer crumb even when refrigerated.
Too much flour and not enough sugar is the main reason why cake can turn out dry and dense. It is important to have the right proportions of liquid to dry ingredients for successful baking.
If you can't find sour cream where you live, you can also make this cake with full fat Greek yogurt or crème fraiche.
This recipe works well with any type of apple, but my preference is for tart apples such as Granny Smith, Idared, Red Prince or Cortland.
Yes, you can make this cake in an 8-inch square cake pan. The cake will be slightly thinner and the baking time will be a few minutes less.
This cake is so delicious that I serve it with nothing else! It is best served warm, yet still absolutely soft and delicious at room temperature. If you want to jazz it up, I'd suggest some lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
STORING AND FREEZING
This cake will keep well in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature, and then keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days. To serve, pull it from the fridge about 20 minutes in advance.
I do not recommend freezing this cake as the texture of the apples will be compromised - they will get quite mushy. This cake keeps well in the fridge, even if you choose to store it for 1 week.
If you love cake and fruit, check out these recipes!
Brown Butter Peach Crumb Cake Caramel Apple Cake Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Cake Copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf recipe Raspberry Almond Cake ULTIMATE Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Lemon Curd Frosting Creamy Raspberry Cheesecake Sticky Toffee Date Cake Moist Lemon Blueberry Bread Olive Oil Chocolate Bundt Cake Blueberry Peach Upside Down Cake Blueberry Swirl Lemon Loaf CakeVideo
Apple Cinnamon Crunch Cake
Ingredients
Cake batter:
- 1 ½ cups (215g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups peeled, chopped red or green apple (about 1 large or 1 ½ small apples cut into ½ inch pieces)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) oil (sunflower, canola or vegetable oil)
- ½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Crunch topping:
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (3g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter, melted
Cinnamon Sugar glaze:
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) milk
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper.
- Make the cake batter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk very well until evenly blended. Add chopped apples and toss them through the dry ingredients so they are evenly coated.
- Combine egg, oil, sour cream, milk and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth and well blended.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold it all together gently with a spatula being sure to get down to the bottom and bring up any dry pockets. Stop right when the batter is fully combined and be careful not to over mix.
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan using an offset spatula. Combine cinnamon topping ingredients in a small bowl until evenly blended and sprinkle it randomly over the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then run a knife or offset spatula around the edges to release the cake and transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- Make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar, milk and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Place the cake on a wire rack and set the rack over parchment-lined tray. Pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip over the edges. Scrape up the glaze that drips off the cake onto the parchment and spoon it back over the cake. If you want, you can also add more powdered sugar to make a thicker icing, but I like this donut-glazed effect. Serve immediately or store covered to serve later.
Thank you for such an amazing recipe. Quick question: should I serve this cake warm fresh out the oven (with an icecream perhaps), or should it be at room temperature?
Also, can I use olive oil for this?
Hi Patrick! You can do either. It is great warm or room temp :). You can use olive oil instead of canola/sunflower oil, however I would recommend a light olive oil if you have it since it is more neutral in flavor.
I just made this and it’s SO GOOD. I was a bit nervous because the batter was thick and didn’t pour easily. But it’s turned out perfect - moist, soft and so yummy, and bonus - the house smells amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
You are welcome Supriya! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
We loved this cake. It was so tender, moist, flavorful, and easy to make.
Thank you so much Linda!
I made this cake today and absolutely loved it! It was surprisingly easy to make 💞 The apples cooked perfectly, and the cake wasn’t soggy at all. The crunchy top was the best part of the recipe!
Thanks for the feedback! I'm so glad you love the cake and found it easy to make.
Easy, light as air and delicious. Nothing too exotic but just a lovely cake. Thanks!
You're welcome Patty! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂
I loved this cake! I sprinkled the apples pieces with cinnamon and brown sugar before adding it to the cake 🙂
Thanks Anna!:)
Obsessed with how light and moist this cake is. Such an amazing simple and delicious cake, definitely will make again in the future 😋 🍎 Thank you for creating this recipe and sharing!
You're welcome Andrea! I'm glad you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
I made this unbelievably easy & delicious recipe with "wild" apples that my neighbor gave me from his tree. It was great, gone in 3 days, with my husband & I savoring every delicious bite. Highly recommend!!!!
Thank you Nancy! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cake! 🙂
A sweet lemon sauce is utterly delicious with this light and perfect cake!
Thanks for the feedback Jacqueline! Sounds delicious!
This cake is a keeper, easy to make and delicious. The contrast between the crunchy top and soft cake is perfect. The minute you taste it your hooked.
Thanks for the feedback Chris! Glad you enjoyed the cake!
This dessert looks great I'm going to try it over the weekend thank you
This almost like my Grandma’s coffee cake except it has apples this sounds delicious But the coffee cake was made in a Bundt cake pan. Do you think this recipe would work in that pan
Can I use bundt cake pan. If so how long should I bake it for?
Hi Lori! Yes it should work. Baking time will be similar if you use a similar size.
My son and I were able to make this tonight! Such an easy recipe to follow and we had all the ingredients on hand! We baked it in a Bundt cake pan with the cinnamon crunch topping sprinkled in before adding the cake batter. It was delicious and the whole family loved it! Thank you!
You're welcome Sam! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed the cake!
I made this, but used peaches! It was so so good!!! I think a new favorite! Can’t wait to try it again with apples!
Yes, why is there no butter in this cake?
Thanks for the feedback Nicole! Sounds delicious with peaches!
Excellent cake nice and moist! Easy!
Thank you Sue!
I think you must have copy and pasted from one of your butter cake written ingredients list since the recipe only calls for one egg, and both of these entries mentioned a butter cake:
"Eggs - two large eggs will add nice structure for the butter cake.
Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to make this delicious butter cake. I like this"
Thanks for pointing that out Katie! I have corrected the ingredient list.
Can I double the recipe for a 9 x 13 cake pan? Thank you!
Hi Jodie, yes I think that will work! I'd recommend adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
Just finished cooling and we dug in so fast! The house smells amazing and it is so moist. What a perfect evening with a cool breeze coming in too 😊
Thanks you so much Beck! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Can this be frozen?
Hi Hana! Yes, you can but it might loose some of the crunch after thawing.