The Best Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This Cinnamon Apple cake is made from scratch and is great for breakfast, brunch, or dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas! This is an easy-to-make moist apple cake. With this simple and easy dessert recipe, you will get lots of compliments. 

The Best Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

Looking for something a bit different to make with your apples this season?

How about trying these Mini Easy Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cakes? The combination of apple and cinnamon is a match made in heaven.

They are perfect for any type of weather.

Plus, you can grab a napkin and take them on the go. This recipe is based on my mom’s traditional Apple Cake recipe. I shortened the recipe by using a box brand mix.

I prefer to use Krusteaz Crumb Cake mix.

This is my favorite recipe using krusteaz cinnamon swirl crumb cake mix.

After all, there are times when you just need a nice shortcut. I like to say this recipe is semi-homemade. We often don’t have the time to make a from-scratch recipe but want the taste. 

In New York State, you can often choose from a bounty of different types of apples.

I do love to cook with Empire apples. They add a tart, but sweet taste. Wink Wink, They are my secret to making a delicious apple pie and when I make my favorite Apple Raisin Smothered Pork Chops.

And there is no shortage of apples in these Crumb Cakes…FIVE to SIX whole apples! 

That’s nearly five cups of apples packed in there!

Apple lovers rejoice.

There is one more thing you will be happy to know. This recipe is semi-homemade.

That is RIGHT!

Simple shortcuts make this recipe taste like you have been baking all day.

Ingredients Needed – Making Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

• 1 box crumb cake mix kit (Krusteaz)
• 5-6 medium crisp apples
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• pecans – optional

You can watch our quick video on how to put together this delicious apple cake recipe.

Cakes that include the addition of fruit or veggies (like Carrot Cheesecake Cake Cookies or Southern Banana Pudding Poke Cake) tend to be super moist and delicious, and this apple cake is the perfect example of that!

Let’s Get Baking – Apple Cake with Cinnamon

Let’s get that oven warmed up by preheating it to 350 degrees.

First, you are going to start by peeling and coring all 5 – 6 medium apples into quarter-size pieces place in a bowl with vanilla extract, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then combined and set aside.

I actually use a pretty handy apple corer. No matter the size of your apples, you can always easily remove the core with this apple corer.

Mix the Krusteaz Crumb Cake mix according to the directions and add apples to the mixture. Keep in mind that you do not want to over-mix the batter.

The reason you do not want to over-mix with this recipe is aeration.

 If too much air is incorporated, your crumb cake will rise and then fall flat.

Mixing it up

Please do not think you need to gently mix or stand there shaking with your spoon, thinking “am I overmixing”? Spend just a few minutes stirring all the ingredients in with a spoon, making sure that all have been incorporated.

That is it.

I know some like to mix until the batter looks light and fluffy. This is the batter that gets you into trouble.

Use a six-count large muffin or mini cake pan. When scooping the batter, make sure you fill the muffin tin completely to the top as this batter does not rise much with the apples included.

Then use the leftover brown sugar from the cake mix kit and your (optional) pecans sprinkled on top prior to baking.

Then Hellooooo, gorgeous! This cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, fall gatherings, or a holiday after-dinner treat. It’s gorgeous and absolutely delicious!

AND WHOA! Just think of adding a scoop of ice cream on top of this freshly baked apple cake. Are you drooling? I sure am. Now it is time to get out of the yoga pants. 

What Are The Best Apples for Baking?

Granny Smith and Empire apples are my favorite types for any kind of baking, especially in dessert recipes, where the apple is really the star of the show. The tartness with the addition of the sugars plays well together. Just ask my family about my apple pie.

Delicious! I really do need to get that recipe up on the blog.

For this recipe, however, you can really use any type of apple.  It is a very forgiving apple recipe because the apples are chopped small, so just use whatever you have on hand.

I do have a friend who swears that Cortland is the perfect apple. I can’t disagree. They are juicy and slightly tart, with bright red skin and snowy white flesh. She also says she doesn’t use any sugar when baking with Cortlands. I have yet to try this myself.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Crumb Cake Recipe

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Other Delicious Apple Recipes

Easy Apple Raisin Smothered Pork Chops

Easy Homemade Apple Butter

Homemade Gingerbread Coffee Syrup Recipe

Eating out is easy, and it usually tastes delicious, but it’s expensive. Making this meal at home will save you money. Add this recipe to your weekly meal plan.