Caramel Apple Crumb Cake (2024)

This Caramel Apple Crumb Cake is a soft, moist cake topped with spiced, tender apples and a buttery cinnamon crumb topping, all drizzled with caramel. It makes me want to head to the apple orchard and pick some apples for this dessert—it’s a perfect way to enjoy the season’s best flavors! While it’s a delicious fall treat, I’d enjoy it any time of the year. If you love this Caramel Apple Crumb Cake, you might also enjoy my Caramel Apple Cheesecake. It combines the same rich, apple-caramel flavor with a creamy cheesecake. Yum!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Apples: Honeycrisp apples are a type of apple known for their sweet and slightly tangy flavor. They are crunchy and juicy, making them great for snacking and baking! (They are one of my favorite kinds of apples!) They are called “Honeycrisp” because they have a honey-like sweetness and a crisp texture. If you can’t find Honeycrisp apples, use an apple that is firm like Granny Smith, Fuji, or Gala apples. The apples are cooked with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until they are soft and tasty before adding them to the cake.
• Crumb Topping: The extra thick crumb topping is what a crumb cake, also known as Streuselkuchen, is known for!
• Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter for each part of this cake. It gives you, the baker, more control over the amount of salt in a recipe. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt.
• Cake Flour:Cake flour is needed for both the crumb topping and the cake. I do not recommend substituting all-purpose flour. It will make the cake tough and dry (not at all what we are going for)! If you don’t have any on hand, you can make homemade cake flour to use.
• Buttermilk:Adding room-temperature buttermilk to the cake batter results in a moist, tender, flavorful cake. If you don’t have any on hand, make your own!
• Eggs:You will need two large eggs for the cake–one whole egg and one egg yolk. Be sure the eggs are at room temperature before starting the recipe. Save the egg white from the second egg to use for other recipes like my almond paste!
• Caramel Sauce: Either storebought or homemade caramel sauce will work to drizzle over the cake.

Why Line The Pan With Aluminum Foil? (Can I Use Parchment Paper?)

It is better to line the pan with aluminum foil instead of parchment paper. We tried using both and found that the foil reflects more heat, which helps the crumb topping get nicely browned and crispy! With parchment paper, the topping didn’t brown or crisp up as well.

Delicious Ways To Serve Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

I love a piece of this caramel apple crumb cake with a cup of coffee. In fact, I just had a piece of it! But, there are other ways to enjoy the crumb cake, too. Here are a few delicious options:

• Serve with a scoop of no-churn vanilla ice cream. (I would try it with salted caramel ice cream!)
• Add a dollop of whipped cream.
• Drizzle extra caramel sauce on top.
• Sprinkle a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top.
• Top with caramelized or candied pecans or walnuts.
• Warm up a piece and pour a little heavy cream over it.

How To Store Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

This crumb cake is best enjoyed within a few days. Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days, but I do not recommend that–refrigeration dries out the cake faster. For longer storage, freeze the cake.

Freezing Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

To freeze this crumb cake, first, let it cool completely. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil (I usually add a second layer of wrapping, too), and place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight and warm it up before serving. I like to add a fresh drizzle of caramel sauce on top!