I had a Bake Sale not too long ago, and I've always wanted to make a delicious crumb cake that had height a wonderful crumb topping! I use the same batter from my Birthday Sheet Cakes to create this masterpiece, because it's light and fluffy which is perfect for this cake! So, without further adieu I present to you my Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake with Brown Butter Glaze!
THE CAKE
As I mention before the cake base is from my Birthday Sheet Cakes! You know what they say, "If it ain't broke don't fix it!" and that's what I saw about this wonderful cake. It's moist, soft, and sweetened just right! No other cake can rival this one, and the thing is is versatile. Anything that you put in it it works!
The thing that helps this cake with its richness, and its fully texture is my Homemade Vanilla Cake Mix! My Cake mix is one of the best ingredients to have on hand! When you're in a pickle you can just measure out the amount you need bake it just like a store bought cake mix(but mine is better!) bake it, and BAM you have cake! The thing that I really love about my Homemade Vanilla Cake Mix is that you know each and every ingredient also you can pronounce each and every one.
THE APPLE FILLING
In this recipe I love using a mixture of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp Apples. I love the tang of the Granny Smith with the sweetness of the Honey Crisp, but you can use whatever mixture or apple you have one hand! This mixture for me is what really sells the cake and helps bring the cake to the next level!
The lemon acts as a flavour enhancer as well helps prevent the apples from browning. This cake is honestly one of the best ones I made, and I trust me I have made lots of cakes! This is for sure in the top ten of my favorite cakes that I've made.
The apple filling is cooked with a thickener(flour) which creates a gelatinous filling that is perfect for this cake as it cooks down, or you can use for an Apple Pie(here's a separate for Apple Pie if you'd like to it out)! This recipe is a double that for my filling for my Apple Pecan Christmas Pastries, so YUMMY!
THE CRUMB TOPPING
Every crumb/coffee cake has a signature crunchy topping that includes cold butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar and sometimes rolled oats. For this one I kept it simple and just used everything except the oats, but if you'd like to add it in you surely can!
Now that we discussed all the components of this recipe lets jump into the recipe!
Tools: Hand Mixer, Whisk, Rubber Spatula, Mixing Bowls, Parchment, 2 11x7 Rectangle Cake Pans
Time to Bake: 1 hour and 7-10 minutes
Ingredients For the Cake
3 cups of All- Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of whole milk
¼ cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of sour cream
1 ½ sticks of softened, room temperature butter
4 large eggs
dash of cinnamon, optional
Preheat your oven to 350*F, butter two 11x7 inch rectangle baking pans along with parchment paper fitted at the bottom of the pan for easy release.
Next, sift the dry ingredients into your mixing bowl this includes: the flour, my vanilla cake mix, baking powder and soda, sugar, and salt. This in a large measuring cup or bowl mix together the wet ingredients: milk, vanilla extract, sour cream, and vegetable oil.
Then, place your softened butter into your dry ingredients and whip with a handheld mixer or stand mixer until it resembles small sand-like crumbs. Make a well in the middle of your mixture, then start with half of the milk mixture and mix it in thoroughly(scraping the bottom of your bowl as you mix throughout to ensure that it's being incorporated completely!). And do the same for the remainder of the liquid.
Lastly, after you have mixed your batter completely with no big lumps, mix your batter for another 2-3 minutes(this forms that spongy quality that this cake is known for, but also this forms the gluten which is needed in this cake! So DO NOT skip this step!).
Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans and tap lightly on the surface of your counter to knock out any major bubbles. Then set aside until ready to assemble, or if your made your filling first assemble as written below!
Apple Filling
1 stick of salted butter
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled & cubed
2 Honey Crisp Apples, peeled & cubed(after you have cubed your apples squeeze a little lemon over them to ensure they don't brown, but also for flavor!)
2/3 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of granulated sugar
5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
7 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons of high quality honey
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1. Then take a cast iron skillet(use what you have) and set your the heat to medium with the butter. Allow the butter to melt, and once it begins to bubble place an apple in the skillet and if it sizzles then the skillet ready!
2. Pour all your apples in your skillet, drizzle over the honey. Stir for even dispersion of the honey as well as the heat.
3. Let the apple cook for a few minutes, in the meantime mix together quickly your dry ingredients. This includes the flour, cinnamon, both sugars and salt. Go back to the apples they should be slight soft, but still with a little give. Take three palm fulls of your sugar/flour mixture adding it to the apple mixture in increments. After each addition, give the apple mixture a nice stir to ensure that everything is getting dispersed evenly!
4. The mixture will thicken, but just allow it to do its thing trust me! Once it's nice bubbly and thickened beautifully stir in then remove from the heat. Set aside to cool.
Crumb Topping
1 1/4 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1/4 cup of sugar
1 stick of very cold butter, cubed
Add everything together in a mixing bowl, using your hands or two forks cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it reaches a crumb. Set aside.
Brown Butter Glaze
2 sticks of butter, browned(reserve a 1/4 stick of butter & brown the rest)
2 teaspoons of high quality maple syrup
1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
4-5 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
a couples teaspoons of milk, if needed
pinch of salt
Put your sticks of butter in a small sauce pot on medium heat, swirling every now and them to ensure the butter does not burn. Once it golden brown carefully add in your remaining 1/4 stick of butter(NOTE: it may bubble up so be careful) letting it melt all the way down as you swirl. Then pour in your vanilla and maple syrup.
Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time until your reach the consistency that you prefer. I enjoy it slightly thick yet fluid. Cover with plastic wrap making sure that the plastic is touching it(this prevents it getting hard on the top)then set aside.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKES
Pour some cake batter about half way up each cake pans, add a layer of the cooled apple filling all across the cake layer. Then pour some batter over the apples just to cover then sprinkle over the crumbing topping on each cake.
2. Bake it in your preheated oven for 1 hour and 7 minutes or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
3. Once the cake is done, place it on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Then cut your desired size, place them on the same cooling rack and drizzle the brown butter glaze. Serve warm and with coffee! This is great for breakfast! Enjoy!
If you make this recipe share a picture with us on social media! Check out my social media tabs to find me!
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