Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
This caramel apple crumb cake got me thinking...
Sometimes getting some time to yourself to process your thoughts is what you need to navigate through difficult times.
Baking is therapy.
Sometimes it's really hard but I'm learning to embrace all the seasons of life. Even the not-so-fun ones. The trying ones. The humbling ones. The ones that make you want to give up. That ones make you question your identity. The ones that make you question your worth, your value, you ability to contribute something meaningful to this big world. Even those can be beautiful.
Savor the seasons.
My grandpa, always freely giving out nuggets of wisdom, used to tell me "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses." I don't think he meant it literally of course but a lot of times you can find some peace in nature. I know I do.
Right now appreciating the turning leaves, the fruits that are in season, the harvest moon, the cool evenings, even the spider webs... all the things that make fall, fall. Knowing that it's not going to last long makes we want to soak in this time of year and make the most of it.
For me, taking things that aren't going to be around forever and making the most of them helps me appreciate the season I'm in. I don't want to look back and regret not appreciating what was right in front of me. Even something as simple as taking fresh, local apples and turning them into a cake that I can enjoy with my family is enough.
Make the most of what's in front of you.
Things don't have to be complicated but you do need to put in a certain amount of effort to not just let the seasons pass by. Dive in and enjoy them. Eat some cake with your family. Perhaps this caramel apple crumb cake with apple cider glaze?
Sometimes you need a short cut.
I get it. Life's busy. Maybe it's no longer fall and fresh apples aren't plentiful or maybe you just don't feel like peeling a bunch of apples. Go ahead and spare yourself some time. You can buy already peeled apples or you can also just use apple sauce for this recipe. It'll still taste great! Promise. I mean, it's caramel apple crumb cake...
Get a little fancy
Sometimes putting something on a pedestal can make things feel more special. My feeling is, if you're going to go to the trouble of baking a special treat from scratch, then you need to display it proudly!
I scored the mini cake stand above at Marshalls and I adore it! It's perfect for taking photos to show you guys what the inside of the cakes and pies look like. It's not really practical for every day use though and so that's why I thought I'd recommend a full size cake stand so you guys can enjoy presenting your cake in a pretty way too.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's everything you'll need to make this from-scratch apple crumb cake.
Cake
- Butter. Salted.
- Sugar. You can substitute some or all w/ maple syrup or honey
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Greek Yogurt. Plain.
- Flour. I use a 50/50 blend of whole wheat/all purpose flour.
- Butter. Salted.
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Caramel bits
- Apples. Any kind work.
Crumb Topping
- Brown sugar
- Flour
- Butter. Salted.
Icing
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Apple cider. Optional-replace with milk if you don't have cider on hand.
- Caramel sauce
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Yes! You can swap whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour if you prefer a lighter texture. I use half of each for a balance of flavor and nutrition but you could also use all whole wheat flour.
Any work but tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp hold up well during baking and add a nice contrast to the sweet caramel and crumb topping.
Make sure your batter is thick and don’t press the crumb topping into the batter—just gently sprinkle it on top before baking.
Absolutely! This cake keeps well for 2–3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days refrigerated. Warm slices slightly before serving for the best flavor.
Yes, you can drizzle with a small amount of maple syrup or honey or skip the icing and just use a light caramel drizzle to keep things lighter while still flavorful.
★ More Apple Recipes★
Want more dessert ideas? Browse all my easy dessert recipes
This caramel apple crumb cake was featured on South Your Mouth and on Wow Me Wednesday
Caramel Apple Crumb Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 stick butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup caramel bits
- 4 apples peeled and diced
CRUMB TOPPING
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ½ stick butter softened
ICING
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider optional-replace with milk if not using
Topping
- caramel sauce to taste
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter with a hand mixer. Mix in each egg one at a time and beat until fluffy. Then add vanilla and yogurt.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a separate smaller bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and caramel bits.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Fold this dry-ingredient mixture into the butter mixture just until blended.
- Make crumb topping. Using the small bowl, mix together the flour and sugar for the crumb topping. Add softened butter and beat with mixer until crumbs form.
- Add cake batter to baking pan. Spoon and spread half the batter evenly into the bottom of a greased, deep-dish pie pan or square baking dish. Layer apples over dough. Next, layer with half the crumb topping. Repeat layers.
- Bake at 350˚ for 20 minutes then cover the top with foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until a fork through the center comes out clean.
- Make icing. While cake is baking, prepare icing by beating together powered sugar, cider and milk. Place in a squeezable condiment bottle (or a plastic bag with a small hole cut from a corner). Drizzle on icing after cake is cooled. Top with store-bought caramel sauce as well, if desired.
Notes
- Substitute some or all sugar w/ maple syrup or honey if desired.
- I use 50/50 wheat/white blend of flour to make this more healthy.
Leave a Reply