Caramel Apple Crumb Cake is my version of the beloved New York style crumb cake. Every grocery store, coffee shop, bakery, diner, and convenience mart in New Jersey and New York sells crumb cakes. The more crumb the better. About a good inch or 2 of crumb and a little less of the cake is ideal.
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Caramel Apple Crumb Cake
- Total Time: 80 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
The more crumb the better. About a good inch or 2 of crumb and a little less of the cake is ideal.
Ingredients
for the caramel apples
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 4 Fuji apples, peeled and sliced thin
for the crumb topping
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 1/3 cups cake flour
- 2 sticks butter, melted
for the cake
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) half and half
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 cup (240 ml) sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 sticks butter, cut in chunks
- 2 extra large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Heat a large saute pan to medium high. Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to melt. Add the apples and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Apples should be slightly soft.
- Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients and stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add vinegar to half and half and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low, add the butter chunks, one at a time. Mix for about 2 – 3 minutes until mixture resembles a coarse crumble. Add eggs, vanilla, and half and half mixture. Beat on medium high speed for about 1 – 2 minutes until smooth.
- Spread cake batter into prepared baking dish. Top with sauteed apples. Break up the crumb topping with a spoon. The pieces should be about the size of marbles. Sprinkle on top of apples. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 620
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which produces a more tender, fine-crumbed cake that is typical of New York-style crumb cake. The recipe calls for 2½ cups in the batter and a full 3? cups in the crumb topping, so using cake flour throughout is key to getting that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
What does adding vinegar to the half and half do?
Stirring 1 tablespoon of vinegar into ? cup of half and half creates a quick homemade buttermilk substitute. The acidity reacts with the baking soda to give the cake lift, and it also tenderizes the crumb. Set it aside for a few minutes before adding it to the batter so the curdling can happen fully. 
How should the crumb topping pieces be sized?
The recipe specifically calls for breaking the crumb mixture into pieces roughly the size of marbles before sprinkling it over the sautéed apples. This marble-size rule is what produces the thick, chunky crumb layer the author describes as the hallmark of a good New York-style crumb cake — about 1 to 2 inches of crumb on top.
Why Fuji apples specifically?
Fuji apples hold their shape well under heat, so when you cook them in 4 tablespoons of butter with ½ cup of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for about 10 minutes, they turn soft without turning to mush. Their natural sweetness also complements the buttery caramel sauce without making the cake overwhelmingly sweet.
Hi Sue –
Half and half is part cream and part milk. If you have access to both heavy whipping cream and milk, you can make half and half by combining four parts whole milk with one part heavy cream. If you only have light whipping cream, use three parts whole milk and one part light whipping cream.
Happy baking!
Amy
this looks lovely and I would like to make it soon. However, please would you tell me (I’m English!!) what “half and half is !
Thank you,
Kind Regards,
Sue :)