Hi everyone! It’s been a while. Things have been going crazy back at home with the Holidays fast approaching. Just this weekend I stopped by the mall to do some errands and was surprised to see (more of hear) the squeals of kids running around. I almost forgot how long it’s been since I’ve seen kids outside until yesterday. I must admit the timing was exactly right to bring added cheer to the whole Christmas atmosphere. Let’s face it, being cooped up at home can be dismal at times and monotonous at best. Thank God for 10 minute Taylor Swift songs and tear-jerking short films. (which was genuinely the highlight of my week)

Ok! I’m sort of kidding. The highlight of my week was this insane Big Crumb Apple Cake! When I say big I mean BIG and lavish. Everyone knows the best part is always the buttery crumble so why skimp on something so good. I admit it will seem like you can’t possibly fit all this crumble into this petite cake but you will, you shall and you’ll thank me for it later. However, if you do want to tone it down a bit, you can always cut the recipe by a quarter or use the leftover crumble for topping over banana muffins or other delicious applications.

With that said, let’s move to the recipe which is super easy to make. Starting with the apples, you can use a variety as long as they hold their shape well during baking. My go to is always the Granny Smith because of the contrast of sweet and sour but you can use other types as well. In terms of apple chunks, I’ve tried grated, sliced and chopped apples which all work well in this cake depending on how much texture you want. After making this a few times, I’m partial to having bigger apple pieces because it makes for a more apple-forward cake almost like a pie (never a bad thing).

My fave method so far is chopping the apples into thick (about 3/4″) slices and laying them on top of the poured batter. Very different from the photo below where I mixed grated apples into the batter. (this makes for a subtle apple flavor that blends seamlessly into the cake)

Here are some other (yummy) ways you can make this Big Crumb Apple Cake:

Switch out the fruit. Any stone fruit would work well here like pears, cherries, peaches or even a combination of all. Check what you have in your pantry and give some new combinations a try.

Spice it up. Feel free to make your own combination of spices. A chai spiced cake would be lovely. Likewise, sneaking in some more exotic spices like star anise would be a great way to mix things up.

Make it Gluten free: Use your favorite gluten free flour blend. I’ve made this cake with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and it turned out great! If you’re not watching your gluten intake and want to switch to another flour; wheat flour for example. I would start of subbing half the amount of flour with pastry wheat flour, see how you like it then add from there. It will most likely result to a denser albeit still delicious cake.

Sweeteners. If you plan to substitute the sugar in this recipe, make sure it’s still granulated since liquid sweeteners will change the texture of your cake. I would recommend muscovado, cane sugar or brown sugar. Of course, my choice is already on the recipe card 😉

Dairy/No Dairy. You can substitute the milk in the recipe with your favorite plant milk or plain ol’ milk. From experience, creamy oat, soy or cashew milk is the best for baking. I would avoid using coconut milk as it can be very heavy for this cake.

Oil Free. Some readers have tried substituting the oil with applesauce or mashed bananas with great results. To be honest, I haven’t tried this yet. Let me know if you do and share your comments down below to help the rest of the family.

Just A Few Tips

• This makes a very thick batter so don’t be tempted to add milk. Trust me, it will all come together when it bakes up.
• It goes without saying that this cake tastes great warmed with a scoop of vanilla/mantecado ice cream. (go an extra step further and drizzle some butterscotch sauce oh myyy)
• For storing, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. This cake can also be frozen for longer shelf life. To defrost, thaw at room temperature for 15-20 minutes and eat chilled or warmed.
• Many apple cakes feature different sweet glazes but a simple dusting of powdered sugar works wonders without too much effort.

Let me know if you try this Big Crumb Apple Cake by leaving a rating/comment down below! Can’t wait to hear all the different ways you switch this up!

Print Recipe

Big Crumb Apple Cake

Moist and fluffy apple cake with big buttery cinnamon streusel. The cousin to the apple pie

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: Cinnamon, Dairy Free, Easy, Fall Recipes

Servings: 10 slices

Calories: 364kcal

Ingredients

• 290 g (2⅓ cup) all purpose flour ,sifted
• 105 g (⅔ cup) coconut sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• 240 mL (1 cup) plant based milk ,room temp
• 120 g (½ cup) vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 (360g) medium sized apple* ,chopped, grated or sliced
• 1 (180g) medium sized apple for topping ,I used Red Delicious purely because I love the pop of red

Crumble

• 115 g (½ cup) butter ,melted
• 65 g (⅓ cup) coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 175 g (1⅓ cup) all purpose flour
• 25 g (¼ cup) rolled oats

Instructions

Big Crumb Streusel

• In a medium sized bowl, combine all the crumble ingredients and mix until everything is combined. It will resemble a thick paste. Place in the fridge to firm up.

Apple Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8" cake round with parchment paper (no need to line the sides) and lightly grease with butter. Set pan aside.
• In a large measuring cup, pour in the milk and 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Set aside to thicken and curdle for 3-5 minutes. (don't panic if any lumps form, this is normal)
• Meanwhile, grab a large bowl and whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the milk mixture and oil, stirring until a thick batter has formed. If using grated or chopped apples, mix them in now.
• Transfer the batter to the pan making sure to smooth the top with a spatula or spoon. If using sliced apples like I do, add the slices right on top of the batter.
• Take the streusel out of the fridge and use your hands to break the dough into large crumbs. Tossing them right on top of the batter (or in my case apples). Slide the cake pan into the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the center comes out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes then unmold to cool completely on a wire rack. Serve cake warm with a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes

*To create the design in my photos, thinly slice your apple. Fanning out the slices in a pattern in between the streusel. 

*I usually use Granny smith/green apples for the cake itself and then switch to a red apple variety if I want to decorate the cake with the fanned apples. 

Recipe adapted from Rainbow Nourishments

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