Apple Crumb Cake

This one-bowl apple cake is light and fluffy, bursting with fresh apples and crowned with a crunchy layer of cinnamon sugar. If you enjoy nuts, feel free to add a half cup or so of chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter.

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Servings servings

Ingredients

For the cake

1½ cups (300g) brown sugar
⅓ cup (75 ml) neutral flavored oil (I use safflower)
1 large egg
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk (see notes for substitutions*)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour (may sub your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour)
2 cups chopped apples**

For the topping

½ cup (96g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325℉, and grease or spray a 9x13 baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, except the topping, in order given. (This may be done by hand.) Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle them evenly over the batter.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, give or take a few minutes depending on oven, or until the cake is cooked through the center and lightly golden on top. The cake may be enjoyed warm, with or without whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or cooled and eaten at room temperature. Once completely cooled, cover the cake and store at room temperature where the flavor will continue to improve over the next few days.

Notes

*In lieu of buttermilk, you may use 1 tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar plus milk of choice to equal 1 cup, or you may use ⅓ cup plain yogurt (Greek or regular, fat content of choice) that has been mixed with ⅔ cup milk.

**This is 8 ounces chopped, or about 2 apples—small variations in this measurement are fine. I leave the peel on and chop into small (½-inch) pieces; you may peel the apples if preferred. I like to use one sweet and one tart baking apple—like a Fuji, Gala or Honeycrisp and a Granny Smith or Jonagold—but any apple suitable for baking will work.