Pumpkin Apple Crumble Cake
Pumpkin Apple Crumble Cake might be the best fall cake ever! Super moist with pumpkin, it also has caramel apples topped by a wonderful crumble with spices. So good you'll want to make it again and again!
Sheet cake: double the ingredients and make a 9x13 inch cake.
Servings 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Caramelized apples:
- 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
- 3 tablespoons brown or muscovado sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Pumpkin crumb cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup pumpkin puree at room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons extra sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix see Notes below
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs at room temperature
Instructions
Caramelize the apples:
- Melt 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat until it foams.
- Add 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed, and cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, until beginning to soften. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons brown or muscovado sugar over the apples, stir and let cook over medium/high heat until caramelized, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (if using), and mix. Let cool while making the cake.
Make the crumble and pumpkin cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
- Butter or spray an 8-inch square pan. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two sides. The other two sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the bars from the pan.
- For the crumble, combine 1 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour, ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. With a pastry cutter or your hands, mix well until crumbly.
- Measure ⅔ cup of the mixture into a separate bowl or cup and place the bowl in the fridge. This will be the crumble topping.
- To the rest of the crumble, add 1 cup pumpkin puree, ⅓ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons extra sugar, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice mix, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix to combine, beating on low speed only until mixed.
- Add 2 eggs and beat until well incorporated. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, spreading evenly. Scatter the caramelized apples on top. Sprinkle the apples with the reserved crumble.
- Bake for about 50-55 minutes, or until golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Baking time might vary depending on the pan and oven.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. While still warm, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bit that might be stuck. Remove from the pan by lifting the whole block with the help of the paper. Let cool completely on the wire cooling rack.
- Serve at room temperature or warm with ice cream or whipped cream and maybe a drizzle of caramel sauce.
- Store leftovers covered, at room temperature for a day, and then refrigerate.
Notes
Spices: you can also use your favorite store-bought pumpkin pie spice. Increase or decrease as your palate dictates. Or use a mix of 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon allspice and a pinch of nutmeg. Add a pinch of cloves also if you want to.
Apples: I always use Granny Smith (green apples) for baking because they are more acidic and most recipes have sugar, so the balance is perfect. They also hold their shape well while baking. But any baking apple you like can be used.
Homemade pumpkin puree: If you don't want to use canned pumpkin, you can make your own pumpkin puree.
Make ahead: Make the crumble and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for a couple of weeks. The apples can be caramelized the day before and kept refrigerated and well-covered. The whole cake can be made a day ahead and kept in plastic wrap or well-covered in the refrigerator.
Can I double it? Yes! Double all the ingredients and bake in a 9x13-inch pan for about 55 minutes. It freezes well, up to 2 months.
