Classic crumb cake with an autumn twist! This sweet Apple Butterscotch Crumb Cake is loaded with apples, then drizzled with homemade butterscotch sauce that you’re going to want to put on everything!
It’s not lost on me that my love for all things autumn makes no sense.
As a native Floridian who has never lived anywhere else, I should be a beach bum, right?
I should live for our almost constant summer weather, enjoying the fact that I can wear flip-flops in January. Instead, I’m jealous of the cute winter outfits and gorgeous boots and coats I see that I never need.
The grass is always greener, right?
This page includes step by step instructions, as well as tips and notes. If you’d like to skip all that, feel free to scroll down to the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
But alas, cool weather is all I want. To be able to justify cooking a batch of chili in August. To watch the leaves gradually change colors on all of the trees, and not just the scattered non-palms and pines we have. To actually use our heater more than a few nights a year.
Abe and I often plan our out of state vacations during the colder months, just so we have a reason to wear the wool coats we both own. We bought them for our trip to New York City 6 years ago (surprisingly cold there in October,) and we’ve only gotten to wear them once since: when we visited London.
How sad is that?! That’s one of the reasons why I can’t classify us as true travelers yet…so wanderlusters we remain.
Luckily, making it feel like fall indoors is as easy as cranking down the AC and making this apple crumb cake.
Ingredients
Don’t be intimidated by the recipe card! It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients, but most everything is used in every element of this cake!
- Apples – pick your faves, though I recommend a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp.
- All-purpose flour – can also use white-wheat or 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Baking powder & baking soda
- Unsalted butter – softened to room temperature, though you will melt some also.
- Brown & granulated sugar
- Heavy cream – aka double cream for my European friends!
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Buttermilk
- Eggs
For exact ingredient measurements and recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Out of Buttermilk?
Go ahead and add 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, or 2 1/2 teaspoons of cream of tartar to the milk in this recipe. Stir it up and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding with mixing the batter. The acid will curdle the milk and act as a buttermilk substitute! It works like a charm, even though it looks a little gross when you add it to the batter.
Other buttermilk substitutes include:
- Buttermilk powder & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of sour cream & milk (or water)
- A 3:1 ratio of plain yogurt & milk (or water)
- Kefir
- Plant milks + acid of your choice
- Lactose-free milk + acid of your choice
Of course, you can always make this recipe with regular milk as well!
How to make Apple Crumb Cake
- Make the Crumb Topping. In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture, then toss with a fork or rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Add diced apples and toss. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Make the Butterscotch Apple Topping. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar, cream, and salt, until well blended. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then combine sliced apples, cinnamon, and a generous drizzle of butterscotch in a bowl. Toss and set aside.
- Make the Cake Batter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture, until just blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove cake from oven and spread on the butterscotch apple topping. Top evenly with the crumb topping.
- Cover cake with foil, return to oven and continue to bake for 30-35 additional minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake 10-20 more minutes until cake is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Cool for 30 minutes, then remove cake from pan and finish cooling. When ready to serve, drizzle with more butterscotch sauce.
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Apple Butterscotch Crumb Cake
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinammon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup apples diced
Butterscotch Apple Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 large apples peeled, cored & sliced
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
Instructions
Crumb Topping
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the melted butter over the flour mixture, then toss with a fork or rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Add diced apples and toss. Refrigerate.
Butterscotch Apple Topping
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk in the sugar, cream, and salt, until well blended. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Allow to cool to room temperature, then combine sliced apples, cinnamon, and a generous drizzle of butterscotch in a bowl. Toss and set aside.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush a 9-inch square baking pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
- In a second bowl, cream the butter and sugar 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fully incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour mixture, until just blended. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove cake from oven and spread on the butterscotch apple topping. Top evenly with the crumb topping.
- Cover cake with foil, return to oven and continue to bake for 30-35 additional minutes. Remove foil, and continue to bake 10-20 more minutes until cake is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- Cool for 30 minutes, then remove cake from pan and finish cooling. When ready to serve, drizzle with more butterscotch sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on September 27, 2017. It was updated with additional information on September 16, 2024.
Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids says
This looks delicious! I’m happy you get to visit cooler weather soon. That is one thing I love about living in Iowa is that we have the change of all four seasons. Fall is my favorite season followed actually by winter!
Wendy Klik says
I understand completely. I would so miss the changing seasons if I lived in a warm climate.
Carlee says
I wouldn’t mind skipping winter so much, but I am happy to have fall! I am a bit jealous of your impending travels, the cruise sounds like fun and now you have me curious what you’re doing in Ohio! I can’t wait to see. This cake looks absolutely scrumptious!
Jenni says
And I am drooling. This would be utterly amazing with my cup of coffee this morning!
Amy says
This cake looks so unbelievably delicious! I mean crumb topping AND a butterscotch sauce?! Heaven.
Ellen says
That crumb topping! Perfect for overnight company too!