This Apple Streusel Cake recipe combines tender spiced cake with fresh apples and a buttery crumb topping. The moist cake batter features wholesome ingredients like applesauce and cinnamon, while the golden streusel creates the perfect crunchy contrast!
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🍰This generous recipe serves a large group, making it perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, or meal prep for the week ahead!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Apple Streusel Cake
Use Lemon Juice to Prevent Apple Browning: Toss your chopped apples with a tablespoon of lemon juice before folding them into the batter. This prevents browning and adds a subtle tang that complements the cinnamon beautifully.
Create Varied Crumb Sizes: When breaking off pieces of the streusel dough, aim for varied sizes from pea-sized to slightly larger chunks. This creates interesting texture and ensures some pieces stay crispy while others integrate slightly into the cake.
I love that this recipe sneaks in some applesauce alongside the butter – you still get that rich taste but with less guilt! Plus, all those fresh apples mean you’re basically eating fruit for dessert, right?
Don’t forget to toss the chopped apples with a tablespoon of flour before folding them into the batter. This prevents sinking and keeps the apples evenly distributed throughout the cake.
I serve this cake warm with a pat of salted butter that melts right into the tender crumb, or drizzle it with pure maple syrup for an indulgent breakfast treat!
🩷 Melissa
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Apple Streusel Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 cups apple chopped and peeled, fresh or canned
For the crumb topping:
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325°F, and butter the bottom and sides of a jelly roll pan (mine is 10×15 inches).
- Add the butter, applesauce, and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs, and beat until well mixed.
- Add the flour to the bowl, and then sprinkle the baking powder and cinnamon over the top. Mix together on low speed until combined.
- Fold in the apples. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- For the crumb topping: Combine the sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine.
- Add the melted butter and stir.
- Add the flour, and stir to make a dough that resembles the consistency of cookie dough.
- Take the “dough” in your hands, break off pea-sized crumbs, and drop them on top of the cake batter. Evenly distribute all of the crumb topping over the cake batter in this manner. Don’t press or pat the crumb pieces into the cake, just let them rest where they fall.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for 23 to 26 minutes, until the cake springs back when slightly touched.
- Allow the cake to cool for several hours before serving. Store by lightly covering with a towel, too tight of a covering makes the crumb topping go soft.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Apple Streusel Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan to prevent sticking.
Step 2: In a stand mixer bowl, combine melted butter, applesauce, and sugar, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well combined, then mix in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon on low speed until just combined.
Step 3: Gently fold the chopped apples into the batter, then spread the mixture evenly into your prepared pan.
Step 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter, then add flour and mix until the mixture resembles cookie dough consistency.
Step 5: Using your hands, break the streusel mixture into pea-sized pieces and distribute evenly over the cake batter without pressing down. Bake for 23-26 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
Step 6: Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan for several hours before cutting. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel to maintain the crumb topping’s texture.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, Granny Smith apples work wonderfully for their tartness and ability to hold their shape, but Honeycrisp, Gala, or Braeburn apples also work well. Avoid very soft apples like Red Delicious as they may become mushy during baking.
Yes, this cake actually improves in flavor after sitting overnight as the spices meld together. You can bake it up to 2 days in advance and store it covered at room temperature.
Yes, this cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Consider
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Beth
Can’t wait to try this! One question on the storage. Did you mean to store in freezer up to 3months not 3 months in the refrig>? Thanks for all these wonderful recipes.
Melissa G
Hi, Beth, thanks for letting me know about that mistake – yes, 3 months in the freezer 🙂