Apple Crumble Loaf Cake
I’ve never met an apple spice cake that I didn’t like, but this seasonally inspired apple crumble loaf cake simply takes apple cakes to another level. Perfectly spiced and dotted with apples, this tender loaf cake is one to enjoy for breakfast, dessert, or anytime in between.
Decked with buttery golden crumble and drizzled with maple butter glaze, each bite is the perfect taste of fall. Here’s to baking with apples, and devouring every last crumb!
Best apples for apple cake
I love to bake with a mix of sweet-tart apples. If you’re using Granny Smith apples, balance the tartness with a sweet Honeycrisp. Or choose a crisp, sweet apple like Fuji or the spicy-sweet Braeburn for great flavor that shines in fall desserts.
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Depending on the variety of apples you use, the baking time may vary, so start testing for doneness after 50 minutes.
How to Make Apple Crumble Loaf Cake
Make crumble topping – Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; add melted butter and almond extract, and toss mixture until crumbly. Chill topping while making the cake batter.
Make cake – Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add yogurt mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture. Gently fold in apples.
Assemble – Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Smooth top with an offset spatula and tap pan sharply to remove air bubbles. Sprinkle with crumble topping.
Bake – Bake cake for 60 to 65 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Perfect Maple Glaze
Combine maple syrup, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until butter is melted and mixture is combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and maple extract. Let cool for several minutes to thicken slightly, then drizzle over cake.
Apple Crumble Loaf Cake
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf, 12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Perfectly spiced, this tender apple crumble loaf cake is topped with buttery crumble and maple butter glaze for a delicious taste of fall!
Ingredients
Crumble Topping
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups peeled and diced apples
Glaze
- 6 Tbsp dark amber maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
- flaky salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang around the edges.
- Make crumble topping: Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl; add melted butter and almond extract, and toss mixture until crumbly. Chill topping in the freezer until needed.
- Make cake: Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. Combine yogurt and buttermilk in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add yogurt mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture. Gently fold in apples.
- Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula and tap pan sharply to remove air bubbles. Sprinkle with crumble topping.
- Bake cake for 60 to 65 minutes, until cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached (Start testing after 50 minutes of baking time – baking time will vary based on the moisture of the apples. If desired, tent with foil to prevent over-browning).
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before using the parchment overhang to gently lift cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
- Make maple glaze: Combine maple syrup, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until butter is melted and mixture is combined. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and maple extract. Let cool for several minutes to thicken slightly, then drizzle over cake. Sprinkle with flaky salt and let set before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature overnight or in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use and love!
Keywords: Apple, Maple, Apple Cake, Loaf Cake
More apple recipes you’ll love:
Apple Cider Bundt Cake
Caramel Apple Bars
Salted Caramel Apple Tart
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.
So yum. Is it possible to double this recipe? (Can’t keep up with the demand! – we’re heading into summer here, but I have an apple (and ‘everything-tastes-better-with-crumb’) obsessed family lol.
If so, Anything to watch out for (baking soda/powder amounts) ?
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
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Hi Ania! I’m so glad you’ve been loving this cake! 🙂 There should be no problem in doubling the recipe as long as you bake them both in two loaf pans (same size). If you don’t have two identical loaf pans, you can also save time by doubling the crumble topping and the glaze amounts. I hope that helps and happy baking!
Absolutely delicious! I Had some extra apple (used one Gala and one Granny Smith) after measuring the recipe amount, so sliced that for on top under the crumble, oh and added about 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts. Looks like I’ll be making it again tomorrow. Thank you so much for the recipe!
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This was delicious!
I actually made it in a 9×9 pan because I didn’t have a loaf pan available, so I cut the baking time, but it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe! This is definitely a keeper!
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Thanks Janet, that’s great to hear! 🙂
My husband is a HUGE fan of apple desserts and apple cakes! I know he would love this cake with the crumble on the top and that gorgeous glaze!! 🙂
PS:
Your recipe mentions 1T milk in the ingredients list, but it wasn’t mentioned in the recipe details. I added it in the icing along with the powdered sugar. My icing soaked into the cooled cake a bit more, rather than just sitting on top like your pictures show. Maybe this was the addition of the treacle, which, if I was going this route again, I suppose I’d leave out the milk because of the other added liquid?
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I made a double batch of this last night – most for work, some to keep at home. This is SERIOUSLY good!
I didn’t have maple extract, so I drizzled in maybe 2T of black treacle instead. MMM! And I could eat that crumb topping all day long.
My only problem is the cake SERIOUSLY fell apart when I was cutting it, and this was after it rested out overnight. How did you get such perfect slices? I found what worked best was turning it upside down to cut it, and using assertive downward cuts, rather than a sawing action with the serrated bread knife. Next time I might consider using an electric knife, which usually works well in these situations.
This recipe is definitely a keeper – SO GOOD!!!
Thanks Jeph, so happy to hear that! I let the cake cook completely, and then sliced it with a very sharp ceramic knife (without sawing, just pushing straight down through the loaf). For the glaze, I’ve added milk in the past to thin it out, but I did not use it this time, so thanks for catching that. If your glaze soaked in, you may have just had a bit too much liquid overall. Hope that helps!
Lovely cake, but I would advise an extra tbsp of flour to coat the apple and keep it from sinking and generally more evenly distributed. I was done at 55 minutes and my crumble topping was beginning to go at the edges.
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Thanks Heather, great tip about the flour! I tested this recipe a few times and the baking time varied each test (based on the moisture of the apples), so I appreciate your feedback! 🙂
I was just thinking about an apple loaf this morning and boom, here it is! Perfect way to enjoy Fall apples 🙂
I made this yesterday and WOW! It is a major hit with my family. I changed the almond extract for vanilla, but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. It is absolutely delicious! I’ll be making it again throughout the fall. I also made the maple doughnuts last week to bring to a faculty meeting. They disappeared in a minute. They’re a great breakfast treat. I’m a huge fan of your recipes, and make them all the time. I especially love your yeast recipes. Baking with yeast is my favorite thing to do.
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Thanks so much, Kathleen! Love hearing this feedback, and I’m so glad you liked the cake (and the maple doughnuts!). I love baking with yeast too.. watch for a new recipe coming next week! 🙂
Apple season is truly the best! This cakes looks amazing!
How deliciously mouth watering! Are your oven temperatures for a fan-forced or conventional oven? Thanks
Hi Amanda, I bake in a conventional oven. Hope that helps!
Love your beautiful apple loaf cake, Laura! Who doesn’t love a little spice, a scrumptious crumble topping and a drizzle of buttery, maple syrup glaze? Cannot wait to bake this apple loaf! Thank you for sharing!
Boy, this sounds like my dream apple cake, too! Can’t wait to try it!!!!
★★★★★
All that maple goodness makes a very inviting apple loaf cake! I’m sure I’d have a second slice of this beauty.
I’ve never met one I haven’t liked either Laura. And this one looks delicious! So perfect for fall
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I agree, Sue – the glaze is everything!
I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite recipes from your blog. This is so beautiful and demanding to be made. Love this, Laura.
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Thanks so much, Jean! This is definitely a new favorite for me too. 🙂
Another one to bring to work. Guys there already know you 🙂
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