Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

Fluffy apple coffee cake with a cinnamon walnut crumble baked in a sheet pan. Topped with a brown butter frosting. An easy dessert recipe to bake up for a crowd during this festive season.

I know pumpkin gets all the limelight this season but I am here to pitch an equally delicious apple recipe. If you are a pie person and love a good coffee cake then this is the only recipe you will need. There are 3 parts to this recipe, the cake batter, the crumble and the frosting. It is simple to mix together, requires no fancy ingredients or equipment, making for a delicious dessert to whip up and feed a crowd.

What is Apple Crumble Cake?

This apple crumble cake is a cross between apple crumble and coffee cake. The cake batter is fluffy and light not to mention a one bowl and spatula recipe. The crumble is packed with cinnamon and walnuts making for the crunch element in this recipe that gives it the coffee cake texture. The cake is baked in an oven and cooled completely before frosting and slicing.

What is Brown Butter Frosting?

Take your traditional buttercream frosting and raise it with a brown butter frosting. The brown butter adds another dimension of flavor not to mention it pairs perfectly with the apples and cinnamon. To make the frosting we mix warm brown butter, icing sugar, vanilla and whipping cream. This is whisked until smooth and placed in the fridge to firm up a little. If you have patience you can cool the brown butter once it is made to avoid the fridge step.

What ingredients do you need to make this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting?

For the cake – To make the crumble topping for the cake we need brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, walnuts, butter, salt, cinnamon. I like the addition of granulated sugar here for that extra crunch. You can use castor sugar. To make the cake we need butter (if you are using browned butter in the cake batter make sure to cool it down completely before using), brown sugar, castor sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, buttermilk and apples. If you don’t like apple swap it for pears or plums. Also if you don’t like cinnamon leave it out. I like the addition of walnuts but you can use any nuts you like.

For the frosting – To make the frosting we need to make brown butter. I like to mix the sugar into the slightly cooled butter as it dissolves easily and there are no lumps. You can allow the butter to cool down and whip it as you would buttercream frosting. This method is super simple. We also need icing sugar, vanilla, whipping cream and white chocolate. If using warm brown butter the white chocolate melts into the mixture easily.

How to make this recipe vegan & gluten free?

Butter –

In the cake and the crumble you can use dairy free butter like shorting or margarine. However when making the frosting we need imitation butter spread that is vegan (usually made with sunflower seeds etc.) as we need that brown nutty flavor that you wont get from shortening/margarine.

Eggs –

For every egg, use 50gm dairy free yogurt to make this cake batter. It adds fat and moisture into the cake making for a tender and fluffy crumb once baked.

Butter milk –

Use a dairy free milk mixed with a table spoon of acid like lemon juice or gluten free apple cider vinegar.

Flour –

I have made this recipe with all purpose gluten free flour (cup for cup measure from Bob’s red mill) and it is perfect. Also make sure the baking powder is gluten free as well.

What equipment do you need to make this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting?

To make the crumble we need a mixing bow and spoon. I mix the cake batter in a large mixing bowl and a rubber spatula, you could use a whisk as well. The cake is baked in an 8×8 inch tin in the oven but you could bake it in 9×13 tin and check the cake after 25 mins as it will bake faster. To make the frosting we need a heavy bottom sauce pot to make the brown butter. I mix the ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. If your icing sugar has lumps, sift it. To frost the cake I have used an offset spatula, you could just as well use a butter knife or spoon.

How to make this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting?

Preheat the oven to 180℃, line an 8×8 inch baking tin with baking paper and set it aside. To make the crumble add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, walnuts, cinnamon, salt, butter in a bowl and stir together with a spoon until combined and lumpy. Set aside. To make the cake add the butter into a large mixing bowl and break it up with a rubber spatula. Add the brown sugar and castor sugar, mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add half the flour and fold together, pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined. Add the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chopped apples. Fold together until combined, transfer half the mixture to the lined tin. Smooth it out and top with half the crumble mixture. Spread over the remaining cake batter and cover the top with the remaining crumble mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool down before frosting.

To make the frosting we brown the butter and let it cool for a few minutes. While it is still warm, add the white chocolate and stir until smooth, the mixture might look spilt but don’t worry it will come together. We then add theicing sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. The mixture will look very loose – which is fine. Add the whipping cream and beat it for a couple of minutes. You could do this with an electric beater but as it cools down the frosting will firm up. Once the mixture has thickened a little, place it in the fridge for a few minutes until it has firmed up and has become a spreadable consistency. Top the cooled cake with the brown butter frosting and spread it evenly over the top. Make some swirls and slice it up.

How to serve this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting?

This cake is delicious with black coffee but a glass of milk is perfect. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t serve it with tea. I would recommend slicing the cake into squares before serving. If you are not serving it with the frosting, dust a little icing sugar on top and serve it warm – it is DELICIOUS!

How to store this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting?

The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for a week. You could store this in zip lock bags in the freezer for upto 2 weeks, when ready to eat, let it thaw and come to room temperature. This cake cannot be reheated as the frosting will melt. I would recommend if you are storing most of this cake for later, don’t frost the entire cake. You could also make the cake ahead of time, wrap in cling wrap and store in the freezer for up to1 month. When ready to serve, let it thaw and frost as needed, slice and serve.

Looking for more apple recipes?

Caramel apple crumble cake
Apple pie blondies
Apple galette
Apple crumble bars (vegan & gluten free)
Apple pie cinnamon buns

Now that we have covered how to make this Apple Crumble Cake With Brown Butter Frosting, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.