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Fall Apple Crumb Cake with Cinnamon Crumb Topping

by Jessie Daye

First published: September 13, 2025 | Updated: June 22, 2026
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Cozy up with this Fall Apple Crumb Cake made with tart apples, a cinnamon-spiced sour cream batter, and layers of buttery crumb topping. Topped with creepy crumb skeletons, this moist and fluffy cake is perfect for autumn gatherings, Halloween parties, or a sweet family treat.

Link to skull mold here: https://amzn.to/47CcNlL

Link to skull mold here: https://amzn.to/47CcNlL

Fall Apple Crumb Cake with Cinnamon Crumb Topping

Author: Jessie Daye
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Ingredients

  • For the Crumb Topping:
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter melted (1 ½ sticks)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • For the Coffee Cake:
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temp.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 4 cups peeled and chopped tart apples (4 large apples)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (for tossing apples)

Method

  1. Prepare apples – Peel, core, and chop apples into small 1/2” pieces. Toss with fresh lemon juice and set aside.
  2. Make the crumb topping – In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter and vanilla until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Fill one silicone skull with the crumb mixture and use your fingers to press down the wet crumbs firmly into the mold. Freeze mold for thirty minutes and set remaining bowl of crumbs aside.
  3. Mix the cake batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until just combined. Fold in apples. Batter will be thick. preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F.
  4. Mix the cake batter. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until just combined. Fold in apples. Batter will be thick. preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F.
  6. Using a large ice cream scoop, add 6 scoops of the batter to the bottom of a greased, parchment lined 8”x8” pan.
  7. Sprinkle ½ of the crumb topping evenly over the batter. Scoop remaining batter on top of the middle crumb layer. Add the remaining crumb topping and then carefully pop out the crumb skeletons and place them decoratively on top of the cake.
  8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  9. Let cool slightly before slicing. Top with salted Carmel sauce and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

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5 comments

  • A.W.
    1 year ago Reply

    This sounds really good! Would love to make this dairy free. Any suggestions for swapping out thr sour cream? Would dairy free yogurt or Applesauce work?

  • Roxy
    11 months ago Reply

    Currently making my first test batch of this recipe! 30 mins left to go in the oven… I’m so excited, I can tell it’s going to be so good!

    • Jessie Daye
      11 months ago Reply

      Awwww I actually remade it this week for a TV show 🙂 Hope you like it.

  • Melissa Chung
    11 months ago Reply

    In the ingredients for the cake it says butter is melted, but in the instructions it says to cream the butter until light and fluffy. Should the butter be softened or completely melted?

    • Jessie Daye
      11 months ago Reply

      Oops sorry, I will edit! It should be very soft so it’s easy to cream together (not completely melted).

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Hi, I'm Jessie. 

I’m a Los Angeles mama, home renovator, and lifelong creative, sharing the things that make everyday life a little more beautiful. I believe food is one of the best ways to bring people together, which is why I love cooking: it turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth remembering. From recipes I make on repeat to DIY projects, home design, and a little bit of real life in between — welcome to my corner of the internet. I’m so glad you’re here.

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