This cake is a friend to keep! Crunchy, buttery cinnamon crumbles, a light and juicy base and lots of fruit! Depending on the season I use either apples, plums or rhubarb. The aromatic cinnamon fits perfectly to the three of them and adds the right flavour. I love this crumble all year round and I must confess that I actually bake it at least once a month. Either for tea time or for dessert together with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream. It’s also easy to prepare which is great when you have guests for a dinner party and it tastes so good! My friends love it as well and are always impressed by the “perfect” crumbles – it’s not science, it’s just about the right mixture.

Today it’s apple time!  The sweetness of the cake and the sourness of my Boscoop apples are very well balanced. 10 people will sit at my dinner table tonight and I want a dessert which allows me to stay with my guests rather than in the kitchen. I bake my apple crumble in the morning, whip my cinnamon cream at night and I know that this dessert will tease lots of happy smiles!

Apple Cinnamon Crumble Cake

You need a 26cm /10″ springform pan, buttered. Prepare the dough for the base first, cut your apples afterwards and prepare the crumbles at the end.

Set the oven to 180°C / 355°F.

The fruit

sour baking apples like Boscoop 5
peeled, cut in half and carved lengthwise around 6 times

For the base

I use spelt flour type 630 for the base and the crumbles but you can use any other plain flour.

butter 125g / 4.5 ounces
organic eggs 3
sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
plain flour 250g / 9 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
a pinch of salt

Beat the butter till fluffy. Add the sugar, continue mixing and add the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder, salt and the vanilla sugar and continue mixing until combined. Fill into your buttered springform.

Place the apples close to each other on the dough base in the springform and push them down a bit.

For the crumble

plain flour 200g / 7 ounces (you might need some more if the crumbles are too sticky)
sugar 125g / 4.5 ounces
vanilla sugar 1 teaspoon
cinnamon 2 teaspoons
butter, melted, 125g / 4.5 ounces (plus more if the crumbles are too fine)

The crumbles need good preparation as you have to make sure that the mixture is neither too moist nor too dry. Have some extra flour and melted butter near at hand so that you can add some immediately if necessary.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Pour the melted butter on top and mix quickly with the hooks of your mixer, this shouldn’t take longer than 15-20 seconds. If the crumbles are too moist and sticky add a bit more flour (1-2 tablespoons). If they are too fine and don’t form bigger crumbles add more melted butter. Stop immediately when the mixture starts to get crumbly and spread quickly on top of the apples. If you have bigger lumps of crumbles you might have to separate and spread them.

Bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean, and let it cool.

Enjoy the crumble cake on its own or serve with vanilla ice cream or cinnamon whipped cream (200ml whipping cream, whipped with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar).