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slice of moist applesauce crumb cake on parchment paper next to the rest of the cake and fresh apples.

Applesauce Crumb Cake

Amycakes Bakes | amycakesbakes.com

5 from 2 votes
This ultra-moist applesauce crumb cake is soft on the inside and crunchy on top thanks to the homemade streusel topping. Perfect for fall!
Servings 15 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

Dry Ingredients

  • 240 grams ( 1 ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) All-Purpose Flour I use Gold Medal
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoons Baking Soda
  • ¾ teaspoon Salt
  • 16 grams (2 T) instant clearjel see note section
  • 226 grams (1 cups packed) Brown Sugar
  • 2 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 large Eggs
  • 182 grams (¾ cup) Buttermilk
  • 250 grams (1 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce
  • 50 grams (¼ cup) Vegetable Oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Other Cake Ingredients

  • 85 grams (¾ stick) grams Salted Butter melted

Crumb Topping

  • 100 grams (¾ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 67 grams (¾ cup) Old-Fashioned Oats
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 170 grams (¾ cup packed) Light Brown Sugar
  • 113 grams (1 stick) Salted Butter soft to the touch

Simple Glaze (optional)

  • 98 grams (½ c + 2 T) powdered sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Make the Applesauce Crumb Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a straight edge 9x13 cake pan with parchment paper. (Tip: Avoid sloped-edge pans, which don’t bake as evenly and can cause cakes to sink in the center.)
    A rectangular cake pan lined neatly with parchment paper.
  • Using a sifter or fine mesh strainer, sift the Dry Ingredients* into a large bowl, then whisk until well blended. Combine Wet Ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk until smooth and well-blended.
    (*REMINDER-when using instant clearjel, please make sure it is labeled as "instant" and whisk it thoroughly with dry ingredients)
    240 grams ( 1 ¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) All-Purpose Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, 1 teaspoons Baking Soda, ¾ teaspoon Salt, 16 grams (2 T) instant clearjel, 226 grams (1 cups packed) Brown Sugar, 2 teaspoon Cinnamon , 1 teaspoon Nutmeg, 2 large Eggs, 182 grams (¾ cup) Buttermilk, 250 grams (1 cup) Unsweetened Applesauce, 50 grams (¼ cup) Vegetable Oil, 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    Two mixing bowls side by side showing the wet and dry ingredients for homemade applesauce crumb cake, with a whisk ready for mixing.
  • Pour Wet Ingredients over the Dry Ingredients and whisk until combined. Carefully pour the melted Butter into the batter and whisk until well blended.
    85 grams (¾ stick) grams Salted Butter
    Mixing melted butter into the applesauce cake batter with a whisk in a medium mixing bowl on a marble countertop.
  • Pour the applesauce crumb cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the batter until evenly distributed (an offset icing spatula works well for this).
    Applesauce cake batter spread evenly into a parchment-lined cake pan.
  • Bake in the middle or top rack of the preheated oven for 25 minutes. In the meantime, make the crumb topping* (*Tip: I usually make the crumb topping during this first bake. If you think you’ll get interrupted, go ahead and make the topping before putting the cake in the oven.)

Make the Crumb Topping

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Cut the softened butter into the dry mixture.
    100 grams (¾ cups) all-purpose flour, 67 grams (¾ cup) Old-Fashioned Oats, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, 170 grams (¾ cup packed) Light Brown Sugar
    Cubes of butter sitting on top of a bowl of flour, sugar, and cinnamon mixture, ready to be mixed into a crumb topping.
  • Mix the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork, a pie cutter, or your hands until well blended. The butter should be fully incorporated into a soft dough-like mixture. Use your fingers to break it apart the dough into many small crumbs—aim for a variety of small crumb sizes.
    113 grams (1 stick) Salted Butter
    Moist Crumbs for the applesauce cake crumb topping in a bowl on a scale.

Top the Applesauce Cake and Finish Baking

  • When the 25-minute timer goes off, carefully remove the cake from the oven (leave the oven on). The cake is par baked at this point. Quickly but gently sprinkle the crumb topping over the top of the cake in a light, even layer. Avoid pressing down or dumping in big clumps. Instead, treat it like delicately dusting sugar over the top so the cake keeps its rise.
    Placing the crumb topping evenly over the applesauce coffee cake batter in a parchment-lined pan before baking.
  • Return the cake to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick or paring knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. To avoid accidentally overcooking the cake, try to poke the cake in between the crumb topping. The crumb topping will look soft and underdone, but it will firm up into a crisp topping as the cake cools. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Make the Glaze

  • Whisk the powdered sugar, water, and cinnamon together, until it turns into a thick cinnamon glaze. If desired, you can add more water or powdered sugar to get your desired thickness. Drizzle the glaze over the applesauce coffee cake. Cut and serve. Enjoy!
    Drizzling cinnamon glaze over a freshly baked applesauce crumb cake on a cutting board, showing the thick crumb layer and soft texture.

Notes

We are adding the crumb topping after the cake bakes for 25 minutes so that it won't sink into the batter.
 
Instant Pudding Mix and Instant Clearjel stabilize the batter and make a moister cake with a softer crumb.  Instant Pudding contains Instant Clearjel (modified cornstarch) as the 2nd ingredient which is why they work similarly with delicious results.  Make sure whichever you use is labeled as INSTANT--cook-type and original clearjel do not work the same as Instant Clearjel.
Author: Amy
Calories: 446kcal