Get ready to fall in love with the cosy flavours of autumn and dive into this delectable apple crumble tray bake cake. This ultimate autumn bake is a symphony of warm cinnamon cake with a hint of rum, layered with sweet apple slices, and topped with a delightfully crunchy oaty crumble. What makes this dessert even more irresistible? It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for sharing.
Lou’s recipe overview
SKILL: Beginner
TASTE: Warm autumn spices with apple sweetness
PROS: The perfect cosy and comfy bake
CONS: Take your time with each layer
Is there any sweeter smell than the smell of baking apples? There’s just something about them than makes me feel all warm and cosy inside; especially when autumn is on it’s way and it’s cold and windy outside. You honestly can’t beat an apple bake for giving you a big hug on the inside.
And do you know what else gives me all the cosy, autumn vibes in a dessert? Crumble! Hands down a big bowl of crumble with lots of custard is the ultimate autumn dessert. It doesn’t matter if it’s apple crumble, blackberry crumble, rhubarb crumble, or whatever fruit is in the freezer crumble, crumble is the king of autumn desserts.
So when I was thinking about how I could combine my favourite autumn flavours and textures into a cake, I knew I had to have as much crumble topping as possible. And the best way for that is as a tray bake cake; with layers of cake, apple and crumble.
For me, it’s the real classic cake flavours that work best as tray bake cakes, like my vanilla tray bake cake, or my favourite chocolate version and even a classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting or the best coffee cake. So an apple crumble version was going to fit right in.
Why you’re going to love this recipe
The beauty of a tray bake cake lies in its simplicity – no fussy layering or complicated techniques here. Just one tray, a handful of ingredients, and a little oven magic. So whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, you’re in for a treat. And here’s why you’ll love it just as much as I do…
- Light and tender, moist cake where each bite is packed full of flavour and a touch of warm cinnamon spice
- A beautiful juicy, layer of sweet, tart apples that melt in your mouth
- Covered in the best crunchy crumble topping with oats and maple syrup
- Just bake, cool and serve – so simple, no special skills required
It really is SO good; I guarantee you it’s going to hit all those good spots – tasty, easy, quick!
Ingredients
Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment
As promised, this is a really easy recipe to make, but also the ingredients and equipment are really simple too, which means you’ve probably got everything you need hanging out in the kitchen cupboards. Here’s what you need…
For the cake
- Granny Smith Apples – I’m using Granny Smith apples as their natural acidity compliments the sweetness of the cake and crumble topping, givingt a good balance to the flavours. They’re also a firm apple, so they will hold well when baked. You could also use Braeburn or Honeycrisp apples for balanced flavour profile.
- Salted Butter – I prefer to use a slightly salted butter; but you can also use unsalted butter and add ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt. The salt helps to bring out the creaminess of the butter, giving your cake that beautiful buttery flavour.
- Self-Raising Flour – this is a stable baking ingredient in the UK and already the raising agents added, so we can reduce the quantity of baking powder in the recipe. You can swap for plain or all-purpose flour, and increase the baking powder quantity. A general rule is 1 teaspoon of baking powder to 100g plain flour.
- Soft Light Brown Sugar – The caramel taste of the sugar works well with the warm, spicy cinnamon and sweetness of the apples.
- Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar – I like to use a mix of sugars to give a light texture to the cake. If you have a cinnamon caster sugar then I highly recommend using this over a regular white caster sugar.
- Natural Yogurt or Soured Cream – This adds fats into the cake batter to bind everything together but helps to keep a light and fluffy texture.
- Eggs – Make sure these are at room temperature as it makes them easier to whisk and incorporate air into the cake batter. If you keep your eggs in the fridge, take them out about 15-30 minutes before you’re ready to start baking.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Dark Rum or Spiced Rum – This is optional but I love how it brings a light extra spice and warmth to the cake.
- Baking Powder
For the crumble topping
- Porridge Oats or Rolled Oats
- Salted Butter
- Plain Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- Soft Light Brown Sugar
- Maple Syrup
Recommended ingredients
CONVERT TO CUPS: There is a cup conversion option in the recipe card to convert the ingredients. This is automatic and I can’t guarantee the accuracy. For best baking results, I recommend using digital scales and weighing the ingredients.
Equipment you will need
Before we dive into making this delicious cake, let’s quickly go over the essential equipment. Here’s everything you will need…
- 13 x 9 inch Tray Bake Pan – You pan should be at least 1-inch deep to get a good depth to your cake. I absolutely love my Masterclass one, it gives the perfect bake.
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Hand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Apple Corer
- Baking Parchment
- Digital Kitchen Scales
- Angled Palette Knife – One of my essential pieces of equipment
I like to use a stand mixer for ease; but if you don’t have one use can use a hand mixer and larger mixing bowl. Alternatively you can use a balloon whisk and a lot of elbow-grease.
Recommended equipment
How to make apple crumble tray bake cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card
This apple crumble tray bake cake is up there alongside my cinnamon apple pie as my perfect autumn dessert! Not only is the cake so light and tender with a hint of cinnamon and those sweet apples; the crumble topping takes it to another level. So if you’re ready to get baking, here’s everything you need to do…
The Cinnamon Apple Cake
I can’t get enough of the melt-in-your-mouth texture of this cake; and I put everything down to the reverse-creaming technique. I find this is perfect for single layer cakes, like my biscoff tray bake cake or coffee tray bake cake. Give it a try…
- Add the self-raising flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and, if using, salt in a large mixing bowl and mix together until well combined. Alternatively you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add in the light brown sugar and caster sugar and stir through until all the dry ingredients and evenly mixed and well combined.
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients and mix together with a hand held mixer until you get a damp sandy texture.
- Add the natural yogurt and dark rum and stir through, the cake batter should start to look thick and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. You should end up with a smooth, creamy batter that spreads easily.
- Pour the cake batter into a lined deep tray bake pan.
- Peel, core and finely slice the apples, and place them in a layer on top of the cake batter. Cover while you make the crumble topping.
BAKING SCIENCE: The reverse-creaming technique starts with combining dry ingredients before adding the fats. This means the flour particles are coated with fat from the butter reducing the gluten formation. This gives you a finer, springy cake while still keeping it nice and light.
The Crumble Layer
- Add the plain flour, rolled oats and soft light brown sugar into a large mixing bowl, and stir together until well combined.
- Add the softened butter and gently rub everything together between your finger tips. Keep going until you end up with an even texture and no large lumps of butter.
- Add the maple syrup to the crumble mixture and stir through.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly all over on top of the apple layer of the cake.
Baking the tray bake cake
Bake the apple crumble tray bake for 40 minutes at 180C / 350F until golden or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out. Allow the cake to cool in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
TOP TIP: If you want a light crumble topping, remove the cake from the oven at 30 minutes and gently cover with a layer of kitchen foil; this will keep the crumble a golden colour as it finishes baking.
Live baking class – step-by-step video
Top tips for success
Now while I love the simplicity of a sheet cake, here are a few hints and tips to help you achieve the perfect apple crumble tray bake cake…
- Weigh your ingredients – This is always my number one top tip! It will change every single bake you make – digital kitchen scales are your new Best Friend! Did you know that a 1 cup of flour could give you 150% of correct measurement? Investing in a set of scales can drastically improve your baking results!
- Choose the right apples – You want to go for firm, tart apples like Granny Smith or Braeburn; or even mix the two together. Their natural acidity compliments the sweet cinnamon cake and the oaty crumble topping, creating a balanced flavour profile. Softer, flowery apples like Cox or Golden Delicious will become too soft when baked and you’ll end up with a soggy apple layer.
- Use room temperature eggs – And this is my second best top tip. Adding cold eggs to your cake batter mix can cause it to curdle. So get your eggs out of the fridge 10-15 minutes before you start baking. It also makes the eggs easier to whisk and gives them lots of volume, helping keep your cake light and fluffy.
- Use room temperature butter – Starting with nice and soft butter is the key to the perfectly light and fluffy cake. If the butter isn’t quite soft enough, when you mix the ingredients together you’ll end up with butter lumps in the batter. Room temperature butter is easier to cream with the sugar and helps to incorporate air into the batter. Taking your butter out of the fridge the night before should make sure it’s just right. You want to be able to make a dent with your finger, but not go right through.
- Don’t rush the cooling: Allow the cake to cool in the tray bake pan for 10-15 minutes, before turning out onto a wire cake rack and slicing. This helps the layers set, making it easier to cut and serve without the cake falling apart.
- Customise your crumble – If you’re looking to take your crumble topping to the next level, why not add in some some chopped nuts – hazelnuts or pecans would good really well. You could also add a sprinkle of demerara sugar over the top of the crumble before baking for an extra crunch!
- Bake in a glass dish – If you don’t have a tray bake pan available, then you can bake in a glass dish instead. This is great for if you are serving straight from the pan as you get to see the different layers. If you do, you’ll need to bake for slightly longer.
FAQs about apple crumble tray bake
The recipe will fit a 13 x 9 inch traybake pan. Make sure you use a pan that is at least 1-inch deep if not deeper, due to the different layers. If you prefer a deeper cake then use a slighter smaller but deeper pan. If you want to make a layer cake, this recipe will work in two 8-inch cake tins.
Once baked and cooled, the cake should be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature. You can either cut the cake into slices and keep in a sealed container, or cover with kitchen foil if serving soon after baking.
If stored correctly, at room temperature, the apple carumble traybake cake will keep for up to 3 days or up to 1 week in the fridge. If freezing, the cake can be stored for up to 2 months.
Yes, you can! I recommend slicing the cake into portions before freezing, as it’s easier to store. Make sure the cake is completely cooled and wrap the cake well in clingfilm before freezing. It will store for up to 2 months. Remember to defrost thoroughly before decorating or eating.
More tray bake recipes to try
If you liked this apple crumble tray bake cake recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
Apple Crumble Tray Bake Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Sheet Cake
- 350 g Self-Raising Flour
- 200 g Soft Light Brown Sugar
- 100 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 250 g Butter Salted, softened
- 150 ml Natural Yogurt or Soured Cream
- 4 Eggs Medium
- 3 tbsp Dark Rum Optional
For the Apple Layer
- 3 Apples Braeburn or Granny Smith
For the Crumble Layer
- 150 g Rolled Oats
- 100 g Plain Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- 100 g Butter Salted, softened
- 100 g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
VIDEO
Instructions
To make the cake
- Line a 13×9 inch sheet pan with baking paper. Alternatively, coat the pan with homemade cake release.
- In a large bowl, sieve together the self-raising flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon and mix together. Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.350 g Self-Raising Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder
- Add in the soft light brown sugar and caster sugar, and mix everything together until well combined.200 g Soft Light Brown Sugar, 100 g Caster Sugar
- Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients mixture and beat with a handheld mixer or stand mixer until everything is well well-combined and the butter evenly distributed. The mixture should have a sandy texture.250 g Butter
- Add the natural yogurt to the mixture. Beat the mixture again until the ingredients begin to form a thick batter.150 ml Natural Yogurt
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and whisk between each addition on medium-high speed until the cake batter is smooth, thick and spreadable. If using, add the rum now and mix together.4 Eggs
- Pour the cake batter into the lined sheet pan, and level if required using an offset spatula.
To make the apple layer
- Peel and core the apples, before finely slicing them. Make sure they are not too thick so that they bake through properly.3 Apples
- Layer the apple slices evenly all over the top of the cake batter.150 g Rolled Oats
To make the crumble
- In a large bowl, add the plain flour, rolled oats and soft light brown sugar. Mix together with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.100 g Plain Flour
- Cube the softened butter and add into the mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients together using your fingertips until the mixture resembles an even crumble topping.100 g Butter
- Add the maple syrup to the crumble mixture and stir through.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly all over on top of the apple layer.
To bake the cake
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and bake the cake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place a layer of kitchen foil over the top to stop the crumble topping browning too much. Return the cake to oven to cook for a further 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- When baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Alternatively, you are transporting the cake, leave it to cool in the baking pan, before serving.
- When ready to serve, slice the cake and servce with cream, custard or ice cream.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
