This post may contain affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used! Learn more on my Private Policy page.
What do you do when you have two bags of apples and change your plans of making an apple pie? How about a Caramel Apple Cake. If you start with good ingredients, you have a really good chance for a solid result. This cake is layered with fresh apples and then topped with a Streusel. I love a Streusel topping.

Apple Streusel Cake
As I often wonder, what is the origin of Streusel. As one can infer from the name, it is German in origin. The technique is common to German pastry and means a crumbly topping of flour, butter and sugar. What’s not to like. In this Apple Streusel Cake the topping adds some sweetness to the tart apples. It is the perfect dessert of sweet and tart.
I think the dessert is also really pretty. It is pretty darn easy to make as well. It has two layers of the batter and two layers of sliced apples. Slicing the apples is the most tedious step of the whole recipe and it really was not that much work (although I should have peeled the apple first). The cake is finished off with the streusel topping. That’s it.


- 1 Cup flour
- 1/2 Cup butter,melted
- 1/3 Cup brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 3 apples, peeled and cut
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 Cup butter
- 1 Cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Cup flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2/3 Cup buttermilk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch spring form pan or you can use a small casserole dish.
- Make topping by combining all ingredients, set aside.
- Sautè apples in 2 Tablespoon butter on the stove and set aside.
- Beat 1/2 C. butter and sugar together.
- Add in eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl. combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- Pour half of these dry ingredients into the butter/sugar/egg mixture and gently mix.
- Add buttermilk and vanilla and the follow with the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.
- Pour 2/3 of the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Layer in half of the apples and then top with the rest of the batter and apples.
- Sprinkle on topping and bake for 40-55 minutes or until the cake is set. Check at 30 minutes, cover with foil if the top is getting to brown.
- Let cool or serve warm.
- Serve topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

Ingredients
The wet ingredients in the mixer, and then, combined with the dry ingredients.

Wet Ingredients
The layer of the cake with the batter, the apples and finally, the topping.

1st Cake Layer

1st Apple Layer

2nd Cake Layer

2nd Apple Layer

Streusel Crumble Addded
The cake out of the oven.

Baked Cake Out of Oven
The final plated Apple Streusel Cake.

Plated
This looks so good! I have 2 questions: what kind of apples did you use, and what size pan should I use if I don’t have a spring form?
I used granny smiths and the pan is about 9″ round.
This looks amazing! It is a perfect way to use up some apples from apple picking. I love you added the streusel topping. It is nice to have some crunch. 🙂
Thx for your kind words. It was tasty!
Such a gorgeous cake! I can’t wait to try a slice!
Just stop on by Serena. Anytime.
I love apple cakes but this one is just gorgeous!!! I cannot wait to try this!
I do not use apples that often and that needs to change.
Wow just in time for fall! Love that it can be pretty veganized! 🙂
I will love to see how you veganize the recipe.