Make the most of apple season! This Apple Crisp Cake pairs spice cake layers with a delicious homemade apple pie filling and apple crisp crumble.
My first ever Apple Crisp (or Apple Crumble) was in Home Ec class in Jr. High. It was (and still is) one of the best apple desserts I’ve ever had — and so easy to make!! It’s a favourite for sure, and I don’t make it often enough. But we’re in the midst of apple season here, and what better way to make the most of it than with this Apple Crisp Cake!
There’s something so comforting about apple desserts in the Fall. Those fragrant spices and sweet-tartness of the apples — it’s perfect.
To make this Apple Crisp Cake, I modified my Spice Cake recipe for the cake layers. I didn’t put apples into the actual cake, as I wanted to separate it out as a filling, but if you’d like to put apples into the cake layers, you can check out the recipe for my Caramel Apple Cake (you can 1.5x the recipe, or adjust the Servings slider to 18).
For the apple pie filling, I used the same recipe that I used for my Apple Pie Cake and Apple Crisp Cookie Cups. It’s an easy and delicious way to make it at home, but you could totally use store-bought instead if you like. I prefer the taste of homemade, so that’s what I do.
How Do You Make Apple Pie Filling?
I like to use Granny Smith Apples for my filling due to their tartness and firmness, but you can use any kind you like, provided it’s not too soft (like a Macintosh). You want it to retain some of its structure in the filling. Here are some other good options for apples to use:
- Braeburn
- Golden Delicious
- Pink Lady
- Honeycrisp (a personal fave to eat)
Or you can go crazy and do a mix of all of them! That’s probably what I’d do next time, if I actually remember!
To make the apple pie filling, you literally just toss everything except the apples into a pot, boil, cook for 2mins, toss in chopped apples, and cook for 10-15mins until tender. That’s it! I do this the day before, and keep it in the fridge once it cools. I give it a good stir before using in the cake though, as it sets a bit when cold.
The biggest pain, honestly, is peeling and chopping the apples. But it’s not that bad, and as a bonus for making the filling, your house will smell amazing for hours!
For the apple crisp crumble, I literally took the topping recipe from my Apple Crisp and used that. The only difference is that I melted the butter instead of using it cold, and I love the large chunks of crumble that I was able to get out of it!
The crumble is another super easy thing to do: throw everything into a bowl, mix, spread on baking sheet, bake for 10mins. I also do this in advance and store in an airtight container once cooled. Not unlike my Maple Cake from a few weeks ago, this recipe makes more crumble than you’ll need. I like to have extra so I can pick out the larger chunks (for the top specifically), but you can halve the recipe if you prefer.
The cinnamon Swiss meringue buttercream is your standard SMBC with cinnamon thrown in. I was going to leave it plain vanilla, but adding the cinnamon gives it an additional hit of flavour that goes perfectly with the rest of the cake. Plus it looks super pretty!
I actually made the buttercream in advance too. Come to think of it, every element of this cake was made in advance. Since we got Zelda, I’ve had to portion out my baking even more than before. I almost always bake the cakes in advance, but I make the buttercream the day I’m assembling the cake even though it adds a bit of chaos to an already hectic day.
Here’s what I did for each component in order to make them in advance:
- Cake Layers – Cool completely, double wrap in plastic wrap, freeze. Thaw for 1-2hours (wrapped) before assembling. Will keep for months.
- Apple Pie Filling – Transfer to glass tupperware, cool completely, refrigerate. Bring to room temp and give a good stir before using. Will keep for 2 weeks.
- Apple Crisp Crumble – Cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Will keep for 2-3 weeks.
- Cinnamon Buttercream – Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before use. Will keep for 1 week. Or freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Doing these in advance made it so much easier to assemble on the day of. I didn’t have to worry about making the buttercream or crumble. All I had to do was put it together. Honestly, I’ll probably keep doing it this way from now on!
I have a recipe for traditional Apple Crisp here, but if you’re looking for something outside the box and equally delicious, this Apple Crisp Cake is for you!
Looking for more Fall desserts?
Tips for making this Apple Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream
- You can prepare everything in advance and assemble on a separate day. See post above for details of how I split it up.
- If you prefer, you can use store-bought apple pie filling instead of making your own.
- You will have crumble left over. I like to make more than I need so I have the option to pick out the larger chunks. Feel free to halve the recipe if you prefer, or use the extra as a yogurt topping!
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my Flat Top Cakes post!
Apple Crisp Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Spice Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup milk room temperature
Apple Pie Filling:
- 2-3 Granny Smith apples chopped (3 cups chopped, 340g)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch ground nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 1 cup water
Apple Crisp Crumble:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter melted
Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cinnamon Spice Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, spices, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and until smooth. Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture with milk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition.
- Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
- Bake for approx. 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Apple Pie Filling:
- Toss chopped apples and lemon juice in a large bowl, set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine sugars, cornstarch, and spices. Pour in water and whisk. Cook over medium heat until boiling. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add apples, bring back to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender (10-15mins). Cool completely.
Apple Crisp Crumble:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk flour, oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Add enough melted butter so that the mixture starts to clump. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for approx. 10 mins. Cool completely. Break crumble apart if needed.
Cinnamon Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- Place bowl over a double boiler on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins). Or registers 160F on a candy thermometer.
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
- Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- Add vanilla and cinnamon and whip until smooth and fluffy.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with approx. 1 cup of buttercream and spread evenly. Pipe a border of buttercream around the outside to hold in the apple pie filling. Fill with approx. 2/3 cup apple pie filling, spread evenly. Sprinkle with approx. 1/2 cup crumble (smaller pieces). Press gently into apple pie filling. Repeat with next layer.
- Place final layer on top and do a thin crumb coat on the cake. Chill for 20mins.
- Frost and smooth the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Place larger chunks of the crumble around the top of the cake.
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Notes
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth. If it looks soupy, place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip.
Nicola says
February 6, 2019 at 8:11 AMThis cake looks delicious and I cant wait to make it. I’ve made your chocolate and honeycomb one before and its my go to chocolate cake recipe. Can I just ask where you bought the cake stand from please?
Olivia says
February 6, 2019 at 1:42 PMHi Nicola! I actually got it at Homesense. It’s where I get all my cake stands. Here is a similar one though.
Giya says
November 19, 2018 at 8:49 PMThis cake is absolutely delicious. This is my second time making it. First time i used three 6inch pans and the batter was perfect for it and final height was very close to the picture here. I just made two separate batches again, but in three 8 inch pans per the recipe and the height of my layers are barely 1/2 inch tall 🙁 it’s still super good and I’m planning to assmble it later for Thanksgiving instead of the traditional apple pie 😋😊 ❤️
Olivia says
November 21, 2018 at 11:38 AMHi Giya! I’m so glad you like this recipe! I’m sorry to hear it didn’t rise much though! My layers are on the shorter side because I split it between three pans, but they should be about 1″ tall. Be sure to not overmix your cake batter as this can cause layers that are short and dense. The only other thing I can think of is that maybe your baking powder is expired? Anyhow, I’m sure it will still be delicious 🙂
LT Wong says
November 18, 2018 at 9:31 PMI just came across this recipe and now I have to go try it. The combination sounds lethally delicious. I love how your cake looks. How did you create that gorgeous sleek side for the cake? It’s absolutely stunning!
Olivia says
November 19, 2018 at 5:25 PMThank you!! It takes a lot of practice, honestly, but having a cake turntable and an icing smoother helps a LOT.
Amanda says
November 16, 2018 at 12:10 PMHello!! How sweet is the finished cake? I am worried about having a sweet buttercream, a sweet filling and a sweet cake would be tooo sweet? LOL!
Olivia says
November 19, 2018 at 5:05 PMHi Amanda! It’s a matter of taste I suppose. I don’t find the cake or filling too sweet, but the crumble is. I think its a good balance!
Jennifer says
November 12, 2018 at 5:27 PMI used the recipes for the Apple Crisp Crumble and Apple Pie Filling and they were both excellent! Thank you, Liv!
Olivia says
November 13, 2018 at 2:10 PMSo glad you liked them Jennifer! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Jennifer says
November 8, 2018 at 10:32 AMHi! I love your cakes! I made the maple pumpkin cake a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit! I’m thinking of making this one for Thanksgiving, but I would probably need to make it the Saturday before Thanksgiving. What’s the best way of making sure it still tastes fresh on Thursday? Should I freeze it and then give it a day to thaw? Or will it keep in the fridge for a few days? Thanks!
Olivia says
November 8, 2018 at 4:48 PMHi Jennifer! I would freeze it as the fridge tends to dry cakes out. Alternatively you can make each component in advance (freeze the cake layers; refrigerate the buttercream, bring to room temp and rewhip before using; refrigerate apple filling; store crumble in an airtight container) and assemble the day before and store in fridge overnight. Let me know how you like it!
Jennifer Bonetti says
November 16, 2018 at 6:33 AMThanks! Next question: I only have 9” cake pans. Would doubling be enough to make three layers or only two?
Olivia says
November 19, 2018 at 5:03 PMConverting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html Doubling the recipe should make three 9″ pans worth.
Heather says
November 8, 2018 at 6:47 PMDo you have high altitude instructions? I’m at 4500 feet
Olivia says
November 10, 2018 at 5:23 PMHi Heather! I haven’t baked in high altitude myself, but refer people to this link for adjustments: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Anne says
November 4, 2018 at 10:06 AMOMG! Love this recipe. My son’s favourite dessert is apple crisp and I just made this cake for his birthday. I was so worried and stressed when making the icing as it was so usual and different from any type of icing that I have made before. Followed your recipe and it turned out amazing!!! Thanks
Olivia says
November 5, 2018 at 11:00 AMHi Anne! So glad you loved this one as much as I do! And that you tried a new icing method – Yay!
Cindy Rodriguez says
September 29, 2018 at 9:35 AMIt’s like the best of both worlds – an apple crisp + cake. I love this concept plus making portions of it in advance is something I’d prefer as well.
Olivia says
October 1, 2018 at 12:02 PMIt saves a whole lotta time and stress! Thanks Cindy! 🙂
CakeY says
September 28, 2018 at 2:17 AMNice Design simple and looking beautiful.
Olivia says
September 28, 2018 at 9:26 AMThank you!
Danielle says
September 25, 2018 at 3:43 PMHey! How thick do your cake layers usually end up? I just want to make sure I didn’t over mix!
Olivia says
September 27, 2018 at 1:56 PMHi Danielle! These ones were probably 1.25-1.5″ or so.
Heather says
September 24, 2018 at 5:15 AMFor the Buttercream, once you add your butter, approx. how long do you mix?
Olivia says
September 27, 2018 at 1:51 PMHi Heather! It depends, but anywhere from 3-5 mins or so depending on if it has curdled or not.
Jade says
September 23, 2018 at 5:39 AMHi Liv, I love your blog. Just one question, how deep are your cake tins? 2 inches?
Olivia says
September 27, 2018 at 1:44 PMHi Jade! They’re all 2″ tall 🙂
Becky says
September 21, 2018 at 8:21 AMDo you use 2-inch or 3-inch high cake pans? The cake layers look nice and thick and I’m wondering if my 2-inch pans will hold the batter without overflowing. Can’t wait to try this one – the perfect fall dessert!
Olivia says
September 27, 2018 at 1:36 PMHi Becky! Mine are all 2″ tall, but 3″ tall pans would work just fine! The layers are actually about 1 – 1.5″ tall. I hope you like it!!
Jennifer says
September 20, 2018 at 6:49 PMHi, do you think this would be just as good with a buttercream frosting?
Olivia says
September 27, 2018 at 1:33 PMHi Jennifer! I think it would be great with an American Buttercream!
Nancy says
September 17, 2018 at 6:16 PMI love Fall and all the flavors that go with it! I can my own apple pie filling so this would be a great way to use it! I am adding this cake to my “to do” list!!!
Olivia says
September 20, 2018 at 2:13 PMHomemade apple pie filling is the best!! Let me know how you like the cake 🙂
Lil says
September 16, 2018 at 9:34 AMI would LOVE to make this cake, however I cannot eat any dairy (milk, eggs, cheese, butter, etc), and would need to use gluten-free ingredients. Would there be a way for you to post a conversion recipe?
Olivia says
September 20, 2018 at 2:07 PMHi Lil! I haven’t experimented with alternative baking much so I don’t think I could advise on proper substitutions 🙁