Double-Apple Crumble Cake

I discovered another reason why Claire is a baking genius. As I was deciding what to bake next, I noticed she labels each recipe by the season! It took me a ridiculously long time to notice this on the top left of the recipe pages, but it is very helpful moving forward and finding the right ingredients. This is one reason I decided to try the Double-Apple Crumble Cake.

Before I even started baking the actual cake, I had to make the All-Purpose Crumble Topping on page 319 of Dessert Person. The most important part was having butter that was still chilled, and making sure it was clumped together thoroughly. It’s also crucial to put the finished crumble topping back in the fridge until you need to put it over the cake so it keeps its texture.

I had a pretty easy time finding the ingredients. I only had one option for the apple butter at the grocery store, but luckily as Claire suggested, it did not have a bunch of sweeteners . This was the first time I ever had Pink Lady apples; they are the closest apple variety I’ve ever tried that actually tastes like candy, making them very fitting for a dessert. I ended up getting a bag of five Pink Lady apples, which was exactly the number I needed for sautéing 1 ¾ cups. It was very easy to sauté the apples, but it was important to keep an eye on them and stir often, especially when they started to brown.

Once the apples were peeled, sliced and cooked, the rest was very simple. I’m certainly noticing patterns now in how one-layer cake batters are made; first you’ll mix the dry ingredients, then you’ll mix the wet ingredients in another bowl. After that, it’s good to make a well in the dry ingredients bowl, add the wet ingredients and steadily mix it all together. For this recipe, I folded in the apples last, and once I had the batter in the pan, the chilled crumble topping was the perfect finishing touch before it went in the oven.

My only critique of my Double-Apple Crumble Cake was some of the sides were slightly folded inward. I’m not sure if this was because of the apples or maybe the process of taking the springform pan off the cake. Aside from that, this cake is freaking beautiful, and it fills your kitchen with a delicious apple cinnamon aroma.

I will admit adding fruit to my desserts is yet another thing that kind of scares me. I’ve just been extremely basic with my taste palette my entire life, and it’s beyond time to branch out. This is a great dessert to make for a crowd if you’re looking to impress. From the second I took this cake out of oven, I couldn’t help but be enthralled by the golden-brown crumble topping. The balance was absolutely perfect between the moisture of the apples and the cake texture; the batter did not get soggy at all while baking. While apples have not always excited me in desserts, this will become a dessert I know I can bake to amaze in both the fall and winter time.

Claire has made a few apple desserts on her YouTube channel. Once she makes this one I'll share!