When it comes to cosy food, this Apple Crumble Loaf Cake is a perfect warming cake for the colder months. It features a brown sugar cinnamon spiced sponge, cinnamon buttercream, and a stewed spiced apple and crunchy crumble topping. It's packed with so many lovely textures too - light sponge, soft apples, silky buttercream and crispy crumble. I highly recommend you enjoy this cake with custard or ice cream!

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Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
I used unsalted butter for the buttercream and the crumble topping, for the cake I used a baking spread.
Mixed spice is a British spice blend containing cinnamon, coriander seed, nutmeg, clove, pimento and ginger. If you can't get hold of it, you can use a mix of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, or use a Pumpkin Spice mix instead.
I really recommend using light brown soft sugar if you can, as it gives the cake and the stewed apples a lovely caramel flavour. But if you can't get hold of it, you can use golden caster sugar or regular caster sugar (superfine sugar) instead.
You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100ml of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts.
For easy lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50).
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How to make Apple Crumble Loaf Cake

Make the stewed apples and crumble topping first so that they can cool down. For the stewed apples, heat the apples, light brown soft sugar, cornflour, cinnamon and mixed spice in a pan on a low heat, cover with a lid and cook until soft (10-15 minutes). For the crumble topping, mix the plain flour, light brown soft sugar and cinnamon together. Rub the butter in with your fingers, or a fork/pastry blender. Spread the mixture out on a baking tray and bake until golden. Leave both things to cool fully before adding them to the cake.

For the cake, mix together the light brown soft sugar and butter (or baking spread) until fluffy. Then add the eggs and mix them in. Next add the cinnamon, mixed spice and self raising flour and mix or fold in gently.

Spread the mixture out into the tin and bake the cake for 1 hour or until a thin skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool fully. To make the buttercream, mix butter, icing sugar, cinnamon and milk together until smooth. Spread it over the cake, add the stewed apples on top, then sprinkle the crumble all over.

For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.

How long does the loaf cake last for and can it be frozen?

The loaf cake will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in a cool place. To freeze the cake, wrap the cake well in cling film or put it in an airtight container. You can also freeze it in slices, put a little baking paper between each slice to stop them from sticking together. Freeze for up to 3 months. The crumble will freeze, but will loose it's crunch.

Can you make this loaf cake with plain/all purpose flour?

Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.

Can this loaf cake be made gluten or dairy free?

Yes! For gluten free you can replace the self raising flour with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with). You may also like to add ¼ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread for the cake, the crumble and the buttercream. You will also need dairy free milk for the buttercream. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.

What kind of apples should you use?

I have used Jazz and Pink Lady apples to make this cake, as well as apples from my dad's garden, but any sweet eating apples will work.

Can this cake be made into a larger cake or cupcakes?

Yes - check out my Apple Crumble Cake and Apple Crumble Cupcakes recipes for details.

What size tin do you need for this recipe?

You will need a 2lb loaf tin for this recipe (you can test the size of your loaf tin by seeing how much water the tin can hold, 2lb will hold about 2 pints/1100mls of water). If you have a 1lb loaf tin, simply halve the ingredient amounts. I have a few different 2lb loaf tins, that all have slightly different measurements. The one I used for this recipe has internal measurements of 22cm x 11cm x 6cm. If your 2lb loaf tin is slightly narrower, your cake may need slightly longer to bake.

What is the best way to line a loaf tin?

For easy and quick lining of the tin, use a loaf cake tin liner, however if you don't have any of these you can use baking paper instead. Cut two pieces of baking paper, one wider piece and one longer and thinner piece. The wider piece will cover the two longer sides of the tin and the base, then place the longer thinner piece over the top of the first piece and cover the base again, and the smaller sides. Making a cross shape with the baking paper. I always grease the tin lightly before adding the liner or baking paper, as this helps to keep the paper in place and stop it from moving around when you add the batter.

Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?

While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cake will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!

Should a loaf cake have a crack on top?

Yes! A slight crack down the middle of a loaf cake is totally normal. Some people even encourage a crack to happen by adding a line of melted butter or oil down the centre of the batter! If your loaf cake has a very large crack, it could be that it was baked on too high a temperature (or that your oven runs hotter inside than the dial says).

More tips for making the Apple Crumble Loaf Cake:

The crumble is lovely and crunchy, but it will eventually go soft after being in contact with the moist buttercream and stewed apple. So sprinkle it on right before serving, or as close to serving as possible to retain the crunch.
I spread the buttercream onto the cake, but you could pipe it on if you prefer.

Troubleshooting

My number one tip for getting the best results is to read through this whole page of tips and recommendations before starting, and follow the recipe exactly. If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!

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