Description

A moist, spiced autumn cake featuring tender apples and a crunchy, buttery streusel topping. This easy one-bowl recipe delivers the perfect balance of tart fruit and sweet crumb, ideal for sharing or enjoying with coffee.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
6–7 medium apples (mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp), cored and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon (for apples)
1 cup all-purpose flour (for streusel)
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (for streusel)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and nuts (if using). Add cold cubed butter and mix with a fork or pastry cutter until coarse crumbs form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to the butter mixture in three and two batches respectively, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Toss sliced apples with lemon juice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Arrange apple slices in a single layer over the batter.
Sprinkle the cold streusel mixture evenly over the apples. Do not press down.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake part comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Keep butter very cold for the streusel to ensure a crunchy texture. Do not overmix the batter to avoid a tough cake. Use firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp; avoid soft varieties like Red Delicious. The cake tastes even better the next day as spices meld.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: German

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 320
Sugar: 28
Sodium: 250
Fat: 14
Saturated Fat: 8
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 2
Protein: 4

Keywords: apple cake, streusel cake, bavarian cake, autumn recipe, oktoberfest, easy baking, one bowl cake, fall dessert