Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake With Fresh Apples: Perfect Fall Dessert

This Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake brings together two of my favorite fall baking ingredients in one warm and tender spiced cake. Fresh apples are folded into a moist pumpkin cake, then topped with a generous layer of buttery brown sugar crumb topping and a simple vanilla-cinnamon glaze.

In my house this cake makes a delicious slow and a bit indulgent, weekend breakfast. But it also serves as dessert after dinner. The pumpkin keeps the crumb soft and tender, while little pieces of apple add fresh bursts of sweetness throughout the cake.

And unlike some pumpkin cakes that are mostly about the pumpkin, this one also lets the apple shine alongside it.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake

There are plenty of pumpkin cakes out there, mostly slightly different versions of the same thing. Adding fresh apples updates the basic pumpkin cake into something a little more special, something a little more harvest focused. Pumpkin and apples are the perfect fall pairing.

The pumpkin gives you a rich, moist crumb without making the cake heavy. The apples stay in distinct little pieces, so you get tender pockets of fruit rather than an applesauce-like texture. Then the brown sugar crumb topping gives the cake a different layer with the added crunch. Along with the apple pieces, it elevates the cake beyond just a boring pumpkin cake.

A light glaze over the top finishes it without making the cake overly sweet. You can leave this off, but I really do think it adds to the overall complexity of the cake.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Pumpkin Apple Cake

• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon fine salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup (225 g) pumpkin purée
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream
• 1 cup (125–140 g) peeled, finely chopped apple

All-purpose flour: Provides the structure for the cake while keeping the crumb tender.

Pumpkin purée: Use plain pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin works beautifully, but thick homemade pumpkin purée can also be used. I love growing my own pumpkins and try to grow enough to make all our pumpkin goodies through the fall and winter.

Fresh apples: You’ll need 1 cup of peeled, finely chopped apple. I like the pieces fairly small, around ¼ inch or so They distribute nicely throughout the cake without creating large wet pockets, but still give you a nice bite of apple.

Melted butter: The butter provides the fat that’s necessary for a tender crumb.

Brown sugar and granulated sugar: Brown sugar brings a deeper caramel flavor that works particularly well with pumpkin and apple, while granulated sugar keeps the cake from becoming too heavy.

Sour cream: This keeps the cake tender and adds just enough acidity to work with the baking soda. Plain whole-milk yogurt can also be used.

Warm spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a small amount of cloves give the cake a classic fall flavor without overwhelming the pumpkin and apple.

For the Crumb Topping

• ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup (67 g) packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted

The crumb topping is made with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter.

Using melted butter makes the topping especially easy to mix. Don’t worry about making perfectly uniform crumbs. A mixture of small crumbs and larger chunks gives the finished cake a much better texture.

For the Glaze (Optional, But Worth It)

• ¾ cup (85 g) powdered sugar
• 1½–2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of cinnamon

The glaze is simply powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and a little cinnamon.

It’s completely optional, but I like the way it gives the cake a finished bakery-style look. And the cinnamon in the glaze gives it a nice, fall touch.

How to Make Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake

1. Prepare the pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F, 180°C.

Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Leave a little paper overhanging the baking pan so you can lift the cooled cake out easily.

If you don’t have this size baking pan, I highly recommend checking out the Nordic Ware 9×9-inch baking pan. I love Nordic Ware products and use them all the time.

2. Make the crumb topping

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture forms irregular crumbs.

Set the topping aside while you make the cake.

3. Mix the dry ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. Mix the wet ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until each is fully incorporated.

Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla.

5. Combine the batter

Set 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture aside.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture as directed in the recipe.

½ dry ingredients -> sour cream -> ½ dry ingredients

Mix only until the flour disappears.

The batter should be thick and scoopable.

6. Add the apples

Toss the chopped apples with the reserved 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.

Fold them gently into the batter.

Coating the apples lightly with flour helps keep them distributed throughout the cake instead of allowing them to sink toward the bottom.

7. Add the crumb topping

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Scatter the crumb topping over the entire surface, gently pressing a few of the larger pieces into the batter.

8. Bake

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the center springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

For the most reliable result, the center of the cake should reach approximately 200–205°F, 93.3–96.1°C.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before lifting it out.

9. Glaze

Once the cake has cooled completely, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.

The glaze should be thick enough to sit on the crumb topping rather than immediately disappearing into the cake.

Spoon or drizzle it over the cooled cake.

Let the glaze set for several minutes before slicing.

The Best Apples for Apple Pumpkin Crumb Cake

You don’t need a particular variety of apple for this recipe, but I recommend choosing an apple that holds its shape when baked.

Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Jonagold, Braeburn, Fuji, and Granny Smith are all good choices.

If you’re using a particularly sweet apple, you may notice that the finished cake tastes slightly sweeter. A tart apple such as Granny Smith gives you a little more contrast against the pumpkin and brown sugar.

Whatever variety you use, cut the apple into small ¼-inch pieces. Larger chunks can release more moisture and make the cake around them kinda gummy.

Can I Use Yogurt Instead of Sour Cream?

Yes.

Use ¼ cup (60 g) plain whole-milk yogurt in place of the sour cream.

If you’re using thick Greek yogurt, stir in about 1 tablespoon of milk first to loosen it so it is closer to the consistency of sour cream.

Your pumpkin apple crumb cake will still be tender, moist, and taste every bit as delicious.

Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Purée?

Absolutely! In fact, it’s my favorite.

Canned pumpkin tends to be fairly thick and consistent, which makes it easy to bake with, but it’s often a mix of squash and generally isn’t even real pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin can vary considerably depending on the pumpkin and how it was cooked but you know it’s real pumpkin.

If your homemade purée seems loose or watery, let it drain through a fine-mesh strainer for 10-20 minutes before measuring.

Can I Make This Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake Ahead?

Yes. The cake can be baked a day ahead and stored tightly covered at room temperature.

For the freshest taste, I recommend waiting to glaze it until shortly before serving.

You can also freeze the unglazed cake. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then bring it to room temperature before glazing. Sometimes freezing cake can even improve its texture.

How to Store Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake

Store the cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to 7 days.

Because refrigeration can make butter-based cakes seem firmer, let refrigerated slices come to room temperature before serving.

Can I Make This in a Different Pan?

Yes, but the baking time will change.

A 9×9-inch pan gives you the best balance of cake and crumb topping, with enough height for the apple pieces to stay surrounded by the tender pumpkin batter.

You can also bake this as muffins, although the crumb topping will need to be divided among the individual portions and the baking time will be considerably shorter.

For a Bundt cake, I recommend using a separate Bundt-specific recipe rather than simply transferring this batter to a Bundt pan. The deeper pan requires a different balance of batter, and the apple pieces and crumb topping need to be handled differently for reliable release.

Baker’s Tip

Don’t overmix the batter once the flour goes in.

Pumpkin already gives this cake plenty of moisture, and the goal is a tender crumb rather than a dense one. Mix just until a few streaks of flour are left, then fold in the apples until they are evenly distributed and the remaining flour is incorporated.

And don’t be afraid of those big crumb topping pieces. A mixture of fine crumbs and larger buttery chunks gives you the best texture after baking.

More Fall Baking to Try

Fall baking is at its best when you can take the fruit and harvest around you and turn it into something your family can gather around for. If you have more apples or pears waiting in the kitchen, there are plenty of ways to keep that oven busy.

For something especially cozy and fruit-forward, try my Apple Blackberry Crisp. Sweet apples and juicy blackberries bake beneath a buttery crisp topping, making it an easy dessert for a cool fall evening.

If you have pears on hand, my Brown Butter Honey Pear Crisp is another simple way to turn a fall harvest into dessert. The honey brings out the natural sweetness of the pears without overpowering their delicate flavor.

And if you’re looking for another pumpkin bake, Apple Cider Pumpkin Bread brings pumpkin and apple cider together in a tender loaf with lots of fall flavor.

Whether you’re baking with apples from the orchard, pumpkin from the garden, or fruit you’ve preserved for later, this is the season for making the most of the harvest. So pour yourself something warm, cut another slice of pumpkin apple crumb cake, and enjoy a little bit of fall straight from your the kitchen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soften the butter?

No. The butter is melted for both the cake and crumb topping, so this is a good recipe when your butter isn’t at room temperature.

What kind of pumpkin should I use?

Use plain pumpkin purée, either canned or homemade. Do not use pumpkin pie filling.

Why are my apples sinking?

Very large or wet apple pieces are more likely to sink. Cut them into small ¼-inch pieces and toss them lightly with flour before folding them into the batter.

Can I leave off the glaze?

Definitely. The cake is delicious with just the crumb topping. The glaze simply adds a little extra sweetness and a bakery-style finish.

Can I use Greek yogurt?

Yes. Use ¼ cup (60 g) Greek yogurt loosened with about 1 tablespoon milk.

Can I freeze this pumpkin apple crumb cake?

Yes. Freeze the unglazed cake tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before glazing.

Can these be turned into muffins?

Yes, this can easily be turned into muffins with no alterations made. Just divide your batter and crumb topping between each muffin and adjust your bake time accordingly. Start checking at about 18-20 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.