Easy Apple Crumble Cake - With Warm Salted Caramel Drizzle

Sliced Apple Crumble Cake

The ultimate cosy bake for autumn afternoons.

There’s something so nostalgic about the smell of apples baking in the oven, isn’t there? The moment that buttery crumble topping starts to turn golden and the kitchen fills with cinnamon and caramel — it’s pure comfort. This Apple Crumble Cake is one of those recipes that bridges the gap between pudding and cake: soft, spiced sponge, tender baked apples, and a crunchy crumble topping — all finished with a drizzle (or two) of warm salted caramel sauce.

It’s the sort of bake you make on a rainy Sunday, when the leaves are blowing across the garden and you’ve got a candle flickering on the windowsill. Perfect with a pot of tea… or even better, a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into that warm caramel.

Drizzled with Warm Salted Caramel

🧈 What You’ll Need

For the cake:

• 175g unsalted butter, softened

• 150g caster sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 175g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tbsp milk

• 2 medium apples, peeled and sliced

• 1/2 tsp Freshly Ground Nutmeg

For the crumble topping:

• 75g plain flour

• 50g butter, cold and cubed

• 50g light brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

For the salted caramel sauce:

• 100g caster sugar

• 50g butter

• 100ml double cream

• ½ tsp sea salt flakes

Sliced Apples Dusted with Freshly Grated Nutmeg

🍰 How to Make It

1. Preheat your oven to 170°C (fan) and line a 24cm cake tin.

2. Make the crumble topping: rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs, then stir through the sugar and Cinnamon. Pop it in the fridge while you make the cake.

3. For the cake batter: cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

4. Fold in the flour, baking powder , then add the milk to loosen.

5. Spoon half the mixture into the tin, layer on the sliced apples, grate over the fresh nutmeg. Then top with the remaining cake mix. Scatter over the crumble.

6. Bake for 45–50 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

7. While it bakes, make the salted caramel: melt the sugar in a pan over medium heat until golden, then stir in the butter one cube at a time and the the cream. Add the sea salt and stir until smooth.

8. Serve the cake warm, drizzled generously with salted caramel sauce.

Empty Plates All around

🍎 Serving Ideas

This cake is just as lovely cold for afternoon tea, but if you serve it slightly warm with the caramel poured over, it turns into the dreamiest dessert. I love it with a little double cream, but ice cream or custard are equally good.

✨ Little Tip

You can swap the apples for pears or even add a handful of blackberries when they’re in season — it gives it a lovely rustic twist.

🕯️ Final Thoughts

There’s something so simple yet special about an apple bake like this — the kind you can make with what’s already in your kitchen. It’s cosy, nostalgic and a little bit indulgent thanks to that salted caramel drizzle. The perfect way to welcome autumn.