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Apple Sour Cream Cake

Apple sour cream cake with tender, golden crumb and apple-studded batter, finished with a cinnamon-brown sugar crumb topping. Baked until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean, with a slice showing moist apples in every bite.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cup apples, peeled and diced
For cinnamon topping
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease a 9-inch springform or 9x13 pan for easy release later.
  2. Make cinnamon topping by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour, then cut in cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  3. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly blended.
  4. Beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, with a lighter color and a thicker texture.
Mix and bake
  1. Add eggs and vanilla extract to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
  2. Beat in sour cream until the batter looks glossy and fully combined.
  3. Fold in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain, keeping the batter thick rather than overmixed.
  4. Fold in diced apples evenly through the batter so they’re distributed across the pan.
  5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, then scatter the cinnamon topping over the surface.
  6. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Finish
  1. Cool before slicing so the crumb sets and the cinnamon topping stays intact.

Notes

Pro tip: measure diced apples consistently (about 2 cups) so the batter bakes evenly and the crumb stays moist. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; for best texture, serve at room temperature. Freezing is yes—freeze slices tightly wrapped for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use gluten-free 1:1 all-purpose flour in both the cake and topping for a gluten-free version.