Apple Honey Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble
Apple Honey Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble is the perfect cake for celebrating the Jewish New Year. Apples and honey are traditionally enjoyed at Rosh Hashanah as a symbol of hopes for a sweet new year, and this cake brings those two ingredients together in the most delicious way. Tender apples are folded into a moist honey cake, then topped with buttery brown sugar crumble and a light honey glaze.
I love that this cake feels festive without being fussy. The warm cinnamon, sweet apples, and honey make it especially cozy, and the crumble adds a little crunch to every bite. It’s wonderful served for Rosh Hashanah, but honestly, it’s too good to save for just one holiday. Make it now!
Start by tossing the sliced apples with lemon juice and setting them aside. The little bit of lemon keeps the apples fresh while you put the cake together.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl, then combine the eggs, sugars, honey, oil, sour cream, and vanilla in another. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. You don’t want to overmix the batter.
Fold about two-thirds of the apples into the batter, then spread it into your prepared springform pan. Arrange the remaining apples over the top so you get plenty of beautiful apple slices in every piece.
For the crumble, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt, then work in the cold butter until you have coarse crumbs. Stir in the pecans and scatter the crumble over the apples. It will bake into a wonderfully buttery, crunchy topping.
Bake until the cake is set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool completely before adding the honey glaze. A light drizzle is all you need to finish it off. Then slice it up and enjoy!
If you’re baking at a high altitude, check out this recipe that I’ve adapted in my new High Altitude Baking section.
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Apple Honey Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble
Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 55-65 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour & 35 minutes
Ingredients
Apples:
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 & 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Crumble:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Honey Glaze:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tbsp warm water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Heat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9-inch springform pan.
Toss the sliced apples with lemon juice and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In another bowl, whisk eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold about two-thirds of the apples into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the remaining apples over the top.
Make the crumble by combining flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form, then stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the apples.
Bake for 55–65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove the sides and cool completely.
Whisk together the honey, warm water, and vanilla. Drizzle lightly over the cooled cake.
Chef’s Notes:
- Honey keeps this cake wonderfully moist, and it’s even better the next day.
- Honeycrisp apples are an excellent choice. A combination of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith is also lovely.
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