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This is a simple and scrumptious country apple cake. Tanya, one of the ladies I sit next to in choir, shared this recipe with me. It’s also known as “Domashny” which translates loosely to “from home.” It sure is homey and so easy to put together. It reminds me of the Russian sharlotka cake, but this one is more exciting. It’s perfect with tea or coffee and can be completed in 1 hour start to finish; no fancy frostings or frills required.
The sour cream cake layers have just the right amount of sweetness complementing the sweet tart apples and plump raisins. And that crumbly topping adds just a hint of crunch – you will clean your plate, you’ll see!
Apple Crumb Cake Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (10 oz) sour cream (I used regular, not low fat)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
1 tsp baking powder
2 large (about 1 lb) granny smith apples
3/4 cup raisins
Crumb Topping Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter, softened (20g butter)
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour *measured correctly
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Apple Crumb Cake Prep:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. Butter and flour a 9″ springform mold. Peel and core apples, then cut into 6 wedges and slice into 1/4″ thick pieces. (P.S. We love this steel apple slicer). Cover apples with plastic wrap and set aside.
2. Soak raisins in hot water for 5 minutes then drain and pat them dry with paper towel.
How to make the Apple Crumb Cake:
1. Beat 3 eggs with 1 cup sugar with the whisk attachment on high speed until foamy and thick (5 min).
2. Reduce mixer to medium speed and add 1 1/4 cups sour cream, 4 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.
3.Whisk together 2 cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder and add them to your batter. Continue mixing until well combined.
4. Fill prepared baking pan with half of the batter. Place apple slices and raisins evenly over the top of the mixture. Fill baking pan with the remaining batter. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes. While cake is in the oven, make the crumble topping.
5. For the Topping: Use your hands to rub together 2 Tbsp butter and 4 Tbsp of flour, rolling between your fingers until small crumbles form. Add 3 Tbsp of sugar and mix until incorporated. Remove cake from the oven after the first 20 min and sprinkle topping evenly over cake.
6. Immediately place the cake back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes. When it’s done baking, remove the ring and let it cool. If you want the top to turn a little golden, set oven to broil and keep in the oven an additional 2 minutes.
Apple Crumb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups 10 oz sour cream (I used regular, not low fat)
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, *see notes
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 large, about 1 lb granny smith apples
- 3/4 cup raisins
Topping Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
- Butter and flour a 9" springform mold.
- Peel and core apples, then cut into 6 wedges and slice into 1/4" thick pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Soak raisins in hot water for 5 minutes then drain and pat them dry with paper towel.
How to make the Apple Cake:
- Beat 3 eggs with 1 cup sugar with the whisk attachment on high speed until foamy and thick (5 minutes).
- Reduce mixer to medium speed and add 1 1/4 cups sour cream, 4 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 tsp vanilla.
- Whisk together 2 cups flour and 1 tsp baking powder and add them to your batter. Continue mixing until well combined.
- Fill prepared baking pan with half of the batter. Place apple slices and raisins evenly over the top of the mixture. Fill baking pan with the remaining batter. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes. While cake is in the oven, make the crumble topping.
- For the Topping: Use your hands to rub together 2 Tbsp butter and 4 Tbsp of flour, rolling between your fingers until small crumbles form. Add 3 Tbsp of sugar and mix until incorporated. Remove cake from the oven and sprinkle topping evenly over cake.
- Immediately place the cake back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes. When it's done baking, remove the ring and let it cool. If you want the top to turn a little golden, set oven to broil an additional 2 minutes.
Wonderful recipe! Very moist… I didn’t want to risk the middle not turning out well or sinking so I just threw the batter all together with the apples and raisins and did the rest as the recipe. Turned out even prettier and tastier than I ever thought. Will continue folding evrrything together with the batter instead of layers… I only had salted butter left and it actually worked nicely with the crumble surprisingly little salty and sweet! Try that friends. Thank you Natasha!
Hi Marina! You’re very welcome. I’m glad it worked out for you.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
This cake tastes exactly like one my mom used to make 30 y ego ( I grew up in Latvia) and of course no one would remember the recipe after so many years .
No bakery in US will produce enything even close to home made taste and for that reason I have to bake and teach our kids that this is how cakes should taste .
Best regards
Moria
Hi Moria! You are so very welcome. I’m so glad you loved this recipe.
CAN I SUB CRUSH PINEAPPLE INSTEAD OF RAISEN? TO THIS APPLE CRUMBLE CAKE…
Hi Lita, I honestly haven’t tested that yet to advise. If you do an experiment and try that, please share with us how it goes.