Name: Crumble cake recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves: 10
Cuisine: British, Baking
Ingredients: 350g (12oz) self-raising flour; 2tsp ground cinnamon; 175g (6oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced; 150g (5oz) caster sugar; 2 medium eggs, beaten; 2 large apples, peeled cored and diced; 150g (5oz) blueberries; 150g (5oz) blackberries; 3tbsp demerara sugar; 75g (3oz) mixed chopped nuts

By Sue McMahon

last updated 30 November 2023

in Recipes

This crumble cake is easy to make and is under 420 calories per portion.

The crumble topping on this easy cake is a stroke of genius, if we do say so ourselves. There is a delicious fruity layer made up of apples, blueberries and blackberries and a soft but firm base that helps give structure to the cake once cut into slices or bars.

Ingredients

350g (12oz) self-raising flour
2tsp ground cinnamon
175g (6oz) unsalted butter, chilled and diced
150g (5oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
2 large apples, peeled cored and diced
150g (5oz) blueberries
150g (5oz) blackberries
3tbsp demerara sugar
75g (3oz) mixed chopped nuts

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Method

Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan, Gas 5). Place a baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Grease a 20cm x 24cm (8in x 91/2in) cake tin and line with baking parchment, allowing the edges of the parchment to hang over the side.
Sift the flour and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Remove 175g (6oz) of the crumble mixture to another bowl and set aside.
Stir the caster sugar and beaten eggs into the larger amount of crumble to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Press evenly into the base of the cake tin using floured hands. Scatter over the diced apple and berries.
Stir the demerara sugar and chopped nuts into the rest of the crumble mixture and spoon over the fruit, pressing down gently.
Bake on the hot baking sheet for 35-45 mins until the cake is golden brown. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 mins, then remove by gently lifting the parchment. Serve warm or cold.

Top tips for making a crumble cake

If the topping is browning too fast in the oven, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

What is crumble cake made of?

Our crumble cake has many of the same ingredients that a sponge cake has. There is flour, sugar, butter and flour but instead of creaming the butter and sugar together. The butter is rubbed with the flour to create a topping that will crisp when baked. We have filled our cake with apples, blueberries and blackberries but you can swap for whatever is seasonal.

What causes crumbly cake?

The sponge of your cake may be crumbly and dry if it is overbaked. This can partly be saved by serving the cake with lashings of cream, ice cream and some fresh fruit. The flavours will work wonderfully together and will make up for the dry cake texture.

Can I freeze crumble cake?

Yes this cake can be frozen. Simply wrap tightly and freeze in portions. Defrost as and when you want it. The crumble topping will lose some of its initial crunch but you could reheat it to bring this back or simply serve with a little scattering of granola on top.

The recipe recommends a 20 x 24cm tin but you can use a 20cm square tin if that’s all you have. The layers will be a little thicker so the cooking time may need to increase slightly. You can then cut the cake into square portions instead of rectangles.

For some classic dessert inspiration you must try our apple crumble recipe. You might also like our rhubarb crumble when it’s in season or this peach crumble is perfect for summer months.

Sue McMahon is a former Food and Recipes Writer at GoodTo and Cooking Editor at Woman's Weekly. Her primary passion is cakes and Sue regularly travels the world teaching cake decorating. Her biggest achievement to date was winning the Prix d’honneur at La Salon Culinaire International de Londres beating over 1,200 other entries.