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Apple Sour Cream Cake

Apple sour cream cake with tender, moist crumb studded with diced apples and a thick cinnamon-sugar topping. Baked until golden at 350°F with a toothpick-clean finish and cooled for clean slices.
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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: 340
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 and topping
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease a 9-inch springform or 9x13 pan. Make sure the pan surface is fully coated so the cake releases cleanly.
  2. Make cinnamon topping by combining brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour, then cut in cold butter until crumbly. Set aside so it stays cool and forms a thicker top layer.
Mix the cake batter
  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined. This distributes the leaveners and spices so the crumb rises uniformly.
  2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and continue beating. Mix just until smooth so the batter has a lighter texture.
  3. Beat in sour cream until fully incorporated. The batter should look thick and cohesive before adding dry ingredients.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see dry streaks.
  5. Fold in diced apples to distribute evenly through the batter. Fold gently so the apples stay intact and the cake bakes moist.
Bake and finish
  1. Spread batter into the prepared pan, then scatter cinnamon topping over the surface. Cover as evenly as possible so every slice has a crumb layer.
  2. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. If the top browns quickly, loosely tent with foil during the last 10 minutes.
  3. Cool the cake before slicing. This sets the crumb and helps the topping stay crisp instead of sinking.

Notes

Pro tip: use firm apples (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith) and dice them to a similar size for even moist pockets. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture. Freezing is yes—wrap tightly and freeze up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use light sour cream instead of full-fat sour cream; the cake will be slightly less rich but still tender.