Apple and Blackberry Crumble Cake with Caramel, the ultimate Autumn bake that is incredible indulgent and easy to make. A soft and moist vanilla sponge topped with spiced apples and blackberries, a golden crumble and a generous drizzle of caramel; this is a sweet dream come true! Serve it with extra caramel, butterscotch sauce, ice cream or custard, for a scrumptious dessert that everybody loves.
Another delicious dessert recipe to add to my collection of apple desserts and wild blackberry recipes. And what a dessert, it's literally the most comforting and autumnal cake you can possible bake!
It might sound like a complicated bake, given the amount of ingredients used and multiple layers, but sometimes, more is just more, and it's so worth the time and effort! This is one of those desserts that are perfect for a special occasion, where you really want to impress.
And despite the appearances, it really is an easy bake. Once you gathered all the ingredients and the prep is done, the rest comes together really easily and quickly. The hardest bit is waiting for the cake to bake and cool down!
I absolutely love the combo apples and blackberries, I have used this combo before in my apple and blackberry crumble bars, and they were a smashing success too. But the cake is just next level, so luscious and rich and so good!
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
The sponge
- flour - I used self-raising flour, if you use plain flour, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for an easy rise and light texture
- sugar - caster or granulated, both work well
- butter - you know me already, I am a salted butter girl, although unsalted works too, just add a pinch of salt if you use that
- eggs - at room temperature for a quick rise
- vanilla extract - or any other extract of your choice
For the fruit filling
- cooking apple - the apple I used weighted 350 g, so if you use smaller apples, just make sure you can the same amount
- blackberries - I used foraged wild blackberries, since they are still in season, but you can also use shop-bought ones if they are still available
- corn flour - or cornstarch, helps absorb and thickens the juices released by the fruit during baking
- mixed spice - for an autumnal touch, you can also use just ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice if you wish
- light brown sugar - to sweeten up the fruit and add a caramel-like flavour
For the topping
- flour - plain flour is just perfect for the crumble topping, there is not need for anything else
- oats - I used porridge oats, but jumbo oats are also ok, they just give a rougher texture
- light brown sugar - you can also use granulated sugar if you wish
- melted butter - salted or unsalted, it acts as a binding agent
- caramel - for a good drizzle, be generous with it!
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- start by making the sponge: add the soft butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to cream them together
- add the eggs one by one, beaten well after each egg added
- add the vanilla extract and sifted flour, and use a spatula to mix all ingredients
- grease and flour a 23 cm / 9 inch round cake tin and spoon the sponge in an even layer
- peel and chop the apple into small cubes, and add them to a dish together with the cornflour, light brown sugar and mixed spice
- mix well to combine and top the sponge with the apple mixture
- scatter the blackberries around
- to make the crumble mixture, add the flour, light brown sugar, oats and mixed spice to a bowl and mix well
- add the melted butter, and give it another mix
- top the fruit with the crumble mixture and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
- remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool down completely before drizzling the caramel over
eXPERT TIPS
Dice the apples small so the pieces can soften nicely while the cake is baking, bigger pieces might remain too firm. Because the fruit is not cooked beforehand to release the juices, it is important to use cornflour, or the cake might become soggy.
Do not add the caramel to a hot cake, as it might become messy. It's ok if it's just a little bit warm though. Cooling the cake also ensures a clean slicing and allows the fruit layer to thicken.
Make sure you use a large enough cake tin, if the tin is small and it's filled to the brim with batter, the cake will have to be baked for long enough to bake well in the middle, otherwise it will stay raw, while the edges are overbaked.
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Apple and Blackberry Crumble Cake with Caramel
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 175 g salted butter (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 3 large eggs
- 200 g self-raising flour ( 1 â…” cup)
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the fruit layer
- 1 large cooking apple (350 g / 2 cups)
- 150 g wild blackberries (1 cup)
- 40 g light brown sugar (3 tbsp)
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or ground cinnamon / pumpkin spice)
For the crumble topping
- 100 g plain flour (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 50 g butter ( 3 ½ tbsp)
- 50 g light brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 25 g porridge oats (¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 120 g caramel (½ cup)
Instructions
- To make the sponge, add the soft butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to cream them together until you have a pale yellow colour and creamy texture.
- Add the eggs one by one, beaten well after each egg added.
- Add the vanilla extract, milk and sifted flour, and use a silicone spatula to mix all the ingredients together.
- Grease and flour a 23 cm / 9 inch round cake tin, and spoon the batter in one even layer.
- Peel and chop the apples into small cubes, and add them to a dish together with the light brown sugar, mixed spice and cornflour.
- Mix to coat the apples well, then top the sponge with an even layer of apples.
- Scatter the blackberries over.
- To make the crumble topping, mix together the flour, oats, mixed spice and sugar.
- Add the melted butter and mix again to get a crumbly texture.
- Scatter the mixture all over the fruit and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool down completely.
- Drizzle the cake with caramel and enjoy!
Notes
- Dice the apples small so the pieces can soften nicely while the cake is baking, bigger pieces might remain too firm. Because the fruit is not cooked beforehand to release the juices, it is important to use cornflour, or the cake might become soggy.
- Do not add the caramel to a hot cake, as it might become messy. It's ok if it's just a little bit warm though. Cooling the cake also ensures a clean slicing and allows the fruit layer to thicken.
- Make sure you use a large enough cake tin, if the tin is small and it's filled to the brim with batter, the cake will have to be baked for long enough to bake well in the middle, otherwise it will stay raw, while the edges are overbaked.
Nutrition
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