There’s something nostalgic about the aroma of apple and cinnamon filling the kitchen. This Brown Butter Apple Crumb Cake is pure comfort. I’ve refined this recipe over years of fall baking and still reach for it every September.

Cake Ingredients

• 1½ cups flour

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg

• ½ cup unsalted butter, browned

• ¾ cup brown sugar

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup sour cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1½ cups chopped Granny Smith apples

Crumb Topping

• ⅓ cup flour

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• 3 Tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes

Instructions

1. Brown Butter: Melt butter over medium heat until golden and nutty. Cool slightly.

2. Prep Pan & Oven: Preheat to 350°F. Grease and line an 8×8″ square pan.

3. Cake Batter: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another bowl, mix browned butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then sour cream and vanilla. Fold in dry mix, then apples.

4. Crumb Topping: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon. Cut in butter until sandy crumbs form.

5. Assemble: Pour batter into pan, sprinkle crumbs evenly.

6. Bake: 35–40 minutes or until center is set and top is golden.

This cake pairs beautifully with coffee or hot cider. It's a crowd‑pleaser at brunch or as a comforting dessert on chilly nights.