brown butter apple crumb cake

the perfect fall cake doesn't exi–

this is a humble cake, but it might be one of the best i’ve ever made. there are so many things to love about it from the crunchy oat crumble to the soft, sweet apples, the deep toasty and nutty flavors to the moist, almost chewy crumb. it’s incredibly versatile and can flex at breakfast, as a mid-afternoon snack or after dinner.

the most difficult part of this easy cake is browning the butter. if you’ve never made it before, i recommend staying right next to the butter the entire time, whisking it constantly after it starts foaming and turning the heat to low or even off towards the end of the process. it can go very quickly from perfect to burnt, so err on the side of less browned to save yourself some pain and frustration. don’t forget to use a pan with a light colored bottom so you can see the color of the milk solids as they brown.

adding milk powder to brown butter is a simple trick that went “viral” earlier this year and while it’s completely optional, it does add a lot to this cake both in terms of a deeper, toastier flavor and beautiful russet speckles suspended throughout the batter.

if you have something against apples, use peeled and sliced bosc or bartlett pears instead. for more spice, add a half teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter or even swap it out for pumpkin spice in the crumble topping if you must. if you’re just not feeling the crumble topping in general, leave it off for an even simpler cake or sprinkle it instead with sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or some demerara sugar for a different finish.

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makes one 23 cm (9-inch) cake / serves 10 - 12

for the cake

200 grams unsalted butter

2 1/2 tablespoons whole milk powder (optional)

225 grams all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

225 grams brown sugar

3 large eggs

2 - 3 apples (about 300 grams when peeled and sliced; i particularly like belle de boskoop for this cake, and baking in general, because they’re perfectly tart and hold their shape)

for the oat crumble

60 grams unsalted butter

60 grams all-purpose flour

30 grams granulated sugar

30 grams brown sugar

30 grams rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

creme fraiche for serving

1. add butter to a small frying pan (preferably stainless steel or light bottomed pan so you can see the milk solids browning) over medium heat. let the butter melt, then froth, swirling occasionally. once the butter has frothed, add the milk powder and whisk constantly until the milk solids are starting to sink and turn deep golden brown; the whole process should take about 10 minutes. remove from the heat and transfer to a separate bowl to cool at room temperature.

2. preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. prep a 23 cm / 9-in round cake pan (or a 20 cm / 8-in square pan) by lining it with a piece of parchment paper; don’t worry about getting the parchment to fit flush with the sides of the pan, just sort of press it in and fold the edges over so it’s lining the bottom and sides as smoothly as possible.

3. add all the ingredients from the crumb topping to a bowl and use your fingers to smash the butter into the dry ingredients until everything is nicely combined. there should be no completely dry spots, but it should still be crumbly. set aside. peel the apples, then cut off the core and slice.

4. add flour, salt, baking powder and brown sugar to a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. crack in the eggs, using your spoon to break the yolks before mixing well, then add in the cooled brown butter (it’s okay if it’s still a bit warm) and mix vigorously for a minute to get a thick, emulsified batter; if there’s still some butter that’s completely separate from the batter, keeping mixing until it’s all absorbed.

5. add approximately half the batter to the prepared pan, using the spoon or spatula to spread it out to the edges. add the apple slices in an even-ish layer, then pour or spoon the remaining batter over the top, again using the spoon or spatula to spread it to the edges and mostly cover the apples; it’s okay if doesn’t cover them completely.

6. use your hands to crumble the streusel evenly over the top of the cake, then bake for about an hour or until a toothpick or paring knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. based on my tests, the cake could take up to an hour and a half total, so keep that in mind and be patient, checking it every 5 - 10 minutes after its done its initial hour-long bake.

7. remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes before using the parchment to carefully lift the cake out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool completely; if the cake seems too delicate to lift, you can simply slice it directly in the pan and use a spatula to lift slices out instead. serve as is or with a spoonful of creme fraiche. the cake will keep well-wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.