Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel Sauce: Optional but amazing!
Make the salted caramel sauce by following my 10-minute recipe linked here. Set aside to cool, or make up to 1 week ahead and store in the fridge.
Prepare the Apples: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (Let it go a few extra minutes if you want browned butter.) Add the apple slices and remaining apple filling ingredients. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring lazily, until apples are slightly softened but still have a bit of a crunch. Set aside to cool slightly.
Make the Cake Batter: Cream butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Add the sugars and mix until well creamed with the butter. Add the egg, milk, vanilla, & sour cream and mix until just combined. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices and mix just until the last streaks of flour disappear. The batter will be fairly thick. Set aside.
Stir together the extra brown sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Make the Crumb Layer: Melt the butter in a medium bowl. Whisk in the sugars. Stir in the remaining crumb ingredients until you have large crumbs.
Assemble & Bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 9-inch round (or square) pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper for easy removal. Spread half of the batter in the pan (it will seem like too little batter, but don’t fret). Sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar mixture, then add the remaining batter. (An offset spatula is helpful here.) Spoon the apples over the top of the batter in an even layer, leaving the excess liquid behind (I’ll drizzle a spoonful or two over, but not all of it). Sprinkle on the crumble topping, then gently press them down a bit so they stick.
Bake for 36 to 42 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have a small amount of moist crumbs, not wet batter. The crumbs will appear baked and will be slightly browned.
Serve + Store: Let cake cool to your liking or enjoy warm! Slice and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or salted caramel sauce. This is best on the first day (the crumb will lose its crisp ness after that), but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days. Be sure to keep in the fridge if the slices have salted caramel on top.
Notes
Note: Nutrition info does not include the caramel sauce, as there was not an easy way to include just a portion of the batch and sending the calorie count far too high.
