Apple Fritter Bread

My Apple Fritter Bread recipe is tender, moist, and buttery! Infused with warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, festive flavors will fill your kitchen as it bakes away. Serve a slice with coffee or tea for a mouthwatering breakfast, brunch, or dessert. If you love this, you need to try my Blueberry Coffee Cake, Peach Fritters, Lemon Loaf Cake, or Banana Fritters.

Disclosure: I partnered with ALDI for this recipe post, but all opinions expressed here are my own. I am grateful for authentic partnerships like this.

I don’t know about y’all, but seasonal breads and crumble cakes are my all-time favorite treats! Once the fall season hits, I take it as my cue to bake any and all types of decadent apple desserts. Whenever my household smells the aromas of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, they come running to see what’s happening in my oven!

We all know times are a little tough right now, and with rising grocery prices, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is preparing a full Thanksgiving spread. That’s why ALDI has become my one-stop grocery shop!

This year, ALDI is hitting the rewind button to 2019* by dropping prices on over 50 Thanksgiving favorites to help families focus on spending more time with loved ones and less on grocery bills. Plus, they have curbside pickup, online ordering, and home delivery options to make life even easier!

*2019 Thanksgiving Price Rewind on select ALDI products based on average retail at ALDI from November 2–29, 2019. Available in store and online from November 2-19, 2022. Taxes and online and delivery fees not included. Products with reduced prices are marked with the Thanksgiving Price Rewind icon. Prices for other Thanksgiving-related products may be higher than 2019 prices at ALDI. Wine and beer available at select ALDI stores.

What is apple fritter bread?

Just like traditional crumb cake or coffee cake, the key component of apple fritter bread is the crumb topping! However, where this recipe differs is the spiced apples dispersed all throughout!

The actual bread which tastes like cake is tender and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream, and the apples add just the right amount of tartness to balance out the sweet crumble and glaze.  

Often served for breakfast, enjoy a slice with a warm cup of coffee or tea during the fall and winter months!

Ingredients

• Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour: Make sure it’s all-purpose flour for a soft and tender, yet sturdy cake. If you are gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free blend (with varied results).
• Baker’s Corner Brown Sugar: For deep, rich, caramelly notes that balance the juiciness of the apples incredibly well. Don’t have brown sugar? Make your own with 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of molasses.
• Simply Nature Organic Ground Cinnamon: Exclusive to ALDI, Simply Nature Organic Ground Cinnamon imparts perfectly sweet, warming, and cozy flavors that make this cake a family favorite.
• Salt: To enhance the other ingredients in this apple fritter crumble cake.
• Countryside Creamery Unsalted Butter: Use unsalted butter for better control over the salt level in the recipe. Make sure it’s room temperature for the best results.
• Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract: Use vanilla in the crumble, the cake, and the glaze for an extra flavor boost. I always recommend pure vanilla extract whenever possible — it’s worth the splurge!
• Gala apples: Tart, juicy, and fresh, ALDI is doing something right with their apples, y’all! Plus, I love how I can buy them in bulk since their prices are so reasonable!
• Baker’s Corner Granulated Sugar: To sweeten the spiced apples and the cake, I prefer regular granulated sugar. 
• Nutmeg: Along with the cinnamon, nutmeg creates the ultimate festive flavor. Add it to both the apples and the glaze.  
• Goldhen Cage Free Large Eggs Grade A: To add moisture and help give the cake lift. Make sure you use room-temperature eggs.
• Baker’s Corner Baking Powder: The leavening agent. Baking powder creates a light texture.
• Friendly Farms Sour Cream: Adds a creamy, rich, and moist texture. If you don’t have sour cream, replace it with Greek yogurt.
• Simply Nature Organic 2% Milk: I use regular 2% milk, but you can add a higher or lower fat percentage based on what you have available.
• Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar: For the glaze. If you don’t have any powdered sugar on hand, make your own by blending 2 cups of regular granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

How to make apple fritter bread 

Step 1: Make the crumble

Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-sized bowl and toss together. Make sure to break everything up and combine it well. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter and vanilla, then pour the mixture over the dry ingredients. Toss everything together until crumbs develop, then cover and refrigerate.

Step 2: Coat the apples

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, toss the apples with granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set them aside while you make the cake.

Step 3: Make the cake

Preheat the oven to 350F, spray a 9×5 loaf pan with baking spray, line it with parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper once more.

Beat the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for a few minutes, or until light and fluffy. One at a time, add the eggs. Once the eggs are mixed in, slowly add the flour, baking powder, and salt while mixing on low. Lastly, add in sour cream, milk, and vanilla, mixing until just combined.

Step 4: Assemble the cake

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, top with half of the spiced apples, and sprinkle half of the crumble mixture on top. 

Repeat the same process with the rest of the ingredients, finishing the cake off with the crumble.

Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the cake starts browning too much and still isn’t done, tent it with a piece of foil. Cool for about 40-50 minutes, then carefully remove the cake from the pan.  

Step 5: Make the spiced icing

Stir together all of the icing ingredients. Once the cake has completely cooled, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top, slice, and serve it up!

Serving suggestions

If you want to add even more POP to this apple fritter crumble cake, try it with Homemade Whipped Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, or Caramel Frosting Buttercream.

Tips and tricks

• Don’t overmix the batter: Mix until just incorporated. Overmixing will cause gluten bonds to form and result in a dense apple fritter crumble cake!

• Bring ingredients to room temperature: Make sure the cake ingredients are at room temperature so the batter evenly mixes and properly bakes.

• Grease the pan: Don’t forget to grease the loaf pan for easier removal once it’s baked.

• Measure carefully: Use the spoon and level method to measure the flour, and weigh the other ingredients with a kitchen scale for the most consistent results.

What to do with leftovers

If you happen to have leftover apple fritter crumble cake, follow these simple tips to keep it fresh:

• Room temperature: Once cooled, transfer the crumble cake to an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Fridge: If you want to get a few more days out of your dessert, simply place it in the fridge for up to 5 days (though it will dry out quicker in the fridge).

• Freezer: Add the crumble cake to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for 2-3 hours before serving.

Make it ahead of time

Making crumble cake ahead of time is simple and may even taste better the next day after all of the flavors have had time to infuse together. You can bake it up to 1 day in advance. 

Additional dessert recipes 

For more Grandbaby Cakes’ BEST crumble recipes, try one of these:

• HOMEMADE PEACH CRUMB BARS
• STRAWBERRY CRUMBLE CAKE
• MAPLE APPLE CAKE