The apple crumble cake is a light and vegan dessert — I found the recipe some time ago on the Dutch Weight Watchers website. In the Netherlands this apple crumble cake (which in Italy we call a crumb tart) is very popular and loved. There it is called Appel-kruimeltaart and it is truly delicious.
You make it similarly to a tart, but instead of the typical strips of shortcrust pastry on top, you prepare a crumb mix of sugar, flour and butter and spread it irregularly over the apples.
As you can see in the photos I made two versions: a taller one in a 24 cm pan leaving the skins on the apples, and a lower one in a 26 cm pan with peeled apples. Both versions were very popular at my home.
Read the step-by-step recipe to learn how to make this cake, which is absolutely not difficult.
More apple recipes:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 12Slices
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup whole cane brown sugar (packed)
- 7 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.65 lbs apples (about 5 medium)
- 1 untreated lemon (juice and grated zest)
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 5 1/2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Points per slice (12 slices total) = 4 WW points
Tools
- Springform pans
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Lemon zester / grater
Preparation
Prepare a shortcrust pastry with the indicated amounts of flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and vegan margarine. If necessary add a splash of water. Work the dough quickly and form a ball: wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In a bowl prepare the juice and grated zest of half a lemon. Wash the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the core. You can leave the skins on or peel them, depending on taste: if the apples are organic I personally recommend washing them well and keeping the skin. Slice the apples and place them in the bowl, mixing them in the lemon juice as you go so they don’t brown.
Prepare a springform pan 9.5–10.25 inches Ø (the cake will be taller or shorter depending on the size) with a circle of parchment paper cut to size and placed on the base. Alternatively, in the tools section I linked a reusable silicone liner for the pan. Remove the shortcrust pastry from the plastic wrap and place it in the center of the parchment. Wrap plastic wrap around your closed fist and, pressing on the dough, press it out to the edges of the pan, making sure to press firmly on the sides to form the crust edges. The plastic wrap is useful because the dough is quite moist and not very elastic, so using a rolling pin or spreading it with your hands is difficult; with some plastic wrap it won’t stick to your fingers and will spread easily. Prick the base all over with the tines of a fork and pour in all the apples, distributing them evenly and leveling well. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 356°F.
Weigh separately the remaining ingredients for the crumble and for the topping. Using your fingertips, work the indicated amounts of flour, sugar and vegan butter to form the crumble. The mixture should not be smooth — it should remain sandy. Distribute the crumble evenly over the entire surface of the cake.
Mix well the topping of sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the crumble. Bake at 356°F for about 50–55 minutes. After about 40 minutes check the color of the surface: if it is already well browned, place a sheet of aluminum foil on top and continue baking.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then open the pan and gently remove the ring. Thanks to the parchment on the base it will be easier to transfer the cake to a serving plate. Once cooled our apple crumble cake will be ready to slice and enjoy!
In the photo you see the version made in the 9.5-inch pan (so taller) with the skins left on — that’s how I prefer it!
This cake is also excellent served with a dollop of whipped cream — just don’t overdo it and count the extra Weight Watchers ProPoints. I also really liked it with my “fake cream”: a bit of ricotta beaten until creamy with a teaspoon of agave syrup — delicious!
Let me know how you enjoyed it in the comments below…
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
This apple cake will keep for a few days at room temperature, but the shortcrust will tend to soften. I have never tried freezing it because it never lasted long enough, but I think it can be frozen — perhaps already cut into slices and wrapped in kitchen paper and then placed in a freezer bag.
