Every fall brings the same sweet challenge: more ripe apples than anyone can eat fresh. This cinnamon apple crumb cake, known in Czech as jablečný drobenkový koláč, is the answer I reach for first. One bowl of buttery crumbs, a pile of shredded apples, and the kitchen smells like autumn itself.
What is cinnamon apple crumb cake? It is a simple Czech sheet cake built from three layers: buttery crumbs on the bottom, a juicy filling of shredded apples seasoned with cinnamon in the middle, and a crisp layer of crumbs on top. The crumbs, called drobenka in Czech, are the same streusel that German bakers sprinkle over their famous apple cakes.
This is a true beginner recipe. If you can rub butter into flour with your fingers, you can bake this cake. It takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work and a single 9x13-inch pan. The oven does the rest in 40 minutes. Serve it with a cup of coffee and you have a classic Czech afternoon treat. I have baked this cake through many apple seasons, and I will gladly show you how to make it fantastic, the kind of cake that everyone who tries a slice enjoys.
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➜ My best tips for a perfect apple crumb cake
- Stir cornstarch into the shredded apples and keep every drop of juice. The apples release juice as they bake, and the cornstarch thickens it right inside the apple layer. The juice stays where it belongs, so the cake is moist but never wet in the middle.
- Add one egg to the crumb mixture. The egg makes the crumbs firmer after baking, and the top layer turns out noticeably crispier.
- Shred the apples instead of slicing them. A shredded filling holds together in one even layer, so the cake cuts into neat, clean slices.
"I was worried when it was suggested to leave the apple juice in, but it worked marvelously. It was just right."
Petra C.
Do you like quick Czech sheet cakes? Then put the peach buchta with canned fruit on your list for next weekend. And if the apple harvest keeps coming, pan-fried apple rings and the no-bake apple jelly cake will help you turn every last apple into something delicious. And when even that is not enough, a bowl of homemade apple compote takes care of the rest.
➜ Apples in the Czech kitchen
Apples are the fruit of Czech childhoods. It used to be the custom that every chalupa, a Czech country cottage, had a few apple trees standing in the garden, and year after year they bore fruit whether anyone asked them to or not. By late summer, so many apples ripen across the Czech Republic that the question in every kitchen is not whether to bake with them, but which recipe gets the next basketful.
Cakes were never the only answer. Czech families also rolled the harvest into an easy Czech apple strudel (jablečný štrúdl) or dried the surplus into chewy dried apple slices (křížaly).
This crumb cake is a classic apple bake, and it is how I use our own harvest too. The apples I bake with are picked in our backyard: juicy, semi-sweet fruit, nothing fancy, which is exactly why this cake works beautifully with whatever variety you have on hand.
Czech pronunciation
Would you like to say the cake's name like a Czech? Jablečný drobenkový koláč is pronounced yah-blech-nee droh-ben-koh-vee koh-lahch. Click and listen, I will say it for you.
➜ Ingredients
✅ See the recipe below with step-by-step photos and many helpful tips. Scroll down for the full printable recipe in both US cups and metric measurements.
For the crumbs:
- All-purpose flour, the base of the crumbs. In the UK, it is sold as plain flour.
- Baking powder, gives the bottom layer a gentle lift while baking.
- Granulated sugar, white sugar works perfectly, or swap in light brown sugar for a deeper, caramel-like flavor.
- Egg, one whole egg binds the crumb mixture together.
- Unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature, because softened butter is the easiest to work into crumbs by hand.
- Lemon zest, freshly grated, ideally from an organic lemon, for extra aroma.
For the apple layer:
- Fresh apples, firm, sweet-tart varieties bake best: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, or Pink Lady. Skip soft, mealy apples such as Red Delicious, Gala, or McIntosh, which collapse in the oven.
- Ground cinnamon, the classic partner for apples in Czech sweet baking.
- Granulated sugar, sweetens the juicy apple layer.
- Vanilla paste, or the same amount of vanilla extract.
- Cornstarch, known as cornflour in the UK. It thickens the juice the apples release as they bake.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking pan, with higher rims, so all three layers fit comfortably.
- Parchment paper, one sheet for lining the pan. No parchment on hand? Grease the pan and dust it with fine breadcrumbs instead.
- Box grater, for shredding the apples on the side with large holes.
- Apple corer, handy but optional. A knife does the job too.
➜ How to make apple crumb cake
STEP 1: Make the crumb mixture. Mix the flour with the baking powder and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, egg, and lemon zest. Cut the butter into smaller slices and add it to the bowl.
STEP 2: Work the crumbs together. Use your fingers to work everything into irregular clumps. Expect this step to take a little time and maybe some elbow grease, but it is nothing you cannot handle! If you prefer an electric mixer, use short pulses only, just until the mixture forms clumps. My personal preference is to do this crumbly labor by hand.
STEP 3: Prepare the apples. Peel the apples and cut out the cores. I use a simple tool for this, a core remover. Place the peeled apples in a medium bowl and shred them on the side of a box grater with large holes. Do not drain the juice from the grated apples!
MY TIP: If you do not have a core remover, read my article on how to shred apples, where I show a method for cutting out the core with a knife.
STEP 4: Season the apple layer. Add the sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla, and cornstarch to the shredded apples. Stir until combined.
STEP 5: Line the baking pan and heat the oven. Line the baking pan with parchment paper. I have a simple trick to keep the paper from curling or sliding. Crumple it into a ball, dip it in water, squeeze out the excess, and spread it flat again. Then place the damp paper on the bottom of the pan. Now is also the right moment to preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C).
STEP 6: Build the three layers. Divide the crumbs into two equal halves. Spread the first half over the bottom of the lined pan. Continue with the layer of shredded apples, smoothing the surface well. Finally, sprinkle the second half of the crumbs evenly over the apples.
STEP 7: Bake the cake. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the surface turns golden brown.
➜ Variations
- Raisins, stir a handful into the seasoned apple layer. They plump up with the apple juice as the cake bakes.
- Chopped walnuts, scattered over the apple layer before the top crumbs go on.
➜ Serving suggestions
Let the cake cool a little in the pan, then cut it into squares about 3 inches wide. Serve them slightly warm or at room temperature. This soft, buttery cake also makes a lovely treat for slow weekend breakfasts. If you have a sweet tooth, dust the top with powdered sugar just before serving. Dobrou chuť!
➜ How to store the cake
- On the counter: Cover the pan with a clean tea towel or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. The cake keeps for about two days.
- In the fridge: Cut the cake into slices and store them in a resealable container. They stay fresh for up to five days.
- In the freezer: This cake freezes very well. Pre-freeze the slices first. Spread them out on a tray and freeze until firm, then stack them in an airtight container and return them to the freezer. They will keep for at least three months. Thaw slowly at room temperature.
➜ FAQ
Yes. Sealed airtight, frozen slices keep for at least three months.
Not quite. An apple crumble is a spoon dessert, fruit baked under a loose crumb topping, while this Czech cake stands on a firm crumb crust, so you can slice it and pick a piece up with your hand.
The most common reason is leaving out or under-measuring the cornstarch, because it is what thickens the juice from the shredded apples. Stir the full amount into the apples before you build the layers.
Yes, peel them. The peel turns tough during baking, and the apple layer is much smoother without it.
The recipe is developed and tested for a 9x13-inch pan. I have not tested it in a round or smaller pan, so I cannot promise the same result elsewhere.
Tried this recipe?
Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake
Tap or hover to scale
This recipe was developed in grams. For the most accurate results, tap the purple METRIC toggle and use a kitchen scale.
Ingredients
Crumbs:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 14 Tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into slices
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest freshly grated
Apple layer:
- 3 pounds apples about 6 large apples of a firm, sweet-tart variety
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon groung cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix 3 cups all-purpose flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder and pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 egg, and 1 Tablespoon lemon zest. Cut 14 Tablespoon unsalted butter into smaller slices and add it to the bowl.
- Work everything into irregular clumps with your fingers. If you prefer an electric mixer, use short pulses only, just until clumps form.
- Peel and core 3 pounds apples, then shred them on the large holes of a box grater. Keep all the juice in the bowl.
- Stir ⅔ cups granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon groung cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon vanilla paste into the shredded apples until combined.
- Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to
340 °F. - Divide the crumb mixture into two equal halves. Spread one half over the bottom of the pan. Add the apple layer and smooth the surface, then sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly on top.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until the surface turns golden brown.
Notes
- Oven: Temperatures are for a conventional (non-fan) oven. For convection, lower the temperature by 25°F.
- Butter: One stick of butter weighs 4 oz (113 g) and equals 8 Tablespoons or ½ cup. US butter wrappers have Tablespoon markings printed on them, so you can slice off exactly what you need.
- No kitchen scale? One large apple weighs about 8 oz (220 g). Use that to estimate the amount you need.
- Parchment paper: To keep the paper from curling or sliding, crumple it into a ball, dip it in water, squeeze out the excess, and spread it flat in the pan.
- Juice: Do not drain the shredded apples. The cornstarch thickens their juice and keeps the cake moist.
- Store: Covered on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge up to 5 days, or frozen for at least 3 months.
Tshering says
love the recipi
Anicka Cooklikeczechs.com says
Thank you! I appreciate this.
Petra Cook says
after fabulous Linecke and Coconut macaroons I made this cake and came marvelous. I was worried when it was suggested to leave the apple juice in but it worked marvelously. It was just right. I used the same amount of ingredients and cake tin, but somehow managed to get easily at least 20 squares. Again fabulous website,verll managed,thank you Petra
Peter Vanicek says
Very easy to to make and a wonderful crumb cake for autumn.
Thank you for a great recipe!
Dita says
wonderful Czech recipe. Reminds me home. thank you , Petra.
Petra Kupská says
You are welcome, I am just so happy that it brings you such beautifull memories.
Henrietta says
Great recipe! I make your poppyseed version too. I love all your poppyseed recipes as they bring back the strongest memories of my Polish great grandmother.
We Brits have something almost identical: apple crumble (or a combination of pretty much anything else). We slice the apples thinly, layering with sugar or vanilla sugar, and cinnamon in a deep dish (I use a Pyrex soufflé dish as my mum always did). All of the ‘crumble’ goes on top and is is baked until brown and crispy on the top and the apples are cooked through. The advantage of Pyrex is that you can see when the apples are cooked through.
Petra Kupská says
It warms my heart that my poppy seed recipes carry memories of your Polish great grandmother, our two cuisines are close cousins there. Your British apple crumble sounds like a lovely relative of this cake, baked in your mum's dish no less. Thank you for describing it, other bakers will enjoy reading your way too!