I had been craving an apple muffin with a hint of cinnamon for a good while. One that was super moist and had a crunchy crumble on top. Being the food blogger that I am, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to create a recipe that could also delight all of you.
I’d like to mention that the muffins in the photos are an “old” version. After taking the photos, I wanted to make one more change on the recipe to make them softer (although still super moist and dense with apple) and taller, perfect to accompany a cup of tea or coffee.
To make my muffin even more delicious, I covered it with a bit of salted caramel, which brought a perfect balance to the recipe. You can find the recipe for my caramel by clicking here: salted caramel.
What you’ll need in your pantry for the apple muffin with crumble
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Refined sugar
- Butter
- Yogurt
- Egg
- Milk
- Apple
- Cinnamon and/or other spices of your choice
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Salt
The crunchy crumble
It’s definitely essential in this recipe, adding charm and, of course, the crunchiness that this little cake demands. I used to make the crumb with cold butter, but this time I decided to try it with melted butter and I loved the result! However, one thing remains essential for me: placing the crumb on top of the cake while it’s still very cold. This helps achieve an even crunchier result without melting entirely in the oven.
It is super simple to make: just melt the butter and combine it in a bowl with brown sugar, flour, and a pinch of salt, which makes all the difference in flavor.
Mix everything with a spoon and also with your hands. I like to form large balls of dough and then break them apart. The key is to keep pieces of different sizes, which will enhance the aesthetics and crunchiness of the muffins.
Once done, place it in the freezer while you make the batter.
The apple muffin batter
Since I wanted a result that was moist and dense, I thought of a batter that would include melted butter, yogurt, milk, and grated apple (in addition to diced apple).
The great advantage of using melted butter is that it brings the special flavor of butter while allowing us to make the batter by the all in one method, which is when we mix the dry ingredients with the liquids without the need for a mixer, making it super practical!
If you want to learn a bit more about baking methods and the function of ingredients in cakes, stay tuned because soon there will be an e-book with all this knowledge to help you make the most delicious cakes at home, along with incredible recipes for homemade cakes to gather family and friends around the table.
You won’t have any difficulty preparing the batter because it’s super simple; just remember to use milk, egg, and yogurt at room temperature, okay? If you combine these cold ingredients with melted butter, it will harden and form pieces of butter.
In a bowl, combine melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, yogurt, and milk. Mix and set aside. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, brown sugar, refined sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Mix with a whisk and set aside.
Now it’s time to peel, dice/grate the apples. Do this only at this moment so that they don’t oxidize and darken. One apple will be cut into small cubes for a delicate bite, and the other apple will be grated on the coarse grater. This will bring moisture and plenty of apple flavor to the batter.
Combine everything: pour the liquids over the dry ingredients, mix with a whisk and/or spatula, and then add the apples.
Assembling the apple muffin with the crumble topping
To assemble, place cupcake/muffin paper liners in an aluminum pan and, using an ice cream scoop or spoon, pour the batter into each cavity.
This recipe makes 6 muffins, and I used two scoops of ice cream for each muffin at home.
After that, just take the crumb out of the freezer and cover the muffins. It’s nice to press ligtly the crumble on top so that it sticks to the batter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180℃ for approximately 25/30 minutes. To know if it’s done: the house will smell like muffins, and you can do the toothpick test.
Top with a bit of melted caramel, sea salt, make some coffee or brew some tea, and be happy!
I really hope you like it. If you make it, remember to tag me on Instagram @casacaroba; I’ll be super happy to see the result of your muffin.
