Cuca de Maçã (Apple Crumb Cake with Dulce de Leche)
Apple crumb cake (or cuca de maçã) is a traditional German coffee cake topped or filled with apples. Serve it plain for breakfast or drizzled with caramel sauce or homemade dulce de leche sauce as an afternoon treat.
The intoxicating aroma of something good baking in the oven is getting me all anxious... I am as excited as a kid!!!! 🙂
Oh, didn't I tell you that we are baking Cuca de Maçã or Apfel Streuselkuchen?
Huh? Well, this wonderful German creation is an apple crumb cake.
Our Apple Crumb Cake or cuca de maçã, as it is known in Portuguese, was brought to Southern Brazil in the 19th century.
That is because this is where the bulk of German immigration was concentrated, influencing Southern Brazil's architecture and cuisine.
The German influx also gave us Gisele Bündchen, a Brazilian-German descendant well known to the rest of the world! 😉
Well, returning to cuca de maçã or apple crumb cake...
this traditional coffee cake is made of a either a yeast dough or a shortening-based dough (ours), covered/filled with apples and topped with a sweet crumb topping (streusel).
There are many variants of apple crumb cake or cuca de maçã in Brazil that differ both in terms of dough, and whether or not apples are incorporated as a filling or as a topping (ours).
Our cuca de maçã is great when served plain for breakfast, or drizzled with caramel sauce or a homemade dulce de leche sauce as an afternoon treat.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE CRUMB CAKE (Cuca de Maçã)
Preheat oven to 350°F (about 177° C). Grease bottom and side of a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
First, make the streusel topping. Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs.
Add heavy cream and vanilla, mixing well with a fork until crumbs form (the cream will add moisture to the streusel).
Set aside at room temperature so that the vanilla will infuse the streusel with flavor.
In a medium bowl, combine together the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Pour in and then mix both the melted shortening and butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and vanilla. Add to crumb mixture, tossing gently with a fork or by hand until mixture forms a ball.
Press dough in an even layer into the prepared baking pan.
Arrange apple slices on top of crust and then sprinkle the reserved streusel evenly over apple slices.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool on a rack and slice into squares.
Serving Apple Crumb Cake 2 Ways
Serve apple crumb cake or cuca de maçã plain (the traditional manner).
Or alternatively, warm and drizzled with dulce de leche sauce and accompanied by a scoop of ice cream if desired (my favorite way).
Traditionally, no caramel or dulce de leche sauce tops cuca de maçã.
But since this is a very mild-flavored cake and I have a big sweet tooth, that is the way that I serve mine.
If you would like to try other apple goodies as well, I'd like to recommend to you these two fabulous treats: Caramel Apple-Brownie Cheesecake and Caramel Apple Streusel Cake.
And just in case you were wondering, no, this last cake is not the same as our cuca de maçã/apple crumb cake!
Now, if you will please excuse me, I have some serious eats to get busy on, accompanied by a good cup of coffee.
xx
Apple Crumb Cake (Cuca de Maçã)
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 dash salt
- 1 tablespoon shortening melted
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- About 3 medium baking tart apples e.g. Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and cut into ⅛ slices
Streusel Topping:
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1-½ tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
- ½ tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Garnish (optional):
- ¼ - ⅓ cup store-bought caramel sauce or homemade dulce de leche sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (about 177° C). Grease bottom and side of a 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Set aside.
- First, make the streusel topping. Combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs. Add heavy cream and vanilla, mixing well with a fork until crumbs form (the cream will add moisture to the streusel). Set aside at room temperature so that the vanilla will infuse the streusel with flavor.
- In a medium bowl, combine together the sifted flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour in and then mix both the melted shortening and butter with a fork until obtaining fine crumbs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, cream, and vanilla. Add to crumb mixture, tossing gently with a fork or by hand until mixture forms a ball. Press dough in an even layer into the prepared baking pan. Arrange apple slices on top of crust and then sprinkle the reserved streusel evenly over apple slices.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack and slice into squares. Serve apple crumb cake or cuca de maçã plain (the traditional manner), or warm and drizzled with either caramel sauce or dulce de leche sauce and accompanied by a scoop of ice cream if desired (my favorite way).
Nutrition
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I love apple crumble cake and this version looks sooo good,mmh.
Can you believe that in this very moment I'm in one of the wonderful Viennese Cafés, having a Melange (Capuccino) and would love to have a bite of your applecake, Denise 🙂
Thank you, Daniela! I wish I could send some to you. Enjoy your time in Austria!
Love apple desserts. And the caramel topping puts this very high on my list!
🙂 I hope you try it one of these days...
Denise, this cake looks amazing! I've been baking a lot with apples too - love apple desserts! My mother-in-law just sent me a whole bag of apples right from her apple tree! And, I also prefer dulce de leche to caramel sauce. Pinned!
Thanks, Julia! Luck you that got many apples to make delicious treats...
Such a nice cake! Apples are just starting to arrive in the grocery in quantity - one of my favorite times of the year! Good stuff - thanks.
Thanks, John! I am looking forward to making many apple baked goodies.
We'll be totally ready for the autumn season with delicious cakes like this! Love the crumb topping!
Nazneen
Thanks, Nazneen!
Ohh my look at that dripping caramel, it makes that crumb cake even more delicious.
I can't seem to let go summer just yet, but I get the enthusiasm for fall baking. Can't wait to jump into the bandwagon soon!
This is so delish, Denise. I love the decadent toppings!!
Hi Denise, I grew up in Wisconsin in a very German-American community. My mom didn't speak English till she went to grammar school. I grew up on wonderful kuchens and streusels. This looks wonderful and very authentic! 🙂
Thanks, Chris! I did not know this detail about your Mom...Well, this cake was brought to Brazil by Germans and more than one century later, we still enjoy it!
Wow Denise, looks very delicious, I can smell the apples being cooked in the oven...!!!
Thanks, Nydia! I love that aroma as well...
Looks delicious. It brings the smells of fall all the way to Brazil.
-Saskia
Thanks, Saskia!
Please can i have it on my plate.
Absolutely!!! 🙂
The final swirl of caramel is just genius! What a scrumptious Apple Cake just in time to welcome fall!
Thanks, Deb! I had to welcome the upcoming season in style... 🙂
Oh my! This cake looks so so good! Thank you for the history lesson and sharing this recipe - I had no idea apple crumb cake orginated in Portugal.
Hope you have a great weekend
Thanks for stopping by, Shashi! This cake originated in Germany and it was brought to Brazil by German immigrants.
I can't wait for the festive season too. The colors, the weather, the festivities and of course all the wonderful dessert like yours. This looks really good Denise.
Thanks, Ash!!!! Let's celebrate the season.
Nossa, que maravilha de bolo! Perfeito para abrir o outono!
AMEI!
Obg, Sally! Pois é...Algo para celebrar minha estação favorita!