Apple Oat Crumble Cake for Slow Autumn Afternoons

There’s something about autumn baking that feels grounding, the warmth of the oven, the scent of apples and spice, and the quiet ritual of setting the table for something homemade.

This apple oat crumble cake is the kind of bake made for slow afternoons. Soft, lightly spiced with cardamom, layered with tender apple and finished with a golden oat crumble, it’s simple to make and even better served warm with vanilla yoghurt and maple syrup.

For this bake, we styled the table with our French flax table linen, soft botanical tones, natural texture, and the kind of everyday detail that makes homemade moments feel even more special.

Paired with tea, warm plates and a few scattered crumbs, it’s the kind of everyday setting that makes homemade moments feel special. Not overly sweet, just warm, soft and comforting, the kind of cake that invites a second cup of tea.

Why this recipe works

This cake came together as one of those real-life bakes, a little adapting, a little testing, and a few changes along the way. We reduced the sugar, used vanilla Greek yoghurt for extra softness, and added cardamom instead of cinnamon for a lighter, more aromatic warmth. The result? A softer, less sugary apple cake that feels comforting without being heavy. Perfect for sharing, serving warm, and gathering around the table.

Apple Oat Crumble Cake

with cardamom, vanilla yoghurt & maple drizzle

Serves 8 to 10

What you'll need

Cake Mixture:

• 125g butter, softened

• 80g brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 150g Vanilla yogurt

• 190g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp ground Cardamom (or 1¼ tsp for a stronger flavour)

• Pinch of salt

• 2 to 4 tbsp milk, as needed

Apple layer:

• 2 to 3 apples, peeled and diced

• 1 tbsp Maple syrup

• ½ tsp ground Cardamom

Oat crumble:

• 95g plain flour

• 45g rolled oats

• 80g brown sugar

• 80g butter, melted

• ¼ tsp ground Cardamom

To serve:

• ½ cup Vanilla yogurt

• 1 to 2 tbsp Maple syrup

Method:

• Preheat your oven to 175°C and line a 20- 22cm cake tin.

• In a bowl, toss the diced apples with maple syrup and cardamom. Set aside.

• Cream together the butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.

• Add the eggs one at a time. If the mixture looks a little curdled after adding the eggs, don’t worry, it will come back together once the dry ingredients are folded through.

• Stir through the vanilla yoghurt and vanilla extract.

• Fold in the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt. If the batter feels too thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until it reaches a thick, spoonable consistency.

• Spoon into your prepared tin and smooth lightly.

• Scatter over the apples.

• To make the crumble, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, melted butter and cardamom until clumpy, then sprinkle over the top.

• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.

• Serve warm with a generous spoonful of vanilla yoghurt and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Serving notes:

This cake isn’t overly sweet by design, the maple yoghurt adds the finishing softness and sweetness that brings it together. If you prefer a sweeter finish, you could drizzle over a simple vanilla icing once cooled. But we love it warm, simple, and spooned straight onto the plate.

Styled for slow afternoons:

We baked and served this cake on our Florafields tablecloth, a design made for exactly these kinds of moments. Soft floral tones, natural French flax linen, and the kind of texture that only gets better with time.

Whether it’s a weekend bake, afternoon tea, or a slow catch-up with family, good table linen helps turn simple moments into something worth lingering over.

Because the best tables aren’t perfect.

They’re lived in, shared, and usually covered in crumbs.

Explore our table linen collection and create a table made for slow afternoons, shared slices, and everyday moments worth lingering over.