Milopita: Greek apple crumble cake recipe

This cinnamon apple crumb cake is beloved worldwide. Some call it apple crumble pie; others know it as Dutch apple pie. In Greece, we call it milopita. Whatever name you prefer, this recipe surely deserves a spot among your Thanksgiving pies and Christmas desserts!

My mom taught me how to make this recipe from scratch, and it's so good that we've kept it unchanged over the years. That said, you can easily reduce the sugar in the filling if you prefer your desserts less sweet.

If you love the autumn flavor of apple pie, you'll also enjoy these recipes:

• Homemade cinnamon rolls with white chocolate icing (extra fluffy thnks to olive oil)
• Olive oil chocolate cake with grated apples.

For breakfast, don't miss these whole wheat pancakes with grated apple - a wholesome and delicious way to start your day!

📋 Greek Apple Cake Ingredients

For the best apple crumble cake, you'll need the following simple ingredients:

For the apples, I wouldn't suggest a very sour variety such as Granny Smith apples unless you prefer a sweet and sour taste. On that note, feel free to use any apple variety you enjoy putting in desserts. I epsecially like Fuji, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp apples. You may also find helpful this article for the best apples for apple pie from bobsredmill.

For the sugar, white caster sugar is fine. For the apple filling you can also use light brown sugar.

The butter should be soft, at room temperature

Equipment: A spring-form pan works best for this recipe, but as you can see from the video at the end of this post, you can also make it in a regular cake pan. A tall pie dish or a deep dish pie pan will also work!

🥣 Milopita Variations

Gluten-free option: This recipe has been tested with gluten-free flour with great success. The only difference is that the surface may not brown as well. To make a gluten free apple crumb cake, use the same quantity of 1-1 gluten free flour, suitable for baking and desserts.

Vegan option: To make this Greek Milopita vegan, use a vegan butter (margarine) and replace the egg with a vegan egg (mix 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds with 4 tablespoons of water).

I have baked a similar recipe in muffin tins and made these individual apple crumble muffins, which are ideal to serve in parties, holidays and large gatherings.

There is also a chocolate version of this crumble, again in the form of muffins. But I have to warn you, these tahini and chocolate stuffed crumble muffins are addictive!

🔪 Apple Crumb Cake Instructions

This is a short guide for how to make the best apple cake with crumb topping. For the detailed instructions please follow the easy step-by-step guide in the recipe card at the end of this post (or watch the video!)

Step 1 (make the dough): In a large bowl, mix the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder. Add the butter, the egg and the vanilla and knead until a soft dough forms.

Step 2 (assemble the bottom layer): Take two thirds of the dough and press it onto the surface of the baking pan with your hands like you'd do with a tart.

Step 3 (make the apple filling):  Shred the apples using the side of your box grater with the big holes. Drizzle them with the lemon juice and squish them between your hands to get rid of the excess juices. Transfer them to another bowl, add the sugar and the cinnamon.

Step 4: Fill the Milopita with the applesauce mixture. Take the rest of the dough and crumble it with your hands over the filling.

Step 5: Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until golden brown on top.

👨‍🍳  Expert Tips

• For a fine crumb topping (streusel): Store the dough in the freezer until chilled and then grate it over the filling using the side of a box grater with the large holes.

• You can increase or reduce the amount of apples used in the filling depending on how much filling you prefer. For each apple you're going to add or omit you should increase or reduce the sugar for the filling by 2.5 tablespoons approximately.

• If you're planning to remove the pie from the dish after baking , line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper for easier unmolding.

💭 FAQs

📖 Recipe

Milopita: Greek apple crumble cake recipe

Makos

Learn how to make the EASIEST Greek Apple Crumble Cake recipe (called Milopita in Greece), one of the best fall recipes! Using the same dough for both the pie crust and the crumble topping makes it quick and easy. The addition of cinnamon and grated apples creates a jammy, melt-in-your-mouth applesauce filling that's perfect for a cozy fall dessert.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American, Greek, Mediterranean

Servings 8 servings

Calories 451 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  1 8-inch (20 cm) spring-form pan or a regular cake pan. A 9-inch pie plate will also do.

Ingredients

 

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For the pie dough:

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups (300 g) flour
• ▢ 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ⅔ cups (135 g) caster sugar
• ▢ ⅔ cups (155 g) unsalted butter
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 medium egg

For the apple pie filling:

• ▢ 4 large apples
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
• ▢ ⅔ cups (135 g) sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line with baking paper an 8-inch (20 cm) round baking pan or springform pan. You can also use a deep pie dish.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, the sugar, and the baking powder (by hand or with a wooden spatula). Add the butter and mix until crumbly. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix again until a soft dough forms.
  
• Take approximately one third of the dough, wrap it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for later.

  Take the remaining dough and press it onto the surface of the baking pan with your hands. Cover the bottom and the sides, like you'd do with a tart. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
  
• Shred the apples inside a large bowl, using the side of your box grater with the big holes (you can leave their skin on or you can peel them). Drizzle them with the lemon juice, mix to combine and squish them between your hands to get rid of the excess juices.

  Transfer them to another bowl, add the sugar and the cinnamon and toss well (this will bring out some more juices, but that's ok).
  
• Fill the cake pan with the applesauce mixture and smooth the surface. Take the rest of the pie dough out of the refrigerator and crumble it with your hands over the filling.
  
• Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let the apple crumble cake cool before transferring it onto a serving plate and cutting into slices.

  Serving suggestion: Sprinkle some powdered sugar and cinnamon on top. For a more decadent dessert, serve each slice with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  

Notes

• If by any chance the dough is crumbly and doesn't come together, add 1-2 tablespoons of water or milk.
• For a fine crumb topping (streusel): Store the dough in the freezer until chilled and then grate it over the filling using the side of a box grater with the large holes.
• You can increase or reduce the amount of apples used in the filling depending on how much filling you prefer. For each apple you're going to add or omit you should increase or reduce the sugar for the filling by 2.5 tablespoons approximately.
• If you like your apple cake with less sugar, reduce the sugar for the filling by half. However, this will slightly change the texture of the filling.
• This recipe has been tested with coconut sugar instead of light brown sugar, but I don't recommend it because coconut sugar has an intense flavor that alters the taste of the filling. I recommend using white sugar for the dough and white or half white and half light brown sugar for the filling.

Nutrition

Calories: 451kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 154mgFiber: 3gSugar: 43gVitamin A: 553IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 2mg

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