Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
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Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping is soft, moist, and flavorful. Studded with fresh apples, cozy spices, and the most delicious crumb topping, this easy cake is perfect for breakfast or dessert!
Apple Coffee Cake
Fall is unofficially here and I’m so excited!
I’m not wishing away the summer yet, but fall is my favorite season. Besides all of the pumpkin goodies, apples are the star of the show. From these apple cinnamon muffins, apple oatmeal cookies, apple cinnamon oatmeal cups, and no bake apple cinnamon cheesecake, I love it all.
This apple coffee cake recipe is loaded with cozy flavors and perfect for an easy breakfast idea or simple dessert. It’s also a breeze to whip up. But, you knew that was coming, right?
Fresh apples and warm spices stud this easy coffee cake, which makes your kitchen smell amazing. And the sour cream lends extra moisture, which makes this moist coffee cake recipe oh-so delicious.
And the crumb topping for this coffee cake is the perfect touch. It’s crispy, sweet, and loaded with cinnamon and brown sugar. I like to double to amount for all of that extra flavor.
If you love apple cinnamon flavors like I do, then you’ll adore this apple cinnamon coffee cake!
Ingredients needed for Apple Coffee Cake:
You probably have everything you need in your kitchen to make this simple fall cake. Here’s what to grab:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Apples
For the cinnamon streusel topping:
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake:
- To start, whisk some flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Next, cream together some butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. I like to use this electric hand mixer in this recipe. Then, add in eggs, followed by some sour cream, and vanilla bean paste.
- Mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined, and then fold in the chopped apples. Pour the batter into the pan. You can either use a standard, 9×13 baking dish or a springform pan if you like your coffee cake to be round.
- Now comes the crunchy cinnamon streusel! Mix together the ingredients (brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, butter and flour), and then sprinkle over the top of cake. I like to double the amount of streusel because it’s just that good!
- Pop the cake into the oven and let it work its magic!
How to store Apple Streusel Coffee Cake:
Simply store the cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
Can you Freeze Coffee Cake?
Absolutely! Wrap the cooled cake tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, place into a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag, and freeze for up to three months. To defrost the coffee cake, let thaw completely in the refrigerator (while still wrapped in foil or plastic).
What kind of apples work best in apple coffee cake?
Sweet and/or tart apples work best in cakes. Granny Smith, honey crisp, or gala apples work best and can be combined for optimal flavor.
Tips for making Apple Coffee Cake:
- Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. This will help ensure a light and airy cake.
- When adding the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat until just combined. Otherwise, your cake may become dense and heavy.
- As mentioned above, tart and sweet apples work best for this apple streusel coffee cake. I used peeled and diced Granny Smith apples, but gala, honey crisp, or jonathan would work well, too.
- If you love cinnamon streusel, feel free to double the amount needed for the topping to get that extra cinnamon-y, brown sugar-y flavor.
Looking for more coffee cake recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Coffee Cake Bites
- Blackberry Crumb Coffee Cake
- Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake
Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 cups peeled, chopped apples, roughly 3 medium apples (I like to use honey crisp, gala or Granny Smith)
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish OR a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer with fitted paddle attachment. Add in eggs, one at a time, followed by sour cream and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until just combined. Gently fold in chopped apples. Spread into prepared pan and set aside.
- To make streusel topping, in a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, melted butter and flour until it resembles wet, crumbly sand. Sprinkle streusel evenly over top of batter. (*SEE NOTE BELOW*)
- If using a 9x13 dish, bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs is good!). If using a 9-inch springform pan, bake for 50 min-1 hour, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs is good).
Notes
- If you like streusel topping, feel free to double the amount (as I did for these photos).
- See my tips and tricks for making this Apple Streusel Coffee Cake above the recipe box.
