The Best Apple Coffee Cake

The Apple Coffee Cake is full of apples that give extra moisture, have a beautiful swirl of cinnamon, and are topped with a nice crunchy top that is buttery and sweet, great for a fall day.

I feel like every fall season that comes around there are some great apple recipes, and there are always those ones you make and instantly become your favorite. When the seasons start to change, this recipe is one of the first to go into the oven. Coffee cake is my go-to dessert in the fall and is simple to make but still very delicious.

The coffee cake doesn’t seem to be as popular as it once was, but it is still delicious. It is a tender and moist cake with a light dusting of sugar topping and pairs wonderfully on its own, but in my opinion, even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, a drizzle of caramel sauce.

What is coffee cake?

A coffee cake is a moist and tender cake that is usually topped with some kind of streusel topping and served alongside coffee or tea. I’m not entirely sure, but I think the reason it is called a coffee cake is that it is usually paired with coffee or tea.

Ingredients and notes

• Flour: All-purpose flour is the structure of this recipe to hold all the layers together.
• Sugar: I liked to use the combination of white and brown sugar in the batter because it helps with the sweetness and keeps the cake moist.
• Baking soda and powder: Using the combination of baking soda and powder helps the cake rise.
• Butter: Butter adds flavor and provides for the structure of this cake.
• Sour Cream: In this recipe, I like to use full-fat sour cream to keep the cake velvety and dense to support the apples.
• Eggs: Three eggs add moisture and help bind the cake together.
• Vanilla Extract: I like to use pure vanilla but you can use an artificial vanilla extract.
• Cinnamon: I highly recommend keeping the cinnamon in this recipe, but if you cannot use cinnamon, the closest substitute would be nutmeg.
• Apples: I use a green apple or a gala apple because I find those hold up the best while baking in the oven.

What kind of apple should I use to bake with?

When it comes to baking with apples, you want to use a firm apple because if you use a softer apple like Macintosh, you will end up with apple sauce in your cake. It’s best to get a baking apple that can hold up to the heat while holding its texture and shape while baking. Here are a few suggestions for baking apples:

• Fuji
• Gala
• Granny smith
• Pink lady
• Red Delicious
• Golden Delicious

How to make Apple Coffee Cake

I have tested this recipe quite a few times and found that placing the apples on top versus placing them inside worked better. I found if I placed them inside the cake batter that I ended up having soggy wet sections around the apples and I didn’t find I liked that inside the cake, so I layered mine on top with a bunch of streusels.

This recipe comes together in a few easy steps.

• Make the crumb topping
• Whisk the dry ingredients together (except cinnamon)
• Cream butter and sugar together add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Will look a little broken but that is ok.
• Combine wet and dry ingredients
• Toss apples and cinnamon together
• Pour batter into the pan, I use a 9 x 13-inch pan
• Top with apples and crumb topping, you want to press the crumb into the batter so that it sticks.
• Bake. If you find that the edges are browning too quickly in the oven cover them with foil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I swap or leave out the apples?

If you don’t like cooked apples, then you can leave them out and it will be just as delicious as a cinnamon coffee cake. You could also add nuts like walnuts or pecans, for something different.

Can I make this cake as muffins?

Yes, you can make them as little individual muffins, mix them as directed, and divide them into a grease muffin tin. Top with your streusel topping and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes

Can I freeze the coffee cake?

Yes, you can make them as little individual muffins, mix them as directed, and divide them into a grease muffin tin. Top with your streusel topping and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes

The Best Apple Coffee Cakes

The Apple Coffee Cake is full of apples that give extra moisture, have a beautiful swirl of cinnamon, and are topped with a nice crunchy top that is buttery and sweet, great for a fall day.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

  

Topping

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup butter melted
• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cake

• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup butter softened
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 2 cups apples peeled and chopped
• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, together in a medium bowl. Stir in the melted butter. Using a fork, lightly mix in the flour until crumbles form. Don’t overmix.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
• Mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
• Toss the chopped apples and cinnamon together.
• Spread the batter evenly into prepared baking pan. Top evenly with cinnamon apples. Top with crumb topping.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours.  If you find the top or edges of the cake is/are browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing and serving.

Keyword apple, coffee cake