My apple coffee cake recipe turns a classic sour cream coffee cake into an easy fall treat! It’s layered with cozy fall apples and a buttery cinnamon streusel. Delicious as is, and the creamy brown butter glaze takes it over the top!
This coffee cake is packed with juicy, spiced fall apples just like an apple pie. And if you love this recipe, try my apple cinnamon muffins and chocolate chip coffee cake, next.
Cozy Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
It’s no secret that I love the flavors of fall all year long, but as soon as the first leaf hits the ground, I’m baking pumpkin cupcakes and making apple cheesecake bars. This apple coffee cake is my easy fall twist on a classic sour cream coffee cake. This version is just as soft and moist, with an apple pie-inspired filling, cozy cinnamon streusel, and creamy brown butter glaze. It’s disappeared pretty quickly in my house, so I guess that’s a good sign.
Why I Love This Coffee Cake Recipe
- Soft and moist. I can’t get enough of the soft and tender crumb in this cake. The apples add extra moisture, and every bite melts in your mouth.
- Juicy apple filling. This coffee cake is filled with the easiest, most delicious variation of apple pie filling. I sprinkle a layer of buttery cinnamon streusel inside the cake, too, for even more flavor and crunch.
- Perfect for fall. Nothing beats a slice of this apple coffee cake with a cup of coffee on a chilly fall day. It’s the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon pick-me-up.
Ingredient Notes
These are some notes on the important ingredients you’ll need to make this apple coffee cake. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with the full recipe details.
- Apples – Peeled and chopped. My favorite apples for this recipe are sweet-tart varieties, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. You’ll need about 1 ½ cups of sliced apples (no more than 2 cups).r.
- Spices – I use cinnamon and apple pie spice, but you can substitute one for the other if needed.
- Butter – The butter for the cake should be at room temperature.
- Sour Cream – Also brought to room temperature. If you don’t have sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt instead. Sour cream is the secret to perfectly moist, tender coffee cake!
- Glaze – I make a quick glaze from browned butter, powdered sugar, and milk. If you’ve never browned butter before, check out the linked tutorial on how to do it. It brings so much flavor to the glaze! Of course, if you’d prefer a traditional vanilla glaze, you can always skip the butter altogether. In this case, flavor it with a teaspoon of vanilla instead.
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake
Follow the steps below to make this easy apple coffee cake. You’ll find printable instructions in the recipe card below the post.
Time Saving Tip!
To save time, I like to prep the streusel and apples while the eggs, sour cream, and butter come to room temperature. Making the streusel ahead gives the flour a chance to soak up the extra moisture, for a crispier streusel.
- Make the streusel. First, you’ll mix melted butter with flour, sugar, and cinnamon to make the streusel topping. You want the mixture to resemble coarse crumbs. Set it aside.
- Prepare the apples. Next, toss diced apples with additional cinnamon sugar and apple pie spice until they’re well coated.
- Make the cake batter. Cream together the butter and sugar for several minutes. This should be really light in color and have a fluffy texture. It’s a key step in the creaming process. Next add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Separately, mix the dry ingredients and then add them to the batter.
- Assemble. Spread half the batter into a greased 8×8” baking pan. Top that with half the streusel and the rest of the batter. Add your prepared apples over top with a final layer of streusel.
Julianne’s Tip To Avoid A Soggy Cake
When layering the apples over the cake batter, leave any remaining juices in the bottom of the bowl. The extra moisture will make the cake too soft.
- Bake. Bake the coffee cake at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes. Afterward, let the cake cool while you prepare your glaze.
- Add the glaze. The extra step to brown the butter on the stovetop is optional, but recommended! Once the brown butter is cool, combine it with powdered sugar and a splash of milk and mix to make the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the coffee cake, and serve! A little goes a long way, so you can serve any leftovers on the side.
Baking Tips for Coffee Cake
- Do not cover the pan with foil. Bake the coffee cake uncovered so that the moisture from the apples can evaporate, otherwise the streusel will be soggy. The exception is if you notice that the top is browning too quickly in the final 15-20 minutes of baking. In this case, tent the pan lightly with foil while it finishes baking.
- Other pan sizes. If you don’t have an 8” square pan, it’s fine to use a 9” pan instead. Since the cake will be thinner, I recommend skipping the streusel layer inside the cake. You’ll only need to add about ⅔ of the topping to the cake.
- Check the cake for doneness. Stick a toothpick or knife into the center (and over several other areas) of the coffee cake. It’s a denser cake with lots of layers. The toothpick should be clean after being inserted into the cake.
Serving Suggestions
I love tucking into this apple coffee cake with a hot cup of coffee in the morning, and it’s just as delicious any time of the day with a cup of tea. It’s pretty irresistible as is, but you can always dress up slices with a dollop of whipped cream .
For dessert, this apple coffee cake tastes amazing warmed up and topped with pumpkin pie ice cream, or I’ll add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce to give it some caramel apple vibes!
How to Store
- Room temperature. Let the apple coffee cake cool completely and then keep it in an airtight container. This cake is best enjoyed within 2 days. After that, the streusel tends to soften.
- Freeze. The cooled apple cake can be double-wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Apple Recipes
PrintDescription
This apple coffee cake recipe is filled with apple pie streusel and topped with a sweet brown butter glaze. It’s guaranteed to be a favorite!
For the streusel
For the apple filling
For the cake
For the glaze
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper. Allow the butter, eggs, and sour cream to come to room temperature then prepare the streusel and apples.
- Prepare the streusel topping by combining the butter with the dry ingredients using a spoon until well combined with a mixture of crumbles and loose crumbs. Set aside.
- Prepare the apples. Peel and dice apples about the size of a dime. Toss with the dry ingredients: brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until light and fluffy. Next, add the egg, beat until well incorporated, and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and slowly add to the batter, beating until incorporated. Then use a spatula and mix by hand until well combined.
- Pour about half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Then sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Top with the remaining batter, then add the apple flavor. Spoon the apples over top, leaving any remaining juices in the bowl. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.
- Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes. Check the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done. Allow to cool completely or serve slightly warm.
For the glaze
- Brown the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly bring the butter to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, the bubbles will go from big to small, and once the milk solids start to turn golden brown, stir constantly until the golden color starts to darken. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Cool for several minutes.
- Combine the butter with the powdered sugar, then add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle over the finished coffee cake before serving.
Notes
Storing
- Room temperature. Let the apple coffee cake cool completely and then keep it in an airtight container. This cake is best enjoyed within 2 days. After that, the streusel tends to soften.
- Freeze. The cooled apple cake can be double-wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Additional Notes
- Apples: Green or honey-crisp apples are best.
- In order to save time, prepare the streusel and apples while your ingredients are coming to room temperature. Preparing the streusel first allows the flour to soak up extra moisture, resulting in a crispier streusel.
- When laying the apples onto the cake, do not add any excess liquid that may be sitting in the bottom of the bowl. Excess liquid with cause the topping to be too soft and may increase baking time.
- While baking, do not cover the pan with foil. This will result in the streusel being too soft and wet. The moisture from the apples needs to be able to evaporate.
- Glaze: Reference this handy guide for more details on how to brown butter. A little glaze goes a long way, so serve the extras on the side or Skip the glaze and just dust with powdered sugar.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 398
- Sugar: 37.8 g
- Sodium: 114.7 mg
- Fat: 17.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 57.8 g
- Fiber: 1.6 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 61.9 mg
Filed Under:
- Breakfast & Brunch
- Holidays
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