This apple coffee cake tastes like apple pie and fall coziness all wrapped up in a delicious package. It has a soft and spongy brown sugar cake bottom that features fresh apple pieces and apple sauce for plenty of flavor. The cake is topped with a layer of sweet cinnamon apples and a final topping of crispy crumble. It's FULL of texture and flavor in every bite!
apple coffee cake layers
This warm and cozy apple cake features 3 layers (4 if you count the icing). Each layer packs cinnamon, brown sugar, and apple flavor and each has their own unique texture for the ultimate bite. Let's take a quick look at each layer:
- Apple cake - The layers start with a soft and plush apple cake bottom that has bite sized pieces of apples folded in. This cake is made with just butter (no oil) which gives it a tender, soft, and flavorful crumb. Butter cakes can lean towards the drier side because butter will firm up once it cools (unlike oil which remains liquid at room temperature). To make sure this cake stays perfectly soft, we're also including brown sugar, apple sauce, and sour cream to add additional moisture. The result is a cake that's tender and soft but still dense enough to hold up against the layers on top.
- Apple layer - Next up is a layer of sweet cinnamon apples. Once baked, they create a jammy center with just the right amount of bite. The key to this layer is choosing the right kind of apple so that they keep their shape but still soften perfectly (I go into more detail on apple selection below).
- Crumble topping - This buttery topping adds some delicious crispy texture to an otherwise soft and spongy cake. The texture it brings helps tie all the other layers together.
- (Optional) Icing - You can serve this apple cake however you like. I love serving it plain, dusted with powdered sugar, topped with caramel sauce, or with a drizzle of this simple 2 ingredient icing. To make the icing, simply mix together powdered sugar and milk or water until it's pourable then drizzle it over the slightly warm cake. It adds some nice sweetness and I just love the look of it as well.
best apples for coffee cake
An apple dessert is only as good as the apples that go into it. So it's very VERY important to make sure you're picking the right ones!
My favorite go to apples for baking are either Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. They hold their shape well, soften perfectly when cooked, and will NOT develop a gritty or mushy texture. They provide the right amount of moisture to a cake like this without making anything soggy or unpleasant.
Braeburn, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Jazz apples are some other great apple varieties for baking. Avoid varieties like Red Delicious or Gala apples as these types will cook down WAY too much and will have a grittier texture.
how to make apple coffee cake
Since making homemade coffee cake already involves quite a few different parts, I wanted each component to be as easy as possible to make. That being said, there are still a few things to consider when making the cake to ensure it all comes out perfectly:
- Flour - Measuring flour correctly is important to ensure all the components have the right texture and consistency. Whenever possible, the most accurate way to measure flour is by weighing it with a scale. If you use cups, don't scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour or it'll result in more weight being packed in. Instead, use a spoon to gently scoop the flour into your measuring cup.
- Room temperature - Before starting, make sure all of your ingredients have a chance to reach room temperature to ensure everything whips together properly. After melting the butter for the crumb topping, also make sure to allow it to cool otherwise is can melt the sugar and lead to an overly soft consistency.
- Streusel - When you first finish mixing together the ingredients for the crumb topping, it may seem like there's a bit too much liquid. But as it sits, the flour will absorb the butter and it'll leave you with a perfectly crumbly texture. After the streusel is made, set it aside while you work on the rest of the cake and it should be perfect by the time you're ready to use it.
- Apples - Before making the cake batter, take a second to chop the apples up into cubes. Everything will come together rather quickly so having the apples ready beforehand makes for a smoother process.
- Cake batter - When whipping up the cake batter, make sure to stop mixing as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing the batter will lead to a dense cake. Once it's prepared, drop the batter into your baking pan right away before prepping the cinnamon apple layer. The leaveners will start working and creating air bubbles as soon as the wet and dry ingredients are combined. So if the batter sits and you try to pour it into the pan after a while, you could disturb and deflate those bubbles.
- Apple layer - The apple layer should be prepped right before you plan on using it. Sugar will draw out moisture from the apples, so if they sit together for long, you'll have a ton of excess liquid on your hands!
baking apple coffee cake
This is a MOIST cake with a lot of layers going on, so it needs to bake for a good 50-60 minutes. This longer bake time is to give the apples a chance to soften and to allow for the extra moisture to evaporate. This cake has a lot of components that help keep it moist so it can easily handle the longer bake time.
when to serve apple coffee cake
Coffee cakes are always best served slightly warm but room temperature is also fine. The cake needs to cool for a few minutes in the pan to allow the butter and sugars to set slightly and make it easier to move and slice. Once the cake is cool (but still slightly warm), the icing is drizzled on top then sliced and served! Don't try to ice the cake too early on or it will just melt and disappear into the hot cake.
how do you store coffee cake?
The apples will cause the cake to soften as it sits, so it's best served within 3 days. Keep the coffee cake covered and stored at room temperature or in the fridge. The butter will harden in the fridge, so I'd recommend setting the cake out at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to give it a chance to resoften.
check out these other recipes!
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake
• Apple Pie Cookies
• Baked Apple Donuts
• Coffee Cake Cheesecake
• Brown Butter Maple Crumb Cake
• Moist Pumpkin Bread
Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.
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Apple Coffee Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes + 45 minutes cooling
- Yield: 1 (9") cake
Description
This apple coffee cake tastes like apple pie and fall coziness all wrapped up in a delicious package. It has a soft and spongy brown sugar cake bottom that features fresh apple pieces and apple sauce for plenty of flavor. The cake is topped with a layer of sweet cinnamon apples and a final topping of crispy crumble. It's FULL of texture and flavor in every bite!
Ingredients
Crumble Topping:
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Apple Cake:
- 1 ½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup (65g) unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup (120g) full fat sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Apple Layer:
- 2 cups (220g) finely diced Granny Smith apples, divided *see notes
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Icing (Optional):
- ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoon milk or cream
Instructions
Crumble Topping:
- Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together crumble ingredients until combined. Set aside.
Apple Cake:
- Before starting the apple cake, peel and dice the 2 cups of apples for the apple layer. You'll need 1 cup later and 1 cup to fold into the cake batter once it's ready. Set the apples aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer fitted with the beater attachment or a wooden spoon by hand to cream together until light and fluffy.
- Whisk in the egg followed by the apple sauce, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Stop right before the flour fully disappears into the batter.
- Now add 1 cup of the diced apples and fold everything together to evenly distribute the apples. Careful not to overmix.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer. Set aside.
Apple Layer:
- Take the remaining 1 cup of diced apples and add it to a bowl with brown sugar and cinnamon. Mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon apples evenly over the cake layer in your springform pan.
- Lastly, take the prepared crumble topping and sprinkle it evenly on top of the cinnamon apple layer.
- Bake the cake in the center of your preheated 350F oven for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- Cool the cake for 45 minutes in the pan before icing.
Icing (Optional):
- In a medium bowl or cup, mix together powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of milk or cream until smooth and pourable. If the icing is too thick, add a splash more milk or cream to thin it out.
- Unlatch the sides of your springform pan and transfer the apple cake onto your serving plate. Drizzle with the icing and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
* You can leave the skins on or peel the apples (whatever you prefer). I personally peeled mine because I don't love the texture of the skin in a recipe like this. If you want to use a different variety of apple, pick one that's ideal for baking (some great alternatives include Braeburn, Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples).
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Cakes
Enjoy!
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