This is the best Apple Streusel Coffee Cake recipe you’ll find. Enjoy as an indulgent breakfast treat or dessert. Great way to use up apples in the fall!
Why This Recipe Works
I’m ashamed to divulge that this is the first coffee cake recipe I’ve posted on this site. I know! We have a momentous occasion here! Combining apples and coffee cake, it turns out, is such a delectable little special breakfast, snack, desserts or however it is you wish to label this food.
The title is a tad confusing. I excitedly told my boys that there was a yummy apple coffee cake waiting for them at home and I was faced with serious looks of disapproval. I had to explain that coffee was not at all involved and then they just looked at me like I was a crazed woman.
This is the best coffee cake you’ll make this fall season. It is such a tender cake and tasty recipe with the most delectable cinnamon streusel topping. Enjoy!
Recipe Ingredients
Lemon – When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.
Apples – Use medium baking apples such as honeycrisp, gala, golden delicious, jonagold or granny smith.
Sugars – If you prefer, you can add more naturally sweet apples and reduce the amount of sugar/brown sugar you added. Other sugar substitutes that would be great are maple syrup, coconut sugar or stevia. For a sweeter sauce, throw in some added sugar (up to 1/2 cup total).
How To Make The Best Apple Streusel Cake
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the wet ingredients: butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
In a separate large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Stir in the apple slices. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading in an even layer with a rubber spatula.
Step 2
In a small bowl, make the crumb mixture: combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake batter in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely to room temperature on a wire rack or serve warm!
Step 3
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), powdered sugar and apple juice. Mix on medium speed until glaze is free of lumps. Drizzle over the cooled coffee cake, cut into squares and serve!
Recipe Notes
- When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.
- Use an apple corer/peeler if you have one because they will make this process go super fast. If you don’t have one, use a potato peeler and a knife to get the job done.
- I have fallen IN LOVE with my dear apple peeler and corer. If a lot of apples go through your kitchen, you absolutely must consider buying one. It’s the most magical tool in my kitchen!
- To slim down the recipe, replace a portion of the brown sugar in the batter with honey. Also, you can use a low-fat sour cream.
- For a caramel twist, drizzle salted caramel sauce over the top instead of simple icing!
- Make a thicker cake using a square pan. Bake for 5-7 additional minutes.
- Adding 1 cup of apple pie filling just under the streusel layer adds incredible flavor.
Is There Coffee In Coffee Cake?
Coffee cakes have been around for ages and about a century ago coffee used to make an appearance in the ingredient list.
Today’s versions of the cake does not typically contain coffee, but it is sometimes enjoyed with a cup of coffee! It is often enjoyed as a sweet breakfast food or as part of a spread of brunch recipes, but way easier to make than cinnamon rolls.
Which Apple Varieties Are Good For Baking?
I recommend using a variety of fresh apples and at the very least, use two kinds: one sweet and one tart. My favorite combo is Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp.
Sweet/Softer Apples
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Red Delicious
- Golden Delicious
- Cortland
- Gala
Tart Apples
- Granny Smith
- McIntosh
- Ida Red
- Braeburn
- Empire
- Jonathan
FAQ About Apples
Good news! Apples are very good for you! Apples are high in dietary fiber and pectin found in the peels of the apples.
Dogs can eat apples, as they are a nutritious snack for dogs. They are an excellent source of vitamin C, helping immunity and providing other benefits.
Apples do not align with a keto diet. One medium apple contains more than 20 g of carbs, making it too carb-heavy for this low-carb eating plan.
Apples can be frozen! They can be frozen whole for up to 9 months, or prepare applesauce, pie filling or entire pies and freeze them that way instead.
The recommendation is that you enjoy an apple in the morning hours of each day. This will help you avoid poor digestion at night. The fruit can help your stomach to empty more slowly, helping you to stay feeling full longer and not prone to snack/eat between meals.
Apple Recipes For Fall
- Appledoodles – These cookies are a fun twist on the classic snickerdoodles! Great way to use up apples in the fall!
- Easy Homemade Crockpot Applesauce – A kid-worthy snack that is fun to prepare because it’s so easy to make. Use an assortment of green and red apples and you’ll have a flavorful snack you can enjoy; better than the store stuff!
- Apple Carrot Cake Muffins – Apples and carrots create the most delicious little muffin you could ever imagine. These babies are moist and yummy and will not last long in your kitchen.
- Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake – the only thing better than salted caramel apples is Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake! This is the perfect fall treat and a great way to use up any type of apples.
- Apple French Toast Bake – Transform classic French Toast into an appley indulgence! Prepare this easy Apple French Toast Bake recipe the night before so there’s no morning prep!
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Apple Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
COFFEE CAKE
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 cups apples peeled, cored and sliced
CRUMBLE
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 5 tbsp butter melted
GLAZE
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp apple juice
Instructions
MAKE THE COFFEE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), combine the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix well. Gradually add to the butter mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Stir in the apples. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading in an even layer.
MAKE THE CRUMBLE
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and melted butter. Stir until crumbly. Sprinkle crumbles over the cake batter in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.
MAKE THE GLAZE
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), confectioners’ sugar and apple juice. Mix on medium speed until glaze is free of lumps. Drizzle over the cooled coffee cake, cut into squares and serve!
Notes
- When chopping and peeling the apples, fill a large bowl about half with cool water and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into it. The lemon juice will keep your apples from getting brown while you get them prepped for the recipe.
- Use an apple corer/peeler if you have one because they will make this process go super fast. If you don’t have one, use a potato peeler and a knife to get the job done.
- I have fallen IN LOVE with my dear apple peeler and corer. If a lot of apples go through your kitchen, you absolutely must consider buying one. It’s the most magical tool in my kitchen!
- To slim down the recipe, replace a portion of the brown sugar in the batter with honey. Also, you can use a low-fat sour cream.
- For a caramel twist, drizzle salted caramel sauce over the top instead of simple icing!
This was a huge hit with my family!! The crumble was good but my family prefers the texture of crumble made with cold butter instead of melted butter, and I didn’t make the glaze because I didn’t face apple juice. But, it was easily the best coffee cake I’ve ever had. I used Gala apples.
That’s great to hear, Michael. Thank you for sharing!
The melted butter for the crumble was a FAIL in my eyes. However. Re-did the crumble with solid butter, using a pastry cutter…AWESOME!
Well, I’m glad you found a way to make it better for you and enjoy! Thanks for the feedback, Susan.