Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here.

This recipe was originally posted in August 2011.

I am not a huge breakfast person.  Usually when I have breakfast at home I go for a piece of toast, an English muffin, or a bagel.

However, if I am going out for breakfast I tend to go towards more sweet items like pancakes, waffles, or danishes.  I only like a sweet breakfast on occasion.

One of my favorite special breakfast items is coffee cake.   I have made a lot of different coffee cakes over the years.  Most of them have some type of fruit in them but I do have some without.

What is coffee cake?

Coffee cake is a type of cake that is typically served with coffee but it does not usually contain coffee. Coffee cake is generally a moist, sweet cake that features a cinnamon-sugar streusel topping. The cake can also include different fruits like blueberries, strawberries, or apples.   It can also have chocolate chips or a cinnamon stripe in the middle of it.

Many of my recipes have the base from my traditional coffee cake recipe. In the spring I love the sweet and tart flavor of this Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake. During the fall months I can’t get enough of this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake. When I’m hosting a brunch I enjoy making a Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.

Since I had just bought a big bag of apples I thought that an apple cinnamon coffee cake was in order.  I have all of the basic ingredients plus the apples so I decided to give it a try.

I used a new base recipe for this coffee cake which has way less sugar than most of my coffee cake recipes.  I have to say that I actually prefer coffee cake that isn’t overly sweet, especially for breakfast in the morning.

What type of apple should I use in coffee cake?

The type of apple you use is up to you.   Personally I prefer an apple with a bit of tartness to it to balance out the sweetness of the coffee cake.  Apples like Granny Smith, Jonagold, or Honeycrisp are perfect for that.  Since this recipe uses less sugar I thought a Gala or Cosmic Crisp apple would taste good.

This cake is really simple to make with only a few ingredients.  It is topped off with thin slices of apples and a sweet crumble topping.

Ingredients:

• salted butter (or unsalted if you prefer)
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon (or apple pie spice works nicely too)
• apples (choose your favorite variety)
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt

To make the coffee cake preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar.  Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth.  Lay the apple slices over the top of the cake batter. Sprinkle with streusel.

Bake for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

The coffee cake smelled heavenly in the oven and I could hardly wait for it to cool before I swiped a piece.  The cake is moist and lightly sweetened.  The tart apples give a nice contrast and the crumble topping adds the perfect crunch. 

Can I add other fruit to this coffee cake?

You can certainly substitute other fruits in place of the apples.   Place blueberries, blackberries, strawberry slices, or even chocolate chips on top of the coffee cake before putting the crumble on top.

I like that this coffee cake is not overly sweet.   The apples and crumble give the cake a sweetness but the actual cake is just lightly sweetened with a lovely crumb.

How do you store apple coffee cake?

Store in an air tight container on the counter for up to 5 days.   You can also freeze this coffee cake by wrapping individual pieces in plastic wrap then putting them in a freezer bag for up to 6 months.   Thaw and heat in the microwave or oven before serving.

Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

A lightly sweetened coffee cake layered with slices of apples and topped off with a cinnamon streusel.

No ratings yet

Print Pin

1x2x3x

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Hezzi-D

Equipment

• 1 Mixing Bowl
• 1 8 x 8 Baking dish

Ingredients

For the Coffee Cake:

• 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

For the crumb topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• In a bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add in the eggs and vanilla and whisk until blended.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients forming a thick batter. Spread the batter into the bottom of the 8 x 8 pan.
• Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter making sure to cover the entire top.
• In a small bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the apples. Bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Recipe adapted from This is How We Eat