Apple coffee cake is a simple, comforting bake that leans on fresh apples, cinnamon, and a buttery streusel topping. It's one of those recipes that makes sense as soon as apple season hits and you want something easy but still special.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Apple Coffee Cake
🕒 Ready In: ~1 hour
👪 Serves: 9 squares
🥣 Main Ingredients: Apples, brown sugar, sour cream, cinnamon, flour
👌 Difficulty: Easy - mix, layer, bake
⭐ Why You'll Love It: This apple coffee cake bakes up soft and moist with tender apple pieces and a crisp streusel topping that holds its texture after baking.
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The cake bakes up soft and moist, with tender apple pieces throughout and a crumb topping that stays crisp on top. A light glaze finishes it off without turning it into a dessert that feels too heavy.
If you're baking with apples this fall, you might also like our apple cider layer cake, apple crisp bars, or cinnamon roll cake.
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Why You'll Love Apple Coffee Cake
Soft, moist crumb: Sour cream keeps the cake tender without making it dense or heavy.
Apple pieces throughout: The apples soften as they bake, adding texture and flavor in every slice.
Crisp streusel topping: The crumb topping bakes up golden and stays slightly crunchy on top.
Balanced sweetness: Brown sugar and cinnamon add warmth without overpowering the apples.
Slices cleanly: Once cooled, the cake holds together well for neat slices.
Key ingredients
- Granny Smith apples: Hold their shape as they bake and provide a tart contrast to the sweet cake and streusel.
- Sour cream: Keeps the cake moist and tender without making it dense.
- Brown sugar: Adds depth and warmth, complementing the apples and cinnamon.
- Cinnamon: Brings out the apple flavor and gives the cake its classic coffee cake profile.
- Butter: Creates a crumbly topping that bakes up crisp and golden.
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for exact quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Apple variety: Granny Smith works best for structure, but Honeycrisp or Pink Lady can be used for a slightly sweeter result.
- No glaze option: Skip the glaze entirely if you prefer a more traditional coffee cake with just the streusel topping.
- Extra streusel: Double the streusel topping if you like a thicker, more crumb-heavy top layer.
- Spice addition: Add a pinch of nutmeg to the streusel for a warmer spice profile.
- Baking dish size: An 8x8-inch pan gives thicker slices; a 9x9-inch pan can be used for a slightly thinner cake with a shorter bake time.
how to make apple coffee cake
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Step 3: Fold in the cubed apples, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.
- Step 4: Bake for 38-42 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool slightly, then whisk together the powdered sugar and milk and drizzle the glaze over the cake before slicing.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Cut apples evenly: Keeping the apple pieces close in size helps them soften at the same rate and prevents wet pockets in the cake.
- Do not over mix the batter: Mixing just until combined keeps the crumb tender and prevents the cake from becoming dense.
- Check the center carefully: Apple coffee cake can look done on top before the center is set; always test the middle with a toothpick.
- Let the streusel set: Allowing the cake to cool slightly helps the crumb topping firm up before slicing.
- Cool before glazing: Adding glaze to a warm cake can cause it to melt in instead of sitting lightly on top.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Options
- Make ahead: Apple coffee cake can be baked a day in advance and stored covered at room temperature once fully cooled.
- Glaze timing: For the cleanest finish, add the glaze shortly before serving rather than in advance.
- Freeze the cake: The fully cooled, unglazed cake can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months.
- Freeze individual pieces: Slice the cake first, then wrap pieces individually for easy thawing.
- Thawing tips: Thaw at room temperature, then add glaze once fully thawed.
Apple Coffee Cake faqs
Apple coffee cake stays firm when the apples are cut evenly and the batter is mixed just until combined. Using tart apples like Granny Smith helps prevent excess moisture from releasing during baking.
Apples do not need to be cooked before adding them to apple coffee cake. Using firm apples like Granny Smith allows them to soften as the cake bakes without breaking down or releasing excess liquid.
Streusel can sink into apple coffee cake if it's too wet or if the batter underneath is overly loose. Making sure the streusel is crumbly and evenly scattered helps it stay on the surface as the cake bakes.
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Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the cubed apples, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter until crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 38-42 minutes, until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool slightly, then whisk together the powdered sugar and milk and drizzle the glaze over the cake before slicing.
Nutrition
Notes
- Cut apples evenly: Keeping the apple pieces close in size helps them soften at the same rate and prevents wet pockets in the cake.
- Do not over mix the batter: Mixing just until combined keeps the crumb tender and prevents the cake from becoming dense.
- Check the center carefully: Apple coffee cake can look done on top before the center is set; always test the middle with a toothpick.
- Let the streusel set: Allowing the cake to cool slightly helps the crumb topping firm up before slicing.
- Cool before glazing: Adding glaze to a warm cake can cause it to melt in instead of sitting lightly on top.
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