Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
This apple coffee cake recipe layers a tender sour cream cake with pockets of cinnamon-spiced apple and a thick brown sugar streusel that bakes into craggy, buttery crumbs.
Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan - 23x33 cm, metal or ceramic
- Mixing bowls - in a few sizes
- Balloon whisk - for the dry ingredients and batter
- Silicone spatula - for folding in the apples
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer - (optional) if you prefer not to mix by hand
- Cutting board and sharp knife - for the apples
- Apple peeler, corer, and slicer - (optional) speeds up prep
- Offset spatula - (optional) for spreading batter and lifting squares
Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour - 94 g
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar - 100 g
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - 85 g, melted and slightly cooled
For the Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter - 113 g, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar - 200 g
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream - 240 g, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 313 g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 medium apples - about 1 1/2 lb / 680 g total, peeled, cored, and diced small (roughly 3 cups); use firm baking apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour - 8 g, for tossing the apples
For the Optional Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar - 120 g
- 2 tablespoons milk - 30 ml
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan or line with parchment, and bring the eggs and sour cream to room temperature.
- Whisk 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir in the melted butter with a fork until clumps form, then set aside.
- Peel, core, and dice the apples into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon flour until lightly coated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon until evenly combined.
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions, folding gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the floured apples, including any loose flour, just until evenly distributed.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Squeeze the streusel into small clumps and scatter over the top, pressing down very lightly.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Tent with foil if the streusel browns too fast.
- Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. If glazing, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth, drizzle over the warm cake, and let set before slicing into 12 squares.
Notes
- Dice the apples small (about 1/2 inch) so they stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking and leaving the middle wet.
- Use firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Braeburn, or Pink Lady; softer varieties break down and release too much liquid.
- Toss the diced apples in a tablespoon of flour to keep them from clumping at the base of the pan.
- Room-temperature eggs and sour cream blend smoothly into the butter; cold dairy can leave lumps in the batter.
- Let the melted butter for the streusel cool slightly before mixing so the crumbs stay craggy rather than melting into a flat, greasy layer.
- Measure flour by weight when possible (313 g for the cake, 94 g for the streusel) to avoid a dry, dense crumb.
- Always test for doneness at the center of the pan, since the edges set first.
- Storage: cover tightly at room temperature up to 2 days, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze wrapped squares up to 3 months.
- Make ahead: bake the unglazed cake a day in advance and add the glaze just before serving so it stays glossy.
- Variations: add a cream cheese ribbon, stir nuts into the streusel, swap the glaze for warm caramel or maple, or bake as muffins for 20 to 24 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SquareCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 240mgFiber: 2gSugar: 33g
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