This Apple Pie Coffee Cake is a great fall coffee cake variation. Featuring a soft brown sugar cake, layer of homemade apple pie filling, and a crumb topping. Using reverse creaming to make the cake batter yields a tender cake that melts right into the cozy apple filling.
Why You’ll Love This Coffee Cake
- Soft and tender cake that is made with a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon to give it a richer flavor.
- There is a layer of apples par-cooked in pie spices and lemon juice that tastes just like apple pie filling.
- Crunchy crumb topping adds flavor and texture.
- It’s a great fall breakfast or dessert idea.
My goal with this recipe was to develop something reminiscent of apple pie in simple cake (that you could eat any time of day lol). Initially I thought about mixing the apples into the batter, or simply tossing them on top. However, to really achieve that pie flavor, I ended up first par-cooking the apples with sugar, spices, and butter to bring out the juices.
I also have a similar recipe for a brown butter apple coffee cake – if you’re looking for something that has an apple-filled batter and layer of cinnamon sugar then this is the cake for you!
Ingredients and Equipment
Equipment
- 8×8 inch square baking pan, metal preferred
- Do not use any larger baking pan, as this recipe does not make enough batter to fill it.
- Electric stand mixer
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients for Apple Layer
- Apples: select tart, crisp apples that won’t get mushy when cooked. I recommend honeycrisp, granny smith, golden delicious, or a mix.
- Light brown sugar: adds sweetness
- Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger: cozy apple pie spices to add flavor
- Fresh lemon juice: make sure to freshly squeeze your lemon juice vs. using pre-packed juice from a bottle. The lemon brightens the apple flavors.
- Cornstarch: thickens the apple layer as it cooks
- Butter: either unsalted or salted butter
Ingredients for Cake & Crumb
- All-purpose flour: Measure flour with a scale for the best accuracy.
- Granulated sugar and brown sugar: for sweetness. You could use all granulated sugar if you wish as well, your cake will just look and taste a bit different but will still be delicious.
- Butter and oil: I think that a combination of butter and oil makes for the best cake texture. You will also need melted butter for the crumb.
- Butter adds milkfat and richness
- Oil keeps the cake soft and moist
- One egg, at room temperature: if it’s cold, soak the egg in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes to bring it to room temperature.
- Sour cream and buttermilk: add moisture and richness
- Vanilla extract: for flavor
- Baking powder and baking soda: leavening agents
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare the Apples
First, if you do not have one, I highly recommend getting an apple peeler/corer tool, especially if you are fond of making apple desserts like pies and tarts. This thing makes prepping apples SO easy. This is not sponsored. I just hate chopping and peeling a million apples lol.
Prep your apples by first peeling them and then thinly slicing them. Toss the apples in a saucepan with brown sugar, spices, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Then throw in a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of water, and cook the apples over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, or until they are juicy just start to soften. Transfer the apples into a heatproof bowl to cool while you prepare everything else.
Prepare the Crumb Topping
The crumb topping is easy to make with a small bowl and a fork. Start by mixing all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and then pour melted butter on top. Use a fork to mix everything together until crumbs form. Store the crumb topping either on the counter or in the fridge while you make the batter.
Make the Cake Batter
You now have the apples and crumb topping prepped, so all that’s left to do is make the batter, assemble, and bake. I use the reverse creaming method to prepare the coffee cake batter. This method results in a tender cake with a tight crumb, which I think is the perfect base for fruit desserts (this peach upside down cake follows a similar method). See below for how to make cake batter using reverse creaming.
- Fats + dry ingredients: Start by beating the dry ingredients with butter and oil in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. The end mixture will look like crumbs or sand.
- Add egg and vanilla: beat in the egg until the mixture resembles. thick paste or dough.
- Add wet ingredients: whisk the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla extract together to combine them. Then while running the mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle this into the cake batter and mix until smooth. Make sure to go very slow or else the liquid will splatter. You’re essentially forcing liquid into a thick paste, so don’t rush it. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as well every once in a while.
Prepare and Bake the Coffee Cake
Start by greasing an 8×8 inch square baking pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper. Pour the cake batter into the base of the ban, then lay the par-cooked apples on top of the batter in an even layer. Lastly, sprinkle the crumbs on top of the apples.
Bake the coffee cake until a toothpick comes out clean. This will take around 50-60 minutes, depending on your oven. Once the coffee cake is completely cool, you have the option of drizzling it with a simple vanilla icing — full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Tips for Success
- Use room temperature ingredients. To ensure cake with an even, tender crumb, make sure to use room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients do not mix together as well and will impact the cake’s texture. I like warming up sour cream and buttermilk in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before baking.
- Weigh ingredients (and most importantly the flour) using a kitchen scale. It’s easy to overmeasure flour, which can lead to a dry cake. If you do not have a scale, fluff the flour and spoon it into a measuring cup, using a knife to level off the top.
- Choose tart, crisp apples. Avoid apples that get mealy when heated. That would not make for a very happy cake. Instead, aim for apples that are crisp and maintain their integrity when baked. Anything good for apple pie will be good for cake. Think Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp.
How to Store Leftovers
On the day you bake the cake, you can leave this cake out on the counter overnight. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container. After that, transfer leftovers to the fridge since there are fresh apples in the cake. As the cake may dry out a bit in the fridge, I recommended warming up any leftovers for a few seconds in the microwave before serving.
Pin and Save for Later
If you’re interested in making this recipe, browsing around, or not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over or tap (on mobile) any image in this post (pick your favorite or use the one below), and use the pin icon in the corner to save for later.
Happy baking and hope you LOVE your Apple Pie Coffee Cake!
Apple Pie Coffee Cake
This is the perfect fall coffee cake! Tender and moist brown sugar cake base baked with a layer of homemade apple pie filling and crumb topping.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) light brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine kosher salt
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp (26g) oil (vegetable, canola, or grapeseed)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
Apple Pie Filling
- 2-3 Granny Smith or Honeycrisp Apples (depending on size)
- 3 tbsp (38g) light brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Splash of vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Crumb Topping
- ⅔ cups (80g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (70g) light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsp (56g) melted butter
Icing
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tsp milk
- Splash of vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8 inch square baking pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper so that it hangs over the sides by 1-2 inches. This parchment will help you lift the cake out.
- Prepare Apples. Peel and thinly slice the apples. Transfer them into a medium saucepan and then add the light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and water. Toss the apples to coat them, and then cook over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes until the apples are juicy, slightly soft, and thickened. If the apples seem too dry you can add a little bit more water. Remove the apples from heat and transfer them into a bowl to cool while you prepare everything else.
- Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon together until well combined. Then pour the butter on top and use a fork to mix until you have a crumbly mixture. You can set this on the counter or in the fridge while you make the batter.
- Make the batter. Start by adding flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Using the paddle attachment, start beating the dry ingredients together on the lowest speed. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, letting it beat into the flour. Then drizzle in the oil and continue beating until you end up with a sand-like mixture.
- Beat in the egg until it is fully combined and mixture resembles a paste.
- Whisk the buttermilk and sour cream together. If they are super cold, heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to bring them to room temperature. Start very slowly streaming in the buttermilk/sour cream while running your mixture on low speed to prevent splattering.
- Once all of the wet ingredients are added, scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn up the speed, and beat for 10-20 seconds until you have a smooth batter.
- Assemble the cake. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Spread the apples out in an even layer on top of the batter, and then sprinkle the crumb topping over the apples.
- Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan before lifting it out using the parchment and onto a rack to cool completely. If the cake still seems to fragile, let it cool for a little longer in the pan.
- Optional: Make the icing. Once the cake has completely cooled, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Add more or less milk depending on your desired thickness. Drizzle the icing over the cake, cut into slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Reverse Creaming: The method used in this recipe for making the batter is known as reverse creaming. You beat dry ingredients and fats together first and add the liquid last. It yields a tender cake with a tight crumb.
- Storage: This coffee cake is fine left out for 24 hours, and then after that keep leftovers in the fridge. Heat cold cake up in the microwave before serving.
- Apple Filling: Make sure to use crisp apples that do not get mushy when cooked. I recommend Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Golden Delicious. The number of apples you will need depends on the size. Aim for 2 large apples or three medium apples.
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