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Moist and flavorful, this Apple Streusel Coffee Cake recipe has a layer of cinnamon apples in the center and is topped with lots of buttery streusel topping! It’s great for breakfast, brunch or even as a dessert!
Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day. I mean, think about it….donuts, syrup-covered pancakes, muffins….my sweet tooth loves that it’s totally acceptable to eat these delicious sweet treats first thing in the morning!
Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping
Though I’m not a coffee drinker, I love a good coffee cake, especially when there’s a thick layer of streusel on top! I added a yummy apple filling to this one and I love the contrast of flavors and textures it brings!
Ingredients Needed
- Flour – All-purpose flour
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work
- Granulated Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe
- Apples – I like to use Braeburn or Granny Smith for this coffee cake
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – It’s important to check the date on these to make sure they’re fresh. If not, your coffee cake will not rise properly and will be dense
- Salt
- Egg
- Vanilla
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk, you can mix vinegar and milk together (see notes at the bottom of the recipe card for details)
How to Make Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
As with most coffee cake recipes, this one has a couple different layers. Therefore, it takes a little bit of time to whip up the layers, assemble them and bake. But, it’s SO WORTH IT!!!
I recommend making the crumb topping first, then the batter and lastly the apple filling. Once you make a batter with leaveners like baking powder and soda, you want to bake it soon after, so make sure you get the oven preheated first. So, let’s get started with the crumb topping.
Crumb Topping
Add the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon and brown sugar) to a bowl and stir to mix. Then you’ll add the softened butter and use a fork to cut the butter into the other ingredients. You’ll do this until the mixture resembles sand that holds its shape when pressed together.
If the butter is really cold and the mixture doesn’t seem to be coming together easily, you can use your hands to mix it. The warmth from your hands will melt the butter just enough to form a nice streusel topping.
Coffee Cake Batter
For this cake batter, we’ll use the classic cake mixing method. You’ll start by creaming the butter and sugars. Then, the egg and vanilla is added.
Add half of the dry ingredients, all of the buttermilk and lastly, the remaining dry ingredients. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it’s all incorporated.
Spread a little over half of the batter into the pan.
Apple Filling
Start by peeling, coring and dicing your apples. Two small to medium apples will give you plenty. I like to dice them pretty small so they cook quicky and become soft and juicy in the oven.
Mix the apples with the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and it’s ready to go!
Assemble and Bake!
Once you have some of the batter in the pan, evenly sprinkle the apple mixture over the batter.
Spoon the remaining batter over the apples and spread to an even layer using the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the delicious streusel topping over the coffee cake batter. It’s a pretty thick layer of streusel, so I find that it works well to press some of the topping into the batter a bit.
Bake the coffee cake until the center of the cake is no longer gooey. The topping and edges of the coffee cake will be a golden brown color. Let it cool a bit before cutting and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let the coffee cake come to room temperature, then store in an airtight container or in a large freezer bag.
Absolutely. If you plan to serve it more than two days out from the day you bake the coffee cake, simple wrap the cake well and freeze it.
I like to add a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of icing on top of a warm piece of coffee cake! Many enjoy coffee cake with a hot cup of coffee, too.
What to Serve with Coffee Cake
Though many people enjoy a cup of coffee with this recipe, you could opt for another warm drink like my favorite Hot Cocoa!
Serving Suggestions
This coffee cake is nice and moist, so a warm drink isn’t quintessential like with some other coffee cake recipes. However, my Crockpot hot chocolate or a cup of coffee would be a nice addition!
As for the coffee cake, I like this recipe cooled or warm and fresh outta the oven! Pair it with a frozen fruit cup, a smoothie or my easy sheet pan breakfast bowls!
Other Delicious Breakfast Goodies
Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
Equipment
- One 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
Coffee Cake Batter
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup buttermilk*
Apple Filling
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups diced apples
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease or line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.
Make the Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Add the softened butter and use a fork to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture begins clumping together; set aside.4 tablespoons butter
Make the Batter
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a bowl; stir and set aside.1 3/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Add the butter and sugars to a large mixing bowl or a the bowl of a stand mixer.6 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Cream the butter and sugars for a couple minutes, or until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla; stir well, scraping down the sides at least once.1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Add about half of the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Continue mixing while adding the buttermilk slowly; scrape the sides of the bowl.3/4 cup buttermilk*
- Add the remaining dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
Make the Apple Filling
- Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl.1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Add the peeled and diced apples and stir until well-combined; set aside.**1 1/2 cups diced apples
Assemble and Bake
- Pour a little more than half of the batter into the prepared pan; spread to an even layer.
- Sprinkle the apples over the batter.
- Spoon the remaining batter over the apples and smooth it out to an even layer.
- Top with the streusel topping, pressing it into the batter gently.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not runny batter).
- Let cool, then cut and enjoy!
I’ve made this twice this month already, it’s that good. I have leftover pumpkin puree from another recipe. Do you have a suggestion for adding it to this one?
Hmmmm…..I’m not sure if I’d add it to this one. However, you should check out my pumpkin coffee cake recipe….perhaps you could do a half batch (with half a can of pumpkin??). ~Kelsey
Fantastic and easy to make. Thank you! I made it and my kids rated it. Definitely will make this again!!
Great recipe! For the apples, I use frozen apples from our tree and don’t add anything to them and it’s great.
Great to hear, Julie!! ~Kelsey
This is ok, but for how putzy it was, I probably won’t make it again. As other reviewers mentioned, mine also took 55 minutes. I baked in a glass baking dish, so maybe that affected the bake time.
I assembled mine in a Corning Ware brownie pan and mine is still baking an hour later so the time was WAY off (but on the plus side it smells delicious 😋).
Hi Sharon – I’m guessing the Corning Ware pan does’t conduct heat as well as a metal pan does, so it’ll take longer to bake. I hope it tasted as good as it smelled! 🙂 ~Kelsey
I followed everything exactly as stated and the crumb topping didn’t turn out right. What did I do wrong? Thanks!!!
Can you explain what you mean? Was it too dry? ~Kelsey
It was absolutely delicious! Took a little time. But worth it.
SO happy to hear, Courtney! 🙂 ~Kelsey