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Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

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Cinnamon apple coffee cake is easy to make and totally delicious.  Super moist, studded with sweet-tart apples, and topped with a buttery crumb topping, this cake is a winner every time!

third pin image for cinnamon apple coffee cake with text overlay

sliced apple coffee cake on a cake stand with a slice of cake on a plate in the background

Hello there! And welcome to my last post before (the US celebrates) Thanksgiving!

Are you ready to eat your weight in turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole before falling asleep in front of a football game? I am! (But my meal will be more like apple pie, sweet potato pecan pie, and cookies.)

Cookie and I have been baking up a storm to get ready for the big day (or I’ve been baking and Cookie has been licking up the crumbs I drop) and we’re ready for a little break before the craze of Christmas is upon us.

My favorite way to take a break? A slice of apple coffee cake, a cup of tea, and the stack of catalogs I still get because because someone hasn’t told Victoria’s Secret and J. Crew that online shopping is a thing. I’ll put my feet up and get some Christmas shopping done all at the same time!

Win win.

Why you’ll love this apple coffee cake:

  • It’s super simple and anyone (truly anyone!) can make it
  • You probably have all the ingredients on hand right now
  • The hands-on time is only about 20 minutes, leaving you time to spend on things more important than making breakfast

How to Make Apple Coffee Cake Topping

how to make the crumb topping for apple coffee cake step by step
Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans in a mixing bowl and stir them together. Cut some cold unsalted butter into small chunks and sprinkle that over the top, then use your fingers to cut the butter into the rest of the ingredients until the mixture forms clumps (<—technical term).

Stick the bowl in the fridge (so the butter stays cold) and move on to the cake.

How to Make Apple Coffee Cake

how to make apple coffee cake step by step

Combine granulated sugar and room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy. (If your butter is too cold it won’t mix well with the sugar so be sure it’s at room temp.) Add 2 large eggs and beat to combine. Beat in cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

how to make apple coffee cake steps by step

Next beat in half of the flour, followed by half of the sour cream. Mix in the remaining flour, then the remaining sour cream, then fold in 2 cups of chopped peeled apple. Mix just until the flour is incorporated or your cake will turn out tough. 

Use a tart baking apple for this apple coffee cake—Granny Smith is my favorite here, but Jonagold or Pink Lady would also work.

how to finish apple coffee cake step by step

Spread half of the batter in a greased 9-inch springform pan, sprinkle with 1/3 of the topping, then gently spread the remaining batter over the topping layer and sprinkle the remaining topping over that. I missed taking pictures of the streusel layer in the middle of the cake—but it looks just like the one on TOP of the cake so use that as a guide if need be.

Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the coffee cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a bit, then top with powdered sugar (if you want) and serve. The cake holds up pretty well for a couple of days in the fridge but I liked it best the day it was made.

Ahhhhh. Just looking at these pictures is making me hungry. Do you see those gorgeous chunks of apple in there? Combine that with hints of cinnamon, a buttery crumb topping, and the crunch of pecans and I’m done for. Let the Christmas shopping (and the apple coffee cake eating) begin!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving if you’re celebrating, and if not, I hope you have a wonderful week!

More fall treats (in case you’re hungry)
Apple Cheesecake
Sweet Potato Cake
Apple Cranberry Pie

slice of apple coffee cake on a plate with the rest of the cake in the background

Did you make this apple coffee cake? That’s great! Post a pic on Insta and tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see your delicious creations!

5 from 1 vote
sliced apple coffee cake on a cake stand with a slice of cake on a plate in the background
Print
Apple Coffee Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
55 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 

This apple coffee cake makes a delicious breakfast for fall--or any time of year!

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12
Author: Kelsie
Ingredients
Topping
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into small chunks
Coffee cake
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 2 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 2 cups finely chopped peeled apple from about 8 ounces apple*
  • powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Topping
  1. Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans in a small mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter and use your fingers to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it comes together and forms crumbles. Refrigerate while you work on the cake.
Coffee cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer set to medium until light and fluffy, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs and beat until smooth.
  3. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat to combine. With mixer on low, beat in half the flour followed by half of the sour cream. Stop mixer and scrape down the bowl, then beat in the remanning flour and remaining sour cream (batter will be thick).
  4. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the chopped apples.
  5. Scrape half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with about one-third of the topping. Gently spread the remaining cake over the topping and sprinkle the remaining topping over the top. Press the topping down lightly.
  6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (If the top of the cake starts to get too brown you can tent some foil over it toward the end of baking time.) Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.
  7. Cake is best served the day it’s made but uneaten cake can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes

*Use a tart apple like Granny Smith. If you can’t find Granny Smith, Jonagold or Pink Lady would work.

Adapted from Texas Ties

Comments

  1. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    November 19, 2018 at 5:58 am


    Thanksgiving is over for us here in Canada for the year, but I could still go for some turkey, all the sides and definitely a big hunk of this apple filled coffee cake!! I can’t believe we’re not much more than a month away to Christmas. I feel like I have a billion things to do, but I guess it will get done!! Happy Thanksgiving to ya, my friend 🙂

    Reply

  3. David @ Spiced says

    November 19, 2018 at 6:21 am

    Coffee cake is a holiday tradition in our house! Every Christmas, I have to make sure Santa has a coffee cake. Forget the cookies in our house. It’s coffee cake all the way! I love the apple addition here, too. Sounds delicious! Oh, and I hear ya about the catalogs. I’m pretty sure I’ve filled 2 recycling bins up with ’em already…and it’s not even December. Hope you and Cookie have a wonderful Thanksgiving, my friend. And enjoy that nap on the couch, too!

    Reply

  4. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says

    November 19, 2018 at 6:53 am


    I’m so ready to eat all the turkey and ‘taters! But now I clearly need to save room for some coffee cake because this looks amazing! Seriously, I am a coffee cake addict! It’s just so dang delicious! Needless to say, I’m totally swooning over this apple coffee cake!!! I could legit eat this for breakfast, snack time and dessert! YUM! Cheers, Kelsie! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

    Reply

  5. SHASHI AT SAVORYSPIN says

    November 19, 2018 at 10:27 am


    Ok – that’s it – I am coming to your place for Thanksgiving! My dream Turkey day meal doesn’t involve turkey – but boatloads of apple pie, sweet potato pecan pie, cookies, and cake! And – I could go for taking a break with a slice of this too! Loving those chunks of apple poking through and ooh that topping! yum!

    Reply

  6. Milena says

    November 19, 2018 at 11:13 am


    I love how you layered it up! Cannot say that I’ve ever tasted coffee cake with apples in it and I’m really intrigued. Last night fell asleep dreaming about apple fritters…Now you serve this tasty treat… I might emulate you and make a bunch of apple treats tomorrow! We are skiing the day before Thanksgiving and spending the day with family but no cooking for us this year (fist pump)! We’re taking care of the beer, lol. Happy Thanksgiving, Kelsie!

    Reply

  9. Leanne | Crumb Top Baking says

    November 19, 2018 at 6:05 pm


    I just got a few catalogues in the mail today too. So I guess I’ll be needing a slice of this coffee cake to go with my tea and catalogue viewing! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Kelsie, and take that break you and Cookie deserve!

    Reply

  11. Ben|Havocinthekitchen says

    November 19, 2018 at 6:53 pm


    I’m very happy that we celebrated Thanksgiving over a month ago! I feel sorry for you guys cause basically you don’t have a gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas season. I can imagine that you’re going to have quite a hectic time with all these bakings going on (But please don’t confuse Cookie with cookies, though!) And this Apple coffee cake? I wouldn’t mind having a slice or five!

    Reply

    • Kelsie says

      November 20, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      Haha! I tell Cookie all the time I’m going to munch on her when I need a snack–but so far it hasn’t happened yet :). Thank you, Ben!

      Reply

  13. Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says

    November 20, 2018 at 7:21 am

    I love coffee cake and this cake looks so yummy with those chunks of apples throughout! I think you and Cookie definitely make an awesome team in the kitchen hehehe. I hope you have an awesomely fun food-filled Thanksgiving my friend! XOXO

    Reply

  15. Katherine | Love In My Oven says

    November 21, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    Can I just pretend that I’m American so I can stuff myself with turkey and greens and pie!? I guess I can also just kick back and bake up some of this delectable coffee cake! PS – I LOVE catalogues, even with the availability of online shopping out there!

    Reply

  16. Miriam says

    November 22, 2018 at 2:24 am

    I wish we’d celebrate Thanksgiving here in the UK – it sounds so wonderful! I’d love a slice of your cake with my cup of tea right now – it looks delicious! Happy Thanksgiving, Kelsie!

    Reply

  17. Carlee says

    November 24, 2018 at 5:45 am

    I like the way you think, taking a break from baking with a slice of cake! Anything with a crumb topping has to be mine, so I’ll come page through those catalogs with you and enjoy a slice.

    Reply

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