Description
This easy apple coffee cake is a cozy breakfast treat packed with juicy apple chunks, cinnamon swirls, and a buttery crumb topping. Perfect for busy mornings, brunch, or as a comforting snack for apple lovers.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 cups apples, peeled and diced (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp recommended)
- For the crumb topping:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- For the glaze (optional):
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- In another bowl, beat softened butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Mix in Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and milk. Batter may look slightly curdled; that’s fine.
- Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet mixture just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in peeled, diced apples with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Prepare crumb topping: In a separate bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and melted butter. Add nuts if using. Stir until crumbly but moist.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over batter, pressing lightly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and topping is golden brown.
- Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Mix glaze: Whisk powdered sugar with milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
- Slice and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.
Notes
Use firm apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for best texture. For gluten-free, substitute a 1:1 baking flour blend. Skip nuts for nut-free. Don’t overmix the batter to keep the cake tender. The cake can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 34
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
Keywords: apple coffee cake, breakfast, brunch, easy coffee cake, apple dessert, cinnamon, crumb topping, fall baking, kid-friendly, nut-free, gluten-free option