This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. All opinions are mine.
Not overly sweet, this easy apple cake has moist and tender crumb and it’s perfect with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.
Why you’ll love this coffee cake:
I love fall baking… Pumpkins, pears and apples… You know, the usual fall flavors!
And today, I want to share with you my latest favorite fall treat – easy peasy apple coffee cake!
You’ll fall in love with its:
- crispy crumb topping,
- moist and tender crumbs,
- not overly sweet taste for those who appreciate moderately sweet desserts.
- But if you have a serious sweet tooth – drown it in a caramel sauce!
- And it’s super easy to make!
Serve it with a cup of hot coffee for a perfect pick me up.
3 reasons I love Bob’s Red Mill:
Bob’s Red Mill has been our go-to brand for flours and oatmeal for years! And here’re top 3 reasons why:
- Quality – Bob’s Red Mill is committed to providing high-quality, minimally processed products from the mill to your table.
- Variety – You’ll find high quality whole grains to accommodate many diets, such as vegan, paleo and gluten-free. All of its products are certified Kosher.
- Accessibility – Bob’s Red Mill products can be found at your local grocery store.
Key Ingredients:
- Bob’s Red Mill Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats – I love making streusel topping with rolled oats for a beautiful texture.
- Flour – I’ve tested this recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose and 1-to-1 Gluten Free flours, and both works perfectly.
- Applesauce – You can use both store-bought or homemade applesauce to make this coffee cake. And I recommend unsweetened variety. In fact, Granny Smith applesauce is my go-to.
- Apples – Any baking apple will work. My favorites are Granny Smith, honey crisp and gala.
How to make this recipe:
1. Make streusel topping
First, we’ll make the streusel topping by combining the dry ingredients and then adding softened butter into the mixture.
2. Prepare apples
Slice the apples into thin wedges, or you can also cube them. I like to peel the apples, but it’s fine with peels on too.
3. Make batter
We’ll start with whisking dry ingredients together. And then we’ll whip butter and sugar until nice and fluffy. Be sure to not rush this step to ensure fluffy and soft texture.
Then stir in eggs one at a time into the butter mixture. It’s important to use room temperature butter, or butter will solidify if you add cold eggs, creating large air pockets in the cake.
Finally, whisk together dry ingredients and add half of it into the butter mixture. Stir until just combined and stir in apple sauce. And finish off by adding the remaining flour and mix until just combined.
Pour into a 9-inch springform pan sprayed with a cooking spray.
Arrange apple slices on top, or alternatively, you can mix in apple cubes into the batter before pouring into the cake pan.
Top everything with prepared streusel topping.
4. Bake
Bake the cake at 350°F for 50-55 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
As mentioned above, this apple coffee cake isn’t overly sweet, which makes it perfect to serve with a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Recipe Tips & FAQ:
You may think coffee cake contains coffee. However, the name comes from the idea that this cake meant to be served with coffee.
I like to use a combination of tart Granny Smith apples and juicy Honey Crisp or Gala apples.
1. Make sure to use room temperature eggs. Or cold eggs will harden the butter, causing large air pockets during baking.
2. Don’t over-mix the batter after adding flour mixture. Or too much gluten will develop, making the cake dense and heavy.
You don’t have to peel the apples. I’ve done either way and it works fine with or without the peels.
Storing Tips:
You can keep the cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days. Or refrigerate it for up to 5 days. This cake also freezes well.
Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For streusel topping:
- 1/3 cup (30g) old-fashioned rolled oats Note 1
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar light or brown
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (40g) unsalted butter softened
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For coffee cake:
- 2 apples
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour Note 2
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup (130g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 8 oz unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Homemade caramel sauce for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray 9-inch springform pan with a non-stick cooking spray.
To make streusel topping:
- In a medium bowl, mix together rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.
- Then add butter and mix until well combined.
To make cake:
- Peel and core apples and slice them into thin wedges. (First, I cut an apple into quarters, and then each quarter into 3 slices. Alternatively, you can cube the apples into small pieces.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl half way.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Then add applesauce and vanilla extract and mix it for a minute.
- Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Arrange the apple slices on top and spread the prepared streusel topping evenly all over. (If you chopped apples into cubes, you can stir them into the batter instead.)
- Bake the cake for 50-55 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and cool the cake completely. Serve the coffee cake with homemade caramel sauce, if desired.
- You can keep the cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days. Or refrigerate it for up to 5 days. This cake also freezes well.
Tips & Notes
Nutrition
