Best Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Crumb Topping
An easy recipe for moist apple filled coffee cake with cinnamon crumb topping
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 4 cups chopped Granny Smith apples
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp allspice
Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour & 2 tbsp divided
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Streusel Topping
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter cold
Instructions
- Prepare the apple filling first and allow time for it to cool down.
- Peel, core, and chop the apples.
- Place the apples in a saucepan with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and allspice.
- Cook the apples and spices over medium high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium if the juices begin to bubble vigorously.
- The apples are ready when they can be easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes. NOTE: Do not let the apples become too soft or you will end up with the consistency of applesauce. You wants chunks of cooked apples in this cake.
- Place the cooked apples into a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the springform pan. Remove the bottom of the pan and trace its shape on a sheet of parchment paper. Make sure you write on the side that will not touch the cake. Set aside.
- Return the bottom to the springform pan and close. Spray the bottom and the sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the parchment paper circle in the bottom of the pan and lightly stray the paper with the cooking spray as well.
- Sift the flour into a medium bowl.
- Gently whisk the baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon into the sifted flour. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat at low speed until fully combined, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter and sugar mixture and beat together until combined.
- Next place the Greek yogurt and milk into the bowl with the butter and sugar mixture. Beat at low speed until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides and up from the bottom with a rubber spatula to be sure everything gets incorporated. For best results, never over mix cake batter. Set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, drain the cooked apple mixture and place it into a small bowl. You don't want to add too much liquid to your cake batter.
- Add two tablespoons of flour to the apple mixture and stir to combine. This will help the apples stay distributed in the cake as it bakes.
- Add the apple mixture to the batter, folding it in with a rubber spatula. Do not over mix.
- Prepare the crumb topping by mixing the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Cut the butter into tablespoons and then quarter each tablespoon.
- Using a pastry cutter or two forks, mix the butter into the flour and sugar mixture. The goal here is to create crumbs, so you are not trying to incorporate it completely. I usually finish up by rubbing the pieces of butter and the flour and sugar between my fingers. You do not want tiny crumbs or big chunks of butter; try for something in between.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top of the batter. Press them down very slightly.
- Bake until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then run a knife or a metal spatula around the exterior of the cake to make sure it is separated from the sides of the pan.
- Open the springform pan and, using oven mitts or potholders, move the cake - on the base - to a wire rack to cool further.
- Best Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Crumb Topping is great served slightly warm.