This apple coffee cake has both grated apple and a layer of thinly sliced apples in the middle with cinnamon sugar. The soft coffee cake is topped off with a crumb topping that has the warm fall flavors from cinnamon and nutmeg. This truly is the best cinnamon apple coffee cake recipe!
I feel like if you have been around for a while, it is no surprise to you that I am doing another coffee cake…but this time with all the fall goodness! I have a little bit of coffee cake obsession, and love my blackberry curd coffee cake, peach coffee cake, and banana coffee cake recipes. But it is time to get those apple recipes going while they are in season. And do I dare say this is this one of my favorite coffee cakes yet?! It is a close call, but the cinnamon crumb, and soft vanilla batter pairs so perfectly with the sweet and crisp apples. And of course, it is the perfect match with a cup of coffee!
I wanted to make sure this cinnamon apple coffee cake took full advantage the star of this recipe…the APPLES! So, I folded grated apple into the batter and then also included a layer of thinly sliced apples in the center of the coffee cake. Plenty of apples to enjoy in each bite of this sweet treat!
Tips and tricks to making the best cinnamon apple coffee cake recipe
- Make sure to slice the apple as thinly as you can. A madoline is helpful if you have one but if you do not have one, just carefully slice your apple as thin as you can.
- No need to peel your apples before grating or slicing! I do not mind the small of amount of apple peel and it mostly blends into the coffee cake. That said, you can peel the apples prior to grating and slicing if you prefer!
- Do not over mix the batter. It is okay if there are some lumps after combining the wet and dry ingredients together. Overmixing may cause the coffee cake to be denser. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. And be sure to gently fold in the grated apples.
- I used a 9-inch spring form metal pan to bake this cinnamon apple coffee cake. But you can use a 9-inch pie pan or even a 9-inch square baking pan. Metal works the best as it heats more evenly compared to glass or ceramic. And do not forget to grease the pan or line with parchment paper before adding the batter.
- There are several factors that can affect how long it takes for this apple coffee cake to bake so watch your bake time carefully. I often start on the low end and check on the cake to be sure it does not over bake. When the coffee cake is done, a toothpick will come out clean.
- I found that this cinnamon coffee cake stores best in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When ready to serve, just warm slightly in the microwave.
What types of apples work best in this recipe?
There are so many types of apples to choose from! So, what ones work in this recipe? While the majority of apples will be a good fit in this cinnamon apple coffee cake recipe, here are some of my favorites.
Honeycrisp: I love the Honeycrisp apple because it works well in this recipe, but also is delicious on its own, so you can buy a larger quantity if you want. They are sweet and juicy!
Fuji: These crisp and juicy apples are on the sweeter side. They are great in this recipe, but also work for cooking and just eating on their own!
Pink Lady: This apple is tart yet still a little sweet. They are great for cooking and baking and enjoying on their own.
Gala: This is another great apple that works well for both baking/cooking and snacking on. They fall on sweeter side of the apples.
These are just some of the options you can use for the apple type. But feel free to use whatever kind of apple you love in this recipe!
Ingredient substitutions and variations
Flour: If you need to make this recipe gluten-free, swap out the all-purpose flour in the batter and crumb topping with a 1-to-1 ratio gluten-free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour.
Applesauce: The apple sauce can be replaced with more Greek yogurt. If you do not have applesauce, increase the Greek yogurt to 3/4 cup.
Buttermilk: In a pinch, you can make your own buttermilk substitute by combining 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before adding it the batter.
Greek Yogurt: The Greek yogurt can be replace with plain yogurt or sour cream.
Cooking oil: Use a neutral cooking oil in this recipe. Avocado, canola or vegetable oil all work well. You can also use melted coconut oil. Refined coconut does not have any coconut flavor and would not impact the recipe flavors.
This really is the best cinnamon apple coffee cake recipe I have ever had! It has everything that you would want from a fall inspired coffee cake! The warm spices, plenty of fresh apples, a soft cake, and a cinnamon crumb topping!
If you give this recipe a try, let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I really appreciate your feedback!
And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
From my kitchen to yours, happy baking! I hope you love this cinnamon apple coffee cake as much as I do!
The Best Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/2 C. Sugar
- 1/3 C. Cooking Oil
- 1/4 C. Applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C. Buttermilk
- 1/2 C. Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 C. Grated apples about 1 apple
- 2 medium apples thinly sliced
Cinnamon sugar:
- 2 Tbsp. Sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Crumb topping:
- 1/3 C. Flour
- 1/4 C. Brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- Dash of salt
- 5 Tbsp. Cold butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together for about 15-20 seconds with a hand mixer. Add in the applesauce, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, oil and vanilla extract. Mix together until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. There will still be lumps! Fold in the 1 cup grated apple.
- Pour half of the batter into a greased 9-inch pie dish, spring form pan or square baking pan. Spread out the batter. Lay a thin layer of the sliced apples over the batter. I do about 2 layers of the thinly sliced apples.
- To make the cinnamon sugar, mix the sugar and cinnamon together until combined. Sprinkle of the thinly sliced apples.
- pour the remaining coffee cake batter over the sliced apples and gently spread out.
- To make the crumb topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, pinch of salt, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Stir until fully combined. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until mixed in.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping over the coffee cake batter. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until the coffee cake is set and toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool slightly and enjoy!
