Apple cinnamon coffee cake with a crispy cinnamon streusel and chunks of apples throughout, perfect with a cup of coffee!

I’d like to clarify something before we start here, lol. The term “coffee cake” refers to dry cake (dry as in an unfrosted cake not dry in texture) that’s eaten with a cup of coffee. Coffee cake is not a cake made with coffee or coffee flavored.

How to make Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I adapted this recipe from an old apple cinnamon bread with streusel topping that I used to make. It wasn’t my original recipe and I have no idea who’s original recipe it was but yeah just wanted to throw that out there, lol.

Apple cinnamon cake

The base of the cake is a dense, moist coffee cake type of batter that’s studded with chunks of apple and spiced with warm cinnamon.

Ingredients:

Apples – I used large apples, any kind is good really since they just get diced into small chunks
Butter – use unsalted butter at room temperature to cream the butter with the sugar.
Sugar – I used granulated granulated sugar but you can make this recipe with brown sugar as well.
Eggs – I use large eggs, room temperature is best
Milk – you can use any kind of milk you want (even dairy free milk); I used 2%
Vanilla – can’t go wrong with vanilla. I prefer to use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
Flour – I used all-purpose flour and I don’t recommend using an alternative besides a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend, like King Arthur or Bob’s Red Mill.
Salt – salt brings out the flavors more and provides a nice balance to the sweetness.
Cinnamon – you just can’t have apples without cinnamon!
Baking powder – I try to use baking powder in my recipes instead of baking soda just because I know baking soda is not as accessible to people outside of the US.

Streusel topping

Let’s be real, almost everything is better with a little streusel on top. That buttery, crunchy goodness can be made in a few different ways but I chose to make it with melted butter. The dry ingredients just get whisked together and then combined with the butter until they crumble into pea size chunks. You can always add a little extra flour if you need to.

Icing on the top

The icing on top is super easy to make and just really dresses up this apple cinnamon coffee cake. It always looks nice with a little drizzle on top and the texture is a nice balance to the crispy streusel.

What kind of apples should I use

You can use any kind of apples you like. I love fugi, gala or honeycrisp but if you want something more tart try a granny smith. If you want something softer, try a golden apple.

How to store coffee cake

This is the kind of cake that you cover with a cake dome and leave it on the counter for a couple of days. I generally don’t like to leave things out more than 2 days so I would store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to another week.

You can also freeze the apple cinnamon coffee cake. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap individually and then place them in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. That way you can enjoy the slices individually. You can also just place all the slices in an airtight container and then the freezer bag.

Thanks so much for reading today’s post , if you have any questions just comment down below, i’m happy to answer! If you make this apple cinnamon coffee cake I would love to see the results, please make sure to tag me @baranbakery on instagram. As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B