Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

It’s been a few days since I mentioned it here, but I’m so very happy that it’s fall! Oh, I love it so. I wore a scarf to go to dinner last week. A scarf! And, I’m spending a good portion of my brain activity thinking about what kind of boots to buy. Is anyone else this excited?

Of course, fall is also a very thrilling time for bakers. I get so giddy when I see fresh apples and pears and such. You can make such homey, comforting desserts with fall fruits. The kind of desserts that make you want to curl up under a blanket with your fall-inspired dessert and just savor every bite.

I’ve had so many apples staring back at me from my countertop recently. I’m rightly amazed that I’ve not been overwhelming all of you with apple recipes. But, I could resist them no longer and decided to make this coffee cake. Let me tell you that this is, simply put, fall in a pan.

The cake portion of this coffee cake is not that different from other cakes. It’s buttery and sweet. And, it has plenty of sour cream, which is one of my favorite cake ingredients.

But, in between layers of soft, moist, delicious cake is a combination of apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Frankly, it’s pretty amazing. It gives a wonderful contrast to the cake in both flavor and texture. Then, there are all those toffee bits scattered on top plus a sweet cinnamon glaze. It’s everything I want a fall cake to be.

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Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is a buttery, sweet cake packed with apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

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Ingredients

For the streusel:

• 1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped apples*
• 1/2 cup (80g) dried currants
• 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:

• 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (170g) sour cream
• 1/4 cup toffee bits

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup (55g) confectioners' sugar
• 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the streusel:

1. Combine the apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Set aside.

To make the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. (Or use a cooking spray with flour, like Baker's Joy or Pam Baking.)
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
4. Decrease mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of sour cream. Mix just until combined.
5. Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over batter. Spread the remaining cake batter evenly over the streusel.
6. Sprinkle the top of the batter with toffee bits.
7. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate. Or, cool completely in the pan if serving directly from the pan.

To make the glaze:

1. Combine the confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk, and cinnamon in a small bowl. If necessary, add more milk until the glaze is the desired consistency.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

Notes

*I used one large Jonagold apple. 

Recipe adapted from an unidentified recipe clipping.

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