This Apple Coffee Cake with Sour Cream is soft, tender and full of apples and cinnamon. The crumb topping gives the cake a buttery crunch along with a creamy, sweet frosting to top it off!
Be sure to try my classic coffee cake recipe too!
Well, it’s that time of year again to make sure your kitchen is fully stocked with apples and cinnamon. Of course baking with this winning combination will make your house smell delicious, but you’ll also end up with a cake you’ll absolutely LOVE!
I feel like this cake is the mash-up of two super popular recipes I already have on my site, my Apple Fritter Cake and my Simple Cinnamon Roll Cake. Basically if you like them, you’ll love this.
Because you’ll love this apple coffee cake
- Easy ingredients. This is especially great to make during apple season when they are plentiful, but can and should easily be enjoyed all year round. The cake has multiple steps, but it’s all easy to make and is a great recipe for beginners!
- Structure. Adding sour cream to the cake makes it extra moist and tender, plus the juiciness the apples add makes it soft and tender!
- Taste. The apples, the cinnamon, the crumbs and the icing! The fun part about this cake is that there is not only a cinnamon crumb decoration, but there is a swirl of cinnamon sugar in every bite.
Do you have to use sour cream in this cake recipe?
I know some of you don’t like sour cream, but trust me, you won’t be able to taste it at all in this recipe. It simply adds moisture and gives the cake a tender crumb. BUT if you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute full-fat Greek yogurt in its place.
ingredients
I’ll list what you’ll need for this Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe, but there are 4 elements to the cake: the crumb topping, the swirl mix, the cake, and the frosting. All of the ingredients are simple and there is a lot of overlap between items, so be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the recipe card that has all the measurements and instructions!
- Butter. In this recipe I use salted butter. You will need both cold butter and butter at room temperature. The cold butter that you will use to prepare the crumb topping and the room temperature butter will be used in the cake dough.
- Sugars. You will use granulated sugar, light brown sugar AND powdered sugar. Granulated sugar will be used in the cinnamon swirl and cake, while brown sugar will be used in the crumb topping. Powdered sugar is used in the frosting above!
- Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda and baking powder, and ground cinnamon.
- Sour cream. If you don’t have sour cream you can add it to Greek yogurt or even buttermilk in a pinch.
- Egg. I use large eggs in all my baking recipes.
- Apples. I suggest Granny Smith apples in this recipe because they are tart and sweet, but cook well and don’t get mushy! BUT you can use whatever type of apples you prefer.
How to prepare coffee cake with apples
The cake dough mixes very easily. Cut the apples into cubes and add them at the end, making sure the apples are evenly distributed in the cake batter.
Spread half of the cake batter into a greased 9×13 baking pan and then cover it with half of the cinnamon mixture, which is light brown sugar and ground cinnamon mixed together. Run a butter knife through it to swirl it into the cake. Then repeat this step with the remaining cake batter and then with the rest of the cinnamon mixture.
Then you’ll coat the entire cake in a delicious, buttery crumb topping. The layers of flavor in this cake are exceptional. You have the buttery cake batter loaded with apples, the swirl of brown sugar and cinnamon, and now the crumb topping!
Once baked you will have a perfect looking coffee cake. You could stop there, but a sweet drizzle of frosting will just send it over the top. Enjoy it warm or at room temperature.
How to store coffee and apple cake
You can store this cake airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days for maximum freshness! I don’t prefer cold cake, so I advise you, if you keep it in the fridge, to take it out of the fridge before serving, letting it return to room temperature.
To freeze:
Freeze it airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months for the best freshness. Allow it to thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
More coffee cake recipes you’ll love
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Description
This Apple Twist on Coffee Cake is moist, tender, and delicious!
Decorated crumb
- 1 cup cold butter, diced
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 Teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 cup All purpose flour
Cinnamon roll
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Cake
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 16 oz sour cream
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 3 1/2 cups All purpose flour
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (2 medium apples)
Enamel
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Decorated crumb: In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and flour. Using your hands or a pastry cutter, combine the ingredients until they resemble coarse sand and hold together when squeezed. Set aside.
- Cinnamon roll: In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Cake: In your bowl kitchen robot with paddle attachment add butter and sugar, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sour cream, salt, baking soda and baking powder and continue mixing on medium speed for 30 seconds, until well combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the flour, mixing until incorporated, then stir in the apples.
- Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle dough with half of cinnamon mixture. Using a butter knife, mix the mixture into the batter.
- Repeat with the remaining batter and remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the cake.
- Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 20 minutes.
- Glazing: Prepare the icing by whisking together the icing sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the cake.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze airtight in the freezer for up to 2 months, thaw at room temperature.
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