Caramel Apple Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
This Caramel Apple Coffee Cake is a cozy fall favorite with a tender, warmly spiced crumb, fresh apples, buttery pecan streusel, and an optional drizzle of caramel sauce. It's easy to bake in a 9-inch square pan and especially delicious with morning coffee or afternoon tea.
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I've made this cake more times than I can count, but I still begin thinking about it the minute the trees start their glorious transformation into autumn color.
If you love apple spice cake, this simple coffee cake is perfect for a fall breakfast or brunch, sharing with a neighbor, or enjoying warm from the oven on a crisp afternoon.
Why You'll Love This Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
This easy apple coffee cake begins with a tender, warmly spiced batter layered with fresh chopped apple and a buttery cinnamon pecan streusel.
Half of the streusel and apple are tucked into the center of the cake before the remaining batter and crumbs are added on top. For an extra-special finish, I like to add a little caramel sauce between the layers and drizzle more over the cake when serving.
The result is soft and tender with sweet apple, warm fall spices, and just enough buttery crunch from the pecans.
Apple Coffee Cake Ingredients
The ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below, but here are the key ingredients you'll need, along with a few helpful notes.
- Apple, peeled or unpeeled. I'm using a Honeycrisp apple but use your favorite baking apple.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar for the cake and brown sugar for the streusel topping
- Butter that is softened to room temperature
- Milk for texture
- Baking powder for leavening
- Spices and seasoning: Salt, ground cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
- Large egg for structure
- Chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) for the streusel
- Caramel sauce for drizzling, which is optional but delicious!
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
Because we are creaming softened butter with dry ingredients, I like to use my stand mixer because it's always on the counter, but you can also use a handheld mixer, or cream it together by hand.
The coffee cake is baked in a 9-inch square pan.
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake
Step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview of how to make this apple coffee cake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- Step 1: Make the cake batter by combining the flour, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, salt, spices, and egg until well combined. In a separate bowl, make the streusel by cutting the butter into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly; stir in the nuts.
Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan and top with half of the streusel and the chopped apple. If desired, drizzle with caramel sauce.
- Step 2: Spread the remaining cake batter over the apple layer and sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.
- Step 3: Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Apple Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- â…“ cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 apple peeled or unpeeled and chopped
Streusel Topping
- â…“ cup cold butter diced
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- â…“ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans
- Ready-made caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
- In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, salt, seasonings, and egg until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Mix the streusel ingredients in a small bowl, cutting the butter into the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until crumbly. Then stir in the nuts and set aside.
- Spread half of the cake batter in the prepared pan, sprinkle with half of the streusel and the whole chopped apple. Optionally, you can also drizzle some of the ready made caramel sauce over this layer. Then top with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining streusel.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm with a drizzle of caramel sauce if desired.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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