Apple Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce
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This Apple Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel and Caramel Sauce is an incredible way to enjoy morning coffee or a sweet treat later in the day. It’s a tender and soft apple spiced cake made with fresh apple and topped with delicious streusel. And then… drizzled in caramel. Are you hungry yet?
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I’ve made this cake more times than I can count– but I still dream of it the minute the trees begin their glorious transformation of autumn colors.
If you love apple spice cake, you’ll adore this simple cake, made in a square pan. It’s perfect with coffee (you know… coffee cake!) but also as a simple cake to bring when visiting, sharing with a neighbor, or simply when you want to celebrate fall.
I have a love affair with coffee cakes. They were among my first childhood cake-making endeavors. When I was 16, I baked one weekly in my mom’s kitchen for a 6 a.m. meeting with friends. I still can’t believe my parents let me host these weekly meetings with 10 to 15 others (we were not quiet). And the guys in the group? I think they came for the coffee cake ❤️!
What is Caramel Apple Coffee Cake?
This Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel is an easy-to-make-to-make, delicious, and tender dessert or even breakfast treat made with a fresh apple.
It begins with a spiced coffee cake base followed by a layer of cinnamon butter streusel and chopped apple. A final layer of coffee cake batter is poured over the top with a sweet, crumbly streusel topping. While optional, ready-made caramel sauce drizzled over the middle layer before baking is incredibly yummy.
It combines sweet, fruity, and slightly crunchy textures perfectly.
Apple Coffee Cake Ingredients
The ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below, but here is a list of what you’ll and some thoughts!
- 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 (affiliate link).
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake
While step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below, here is a quick overview of how to make this delicious, irresistible coffee cake!
Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease the baking dish with cooking spray.
In a stand mixer or large bowl with an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, butter, milk, baking powder, salt, seasonings, and egg until light and fluffy.
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, and sprinkle with half the streusel and the chopped apple. I like to drizzle this layer with caramel sauce but that is completely optional.
Top with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining streusel.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.
Apple Coffee Cake FAQs
Absolutely! Although it is best when warm from the oven on the day it’s baked, Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel can be made in advance. Simply bake it as directed, let it cool completely, and then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to three months.
You can use a variety of apples in this recipe. Granny Smith apples provide a tart contrast to the sweet cake, while sweeter apples like Honeycrisp or Fuji can add a more mellow sweetness.
Yes, you can make a gluten-free version of Apple Coffee Cake with Streusel by using a gluten-free flour blend. Ensure that all other ingredients, such as baking powder, are also gluten-free.
While a square baking pan is ideal, you can also use a round cake pan or even a muffin tin to make individual coffee cake muffins. Adjust the baking time accordingly based on the size of the pan or muffin cups.
Apple Coffee Cake is delicious served either warm or at room temperature. Many people enjoy it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, while others prefer it at room temperature with a cup of coffee or tea.
To reheat leftover coffee cake, you can place individual slices in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds or warm them in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5-10 minutes. This will help restore its freshness and bring out the flavors again.
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Apple Coffee Cake with Caramel Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup milk
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 large egg
- 1 apple peeled or unpeeled and chopped
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup cold butter diced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts like walnuts or pecans
- Ready-made caramel sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9-inch square pan (affiliate link) 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.