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Breakfast Favorite Apple Crumb Coffee Cake Made Simple

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This apple crumb coffee cake is a tender, cinnamon-spiced cake layered with fresh apples and topped with a thick, buttery streusel topping. Baked to golden perfection, it’s the ultimate breakfast or brunch treat that delivers comforting bakery-style flavor in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups peeled and diced apples (such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)

For the streusel topping:

  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.

Mix in sour cream until well combined. Gradually add dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated.

Fold in diced apples and spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.

Sprinkle streusel mixture evenly over the batter.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving.

 

Notes

  • Use tart apples like Granny Smith for contrast, or sweet apples like Honeycrisp for a softer bite.

  • For an extra crunchy topping, add chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel.

  • This cake freezes well—perfect for meal prep or holidays.

  • Don’t skip the sour cream! It gives the cake its signature moist, tender crumb.

  • You can double the streusel topping for an extra-thick crumble layer, similar to crumb cake variations.

Find it online: https://claradelish.com/breakfast-favorite-apple-crumb-coffee-cake-made-simple/