You only need a few pantry ingredients and about 10 minutes to prepare Mom’s Easy Apple Coffee Cake! The warmly spiced batter is loaded with fresh apples and is finished with a cinnamon streusel topping — making it the perfect breakfast or snack to share with friends and family on a cool fall morning!
I found this simple coffee cake recipe among a stash of old index cards that my mom gave me a couple of years ago. It stood out at the time because of the short ingredient list and the cinnamon streusel topping. After all, if a description includes the words “cake” “coffee” and/or “streusel,” it’s bound to be good!
After Casey and I made a trip to the apple orchard last Friday with his class, I knew what I wanted to do with the extra fruit!  Fortunately, the coffee cake only requires a few pantry staples and it’s ready from start-to-finish in 30 minutes! Now THAT’s my kind of baking!
This coffee cake would be an ideal snack to serve to last-minute guests when you don’t have time to run out to the store. It would also be a nice light breakfast with a mug of coffee on Thanksgiving morning because you can prepare it ahead of time. Serve it with eggs, yogurt, or fruit for a more complete meal. The coffee cake is only slightly sweet so you won’t feel as though you’re eating dessert at 7 a.m. (not that there’s anything wrong with that…).
Enjoy, friends!
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Mom's Easy Apple Coffee Cake
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 9
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose baking mix (such as Bisquick or Immaculate Organic Pancake and Waffle Mix)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or you can substitute with ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)
- 1 cup finely diced peeled apple
- For the Topping:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking mix
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice (or substitute with 2 teaspoons cinnamon)
- 2 tablespoons very cold butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Prepare the topping first: In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup sugar, 2 tablespoons baking mix, 2 teaspoons apple pie spice, and butter. Use a fork, a pastry cutter, or your fingers to cut the butter into the rest of the ingredients until the topping is crumbly and resembles wet sand. Set aside.
- For the cake, combine 2 cups of baking mix, 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, milk, and apple pie spice. Use an electric mixer to beat for about 30 seconds. Fold in the apple.
- Spread batter into prepared baking dish. The batter will be sticky, so I like to wet my hands with a little bit of water and then use my hands to press the batter evenly into the pan. The water on your hands prevents them from sticking.
- Sprinkle topping over batter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
If you’re looking for even more quick-prep recipe ideas, be sure to check out my cookbook Fast, Fresh & Fit! It’s full of our family’s favorite easy options for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Learn more HERE.
I could practically live off of coffee cakes, so I’m loving this easy version, Blair! And the apples in here look SO good! What a perfect breakfast to wake up to during the fall!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Roasted Parmesan Herb Sweet Potatoes
Me too, Gayle! I love an excuse to eat cake for breakfast! 🙂
I’m in love with this cake! Such the perfect way to use fresh picked apples 🙂
Megan – The Emotional Baker recently posted…Coconut Granola
Thanks so much, Megan!
I’m dying over that topping, Blair! The streusel looks divine! I love a good coffee cake recipe, and a quick/simple one = even better. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Sarah! It’s all about the toppings!!!
Coffee cake is the best! Love this easy apple version. It’s perfect for busy fall mornings!!
Jen | Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Yogurt Tarts with Granola Crust
Exactly! Thanks so much, Jen!
This is the perfect fall cake! One of the first things we make each year after apple picking is apple coffee cake!
Kristy from Southern In Law recently posted…Recipe: Three Ingredient Homemade Crackers (Grain Free & Vegan!)
Thanks, Kristy! It’s such a tasty breakfast treat!
I had dessert for breakfast this morning – a pecan tart, lol. I rarely have those kind of sweets around but a neighbour brought them by and they were gobbled up pretty quickly!
I love this delicious cake and it’s perfect for Thanksgiving when you have a house full of guests!
Sharing. Have a great weekend, Blair!
Robyn @ Simply Fresh Dinners recently posted…A Friendsgiving Celebration + Vitamix Giveaway!
Sometimes dessert for breakfast is good for the soul, Robyn!!
So happy to see this recipe! My mother made this for us growing up and I plan to make it for her. She is 86 now and I know it will bring back good memories. Thank you!
Hi, Angela! That’s wonderful! I’m so glad that you found the recipe and that your mom can still enjoy it. 🙂 It makes me wonder where MY mom got the recipe…from her mom? Love family recipes that have been passed down like this. They’re always the best when they stand the test of time! Enjoy!