Apple Coffee Cake

5 from 4 votes

This easy apple coffee cake is moist and tender with fresh apples, sour cream, warm spices, a cinnamon-sugar topping, and a simple powdered sugar glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple coffee cake, apple coffee cake recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings people

Calories 242kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

8 x 8-inch baking pan

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark will both work)

For the Cake:

¼ cup (½ stick) salted butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup (6 ounces) sour cream, at room temperature
1 medium apple, peeled and finely diced

For the Glaze:

½ cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons milk (or more as needed to thin)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish, line with parchment paper so that the parchment overhangs the side of the dish, then grease the parchment as well. Set aside.

Make the Topping:

In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Set aside.

Make the Cake:

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract; mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Fold in the diced apples.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping on top.
Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, then lift the cake out of the pan with the overhanging parchment paper.

Glaze the Cake:

In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Add more milk to thin the glaze, or add extra powdered sugar to thicken. Drizzle over the top of the cake.
Slice the cake into squares and serve!

Notes

Bring the butter, egg, and sour cream to room temperature before preparing the batter so that the ingredients blend together smoothly.
Use full-fat sour cream for the richest, moistest cake. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute.
Peel the apple and dice it very finely so that the pieces soften completely and distribute evenly throughout the cake.
Don't over-mix the batter. Stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are combined to keep the cake soft and tender.
Good apples for this recipe include Golden Delicious, Cortland, Macoun, Jonathan, and McIntosh.
Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts for extra crunch, or fold raisins into the batter.
This recipe makes one 8-inch square cake. For a 9 x 13-inch cake, double all of the ingredients and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

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