This light, fluffy, spiced apple streusel cake is brimming with tart apple pieces and loaded with cinnamon crumble topping. Enjoy a slice of this homemade cake for breakfast or dessert with coffee.
Pumpkin spice receives much attention during the fall season, but let's not forget about the humble apple. This apple streusel coffee cake is a new fall obsession!
The apple pieces are tucked away inside a fluffy, spiced cake. Brown sugar cinnamon streusel covers every inch of the cake, turning a good cake into an irresistible one.
This recipe will soon become a family favorite, especially around the holidays. It is also a great cake to make during apple season (late summer through late October). Our other favorite apple-inspired recipes include mini apple pies (with puff pastry) and carrot apple muffins.
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Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
You will not believe what a delight this apple coffee cake is. It is moist, perfectly spiced, and full of tender apple pieces. The slightly tart taste of the Granny Smith apples creates a delicious flavor balance to the sweeter elements of the cake. The streusel is dark and rich, thanks to brown sugar and a hefty amount of ground cinnamon.
- Moist Spiced Cake: This soft, buttery cake is rich in flavor and fragranced with apple pie spice and additional cinnamon.
- Fresh Apples: Crisp but tender chunks of apple find their way into every delicious bite of this cake.
- Brown Sugar Crumb Topping: Brown sugar streusel is heavy in cinnamon and finishes this irresistible cake.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: You will need flour for the cake and the streusel topping.
- Baking Powder and Soda
- Salt
- Apple Pie Spice: This spice blend usually includes cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice but can also include ginger or cardamom.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Unsalted Butter: You will need melted butter for the topping and softened butter for the cake.
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar (packed): Use light or dark brown sugar for the streusel.
- Large Egg (room temperature)
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt.
- Granny Smith Apples (peeled and diced small): Tart Granny Smith apples are preferred for this recipe, but you can also use Braeburn, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, or any other apple that will retain its shape. Avoid soft apples like Red Delicious, Gala, and Fuji. They become mushy when baked, altering the texture of the cake.
- Pecans (chopped and toasted): You can swap the pecans for chopped walnuts or almonds or omit them altogether.
See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the streusel topping and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it.
- Toss the diced apples and the extra tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Alternatively, add the dry ingredients and the sour cream and mix well after each addition. Fold in the diced apples and pecans.
- Smooth the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the streusel over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes.
Suggested Equipment
- Electric Mixer: My Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer has stood the test of time, but a handheld mixer works great, too.
- Mixing Bowls: Clear glass Pyrex bowls are ideal. Their clarity lets you see that everything has been properly mixed.
- Rubber Spatula: If there is one tool you will use in every baking recipe, it is a rubber spatula. This one is heat-safe and can also be used on the stovetop.
- 8-Inch Square Baking Pan: USA Pans are my favorite for baking.
Storage
Store this cake in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. This cake can be left at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If storing in the fridge, let the cake come to room temperature before eating.
Delicious Cake Recipes
- Blueberry Crumb Cake
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
- Moist Cinnamon Bundt Cake
- Lemon Curd Cake
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients (eggs and butter) for the best incorporation and a smooth batter.
- Chill the streusel topping until ready to use; this keeps the butter cold until it hits the oven.
- To prevent the apple pieces from sinking to the bottom of the cake, toss them in flour before adding them to the batter. The flour helps the fruit pieces cling to the batter, preventing them from sinking.
- Grease and line the baking pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking. The parchment paper also makes removing the cake from the pan easy for slicing.
- Serve the cake at room temperature or subtly warm for the best flavor experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is best to peel the apples for this cake. The apple pieces soften into the cake, so texturally peeled apples are more satisfactory. You can use unpeeled apples for this cake recipe, but the apples will have a tougher bite because of the skin.
Transfer the cake slices to an airtight container or freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
No, streusel cake can be left out at room temperature, but make sure it is tightly wrapped or placed under a cake dome. After a couple of days, refrigerate the cake to extend its shelf life.
If you make the recipe, remember to rate it, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag #sugarylogic, and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Apple Streusel Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Apple Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tablespoon for dusting the apples
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1½ cup Granny Smith apples peeled and diced small
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- To make the streusel topping, combine all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until the ingredients come together. Keep the mixture in large crumbles; do not overmix.
- Toss the diced apples and the extra tablespoon of flour in a small bowl and set it aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, apple pie spice, and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Alternatively, add the dry ingredients and the sour cream, starting and ending with the dry, and mix well after each addition. Fold in the diced apples and pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter's top, covering the surface.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
Notes
- If the crumb topping starts to brown too much before the cake is done baking, tent a piece of foil over the top of the cake pan.
- You can also use a 9-inch square baking pan; however, baking time will vary.
Nutrition
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