Apple Coffee Cake With Crumb Topping

To take it to the next level and make it scream Fall, I have drizzled the crumb top with cinnamon glaze before serving. This recipe is super simple and requires a few essential ingredients.

My favorite season of the year.

The Fall colors are here, and the pleasant weather keeps me very happy this time of the year. Fresh Fall produce is at its peak, and our Farmers Market is gleaming with colorful varieties of berries, nectarines, pears, apples, pumpkins, corn, gourds, squashes, zucchinis, and many more. It smells like a holiday whenever I walk into the market. The best quality apples and pumpkins are available, especially this month. Over the last week or so, I have been busy preparing several Fall specialties for back-to-back office potlucks and for a weeknight barbecue we hosted for our friends last night. Our colleagues and friends really love spending time outdoors, mostly in the midst of nature. So most of our potlucks and get-togethers are hosted outdoors. With the temperatures dropping sharply over the last two weeks - especially in the evenings, I am guessing these would be our last outdoor events this year. We would be fortunate to squeeze in one or two such events in the following weeks. During Fall, my family enjoys going on long walks in the evening to drown ourselves in nature’s beauty, and the Fall foliage this year has been simply breathtaking! Luckily for me, even when I am indoors, I have a beautiful view of the foliage through my kitchen window. So, I get to enjoy the colors even while I am cooking 🙂

My love for apples

As most of you know, I love using apples in my recipes, and I am always on the lookout to try new things using them. I have given links below to some of my favorite dessert recipes using apples. Some of them are popular on my blog and have been tried and tested by many of my readers. Do check out. However, this recipe is not new or inspired. In fact, this was among the first few cakes that I prepared after I started baking. I have made it many times since then. After several experimentations with this recipe over the past 3-4 years, I have finally settled on what I think is a no-fail & show-stopper version. The cake is like a black horse, and its looks could initially be deceiving. It is rustic, and I usually directly serve it from the baking pan sans any fancy presentation. But the moment anyone takes a bite of it, then there is no stopping. The cake vanishes in no time. There are no second helpings, so be prepared! The recipe for apple coffee cake is super simple to make and requires a few basic ingredients. The recipe is forgiving at the same time - which means you can make small changes to it but still get the best end result. If you do not have sour cream, then feel free to substitute it with hung/greek-yogurt, or even with heavy cream or whole milk. You can substitute almonds for any nuts available in your pantry and choose to increase/reduce the sweetness as per your taste. Do try this out, and I am sure you are going to love this coffee cake.

Ingredients

For Caramelizing Apples

Apples - 3Butter - 1 tbspBrown sugar - ⅓ cupSalt - pinch

For Cake Batter

All-purpose flour - 2 cupsBaking soda - ½ tspBaking powder - 1 ½ tspSalt - ½ tspCinnamon powder - ½ tspSugar - ⅔ cupBrown sugar - ⅓ cupVegetable oil - ⅓ cupSour cream - ¾ cupEggs - 2Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

For Crumb Topping

All-purpose flour - ½ cupButter melted- ½ cupAlmonds chopped - ½ cupCinnamon powder - ½ tspSalt - ¼ tspBrown sugar - ½ cup

For the Cinnamon Sugar Glaze

Milk - 1 to 1 ½ tbspConfectioners sugar - ½ cupCinnamon powder - ½ tsp

To prepare the apple coffee cake:

Peel the apples and chop them into small chunks. In a non-stick pan, melt butter on medium flame. Once the butter has melted, add chopped apples and saute them till they develop a light golden color. Then add brown sugar and a pinch of salt, and saute for about 7 minutes or until apples are golden in color and all the juices evaporate. Set this aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon powder, sugar, and brown sugar. Add vegetable oil, sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract, and using an electric beater, beat until it is smooth. Do not overmix. Pour this batter into a prepared 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Gently tap the baking pan against the work surface to remove any trapped air pockets. Sprinkle caramelized apples on top of this. In a large bowl, stir all the ingredients required to prepare the crumb topping using your fingers. Add this topping over the caramelized apple. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. In a small bowl, add confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon powder, and milk and whisk so that there are no lumps. Drizzle this on top of the cake. Apple Coffee Cake With Crumb Topping is ready. Serve and enjoy!

Apple recipe ideas

While you are here, feel free to check out some of my favorite apple recipes to try this Fall (autumn) or throughout the year if you are an apple lover like me.

Apple Fritters - popular on the blogVegan Apple Dates BreadApple ButterApple Cheese Danish– popular on the blogApple TartsPersimmon Apple Pudding - must try.Apple Appe (Indian-style Apple Donuts)Eggless Apple PancakesRustic Apple Blackberry PieApple Sheera (Indian-style Apple Pudding)