Name: Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour; 1/4 cup dark brown sugar; 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 3/4 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 pinch fine sea salt; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 large egg; 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream; 2 Tablespoons whole milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cup chopped apple ((about 3/4 of a medium apple cut into 1/4 inch pieces), divided); 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar; 1 1/4 teaspoons whole milk

This moist apple cinnamon coffee cake is loaded with fresh apples and topped with the most irresistible cinnamon crumb topping, yet it's surprisingly simple to make! The sour cream batter keeps things soft and tender, and the simple glaze drizzled over the crumb topping is the perfect finishing touch.

A slice of coffee cake with a forkful of cake on a white plate surrounded by cinnamon and coffee.

If you want your house to smell AMAZING this fall, bake this easy sour cream coffee cake with apples and cinnamon!

I can't stop eating cake for breakfast, and given the popularity of my buttermilk coffee cake recipe I know I'm not the only one.

So we're adding this new apple cinnamon coffee cake recipe to the mix! This moist and tender cake uses the same simple sour cream batter as my blackberry coffee cake, so it's soft and plush but still sturdy enough to hold two layers of crumbs and and fresh apple slices.

Saturday mornings are about to taste even better! And if you love apples and cinnamon for breakfast, I think you'll love my cinnamon applesauce bread topped with streusel and glazed apple scones, too!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is the best apple coffee cake recipe! Here's why you'll love it:

Moist Sour Cream Batter - Sour cream is the secret ingredient that keeps this coffee cake moist and tender for days. It adds richness without weighing the cake down, and it makes the crumb soft and plush.
Two Crumb Layers - We all know the crumb topping is the best part of coffee cake, so I was sure to include not one but two layers of spiced streusel. One layer of the buttery cinnamon crumb runs through the center of the cake while the other covers the top, and both layers are paired with fresh apple bits.
Fresh Apple Flavor - While some apple coffee cake recipes include just a bit of apple on top, this cake if packed with fresh apples folded into the batter, tucked into the middle crumb layer, and sprinkled on top before baking. You get real apple flavor and texture in every bite!
Easy - This recipe uses simple techniques, and there's no need for a mixer! The cake batter comes together using the same method as biscuits - cutting cold butter into the dry ingredients. This method keeps things easy (and also helps to create a tender cake)!
Simple Glaze - A simple, two-ingredient confectioners' sugar glaze drizzled over the top takes this cake from excellent to true bakery-quality! It's quick to make, looks beautiful, and adds just the right touch of sweetness. Of course, if you prefer you can leave the cake plain or dust it with confectioners' sugar.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full ingredient list and measurements.

Recipe ingredients with labels on a white background.

Fresh Apples - We're using fresh apples for fresh fruit flavor! I tested different size chunks and found ¼ inch pieces to be the best. Too big pieces created pockets in the cake while too small pieces disappeared. The sweet spot is a small, uniform chop that maintains noticeable bits of apple throughout the cake without weighing it down.

For the best flavor, choose a firm, sweet apple, like Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp (my current fave!). Avoid softer apples like McIntosh, which can turn mushy during baking. And there's no need to peel the apple before chopping (though you totally can if you want to).

Sour Cream - Sour cream is the key ingredient in this cake, creating a batter that's moist and tender, but still sturdy enough to support the fruit and crumb topping. Use full-fat sour cream, since low-fat won't create the same texture.

Brown Sugar - Dark brown sugar gives the crumb topping a deeper, more caramel-like flavor. Light brown sugar works, too, but the flavor will be slightly more mild.

Spices - Cinnamon is the star spice, but don't skip the nutmeg and cloves in the crumb topping. They add a warmth and depth that will remind you of apple pie. My old-fashioned spice cake uses a similar warm spice blend if you love that flavor combination.

Chopped apple bits on a wooden cutting board with a knife.

Special Equipment

In addition to essential baking equipment (like a mixing bowl and whisk), I recommend some special tools for making this recipe.

A pastry cutter, for cutting the butter into the flour mixture when mixing the cake batter.
A light metal 8x8 pan, for baking the cake.
A small cookie scoop, for evenly portioning cake butter over the crumb filling. This tool is optional but helpful.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

See recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed recipe instructions.

Crumb topping in a glass bowl with a fork.

Step 1: Make the crumb topping. Melt the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, spices, and salt. Add melted butter to the flour mixture and toss with a fork. Set aside.

Butter cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender.

Step 2: Make the cake batter. Whisk to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it's the texture of coarse meal.

Wet ingredients whisked together in a glass mixing bowl.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until well blended.

Cake batter with apples in a glass mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the flour and stir just until blended. Fold chopped apple into the batter.

Cake batter layered with crumb filling and chopped apples in a square baking pan.

Step 5: Assemble the cake. Add half of the cake batter to an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, using a spatula to spread the batter to the edges of the pan.

Spread half of the crumb mixture over the batter and sprinkle chopped apple over the crumbs.

Cake batter layered with chopped apples and crumb topping in a square baking pan.

Step 6: Add the remaining cake batter over the crumbs and apple. Gently and carefully spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Spread the remaining chopped apple over the batter followed by the crumb mixture.

Baked coffee cake in a square baking pan.

Step 7: Bake the cake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the cake is puffed and golden brown.

Coffee cake drizzled with white glaze on brown parchment paper.

Step 8: Make the glaze. Whisk together confectioners' sugar and milk. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Spoon the glaze over the cake.

Allison's Top Tips

Keep the crumb topping in the fridge while you make the cake batter. Cold crumbs hold their texture better and won't just melt into the batter when baked, which means you'll get those nice defined, chunky crumbs on top.

Spreading the second layer of cake batter over the crumb filling sounds tricky, but the key is to add small dollops of batter all over the surface first. That way you won't have to drag the batter far, and the crumb filling underneath stays put. A small cookie scoop makes this super easy. Use a rubber or offset spatula and work gently.

For an extra-pretty coffee cake, I saved just a few of the apple bits to sprinkle over the final crumb layer so they're visible on top of the cake.

Be sure to let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before adding the glaze. If the cake is too warm, the glaze will melt into the cake instead of creating that gorgeous drizzle on top.

Overhead view of a slice of coffee cake topped with crumbs and a drizzle of glaze on a white plate.

Storage Instructions

Because this cake manages to stay moist and fresh for several days, you can certainly make it ahead of time. I recommend baking it the day before you plan to serve it and storing the completely cooled cake covered at room temperature overnight. It will be just as delicious the next morning!

The fresh fruit in this cake does give it a slightly shorter lifespan than some of my other coffee cake recipes. This cake can be sealed in an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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