Apple Pie Coffee Cake
A delicious, soft, and ultra-moist cake with a cozy, spiced apple and cinnamon filling, topped with a crunchy cinnamon crumble; this cake has all the flavors of fall in a bite and is perfect for your evening tea and coffee time.
Equipment
- 12.75"x5.25"x3" Loaf pan see notes
- Saucepan for cooking apples
- Baking paper
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment
- Silicone spatula
- Offset spatula
Ingredients
Apple Pie Filling
- 300 grams Granny Smith apples finely diced
- 50 grams packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 10 grams all purpose flour
Cinnamon Filling
- 60 grams packed brown sugar
- 12 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
Cinnamon Crumble
- 120 grams packed brown sugar
- 110 grams all purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 grams unsalted butter cold
Cake Batter
- 270 gs all purpose flour
- 30 gs cornstarch sub for all purpose flour
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 170 grams unsalted butter softened
- 150 grams packed brown sugar
- 150 grams white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 240 grams full-fat yogurt whisked
Instructions
Apple Pie Filling
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the diced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook until the sugar has dissolved.
- Cover and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, until the apples are tender and coated in the caramelized sugar.
- Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook until the excess liquid has evaporated and the filling is thick. Add in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Take the pan off the heat and let the filling cool completely.
Cinnamon Filling
- Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl and set aside.
Cinnamon Crumble
- Add the cold butter cubes, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt to a bowl.
- Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like damp sand.
using cold butter is important for the crumble-like texture!
work quickly so the butter doesn't melt!
Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a loaf pan with baking paper, letting it hang over the two long sides so you can lift the cake out easily later.
- In a large bowl, whisk the softened butter with both sugars on high speed for 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk for 3-4 minutes, until fully blended into the butter. Keep scraping down the sides as you go.
- Add the whisked yoghurt and mix for 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula or wooden spoon until almost combined.
- Finish with a quick whisk on low speed for 30-90 seconds, just until smooth.
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared loaf pan, then spread the cooled apple pie filling over the batter with an offset spatula and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix on top.
- Cover with the remaining batter, smooth the top, and finish with the cinnamon crumble.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and let the cake cool completely before slicing.
keep scraping the bowl between mixing to make sure the butter is whisked evenly.
The batter will look split here, which is completely normal. It will come together once the flour goes in.
do not overmix after adding the dry ingredients, or the cake will turn out dry.
if the edges are browning too quickly, lower the oven temperature and cook the cake for a longer time until the inside is done.
Notes
Storage:
I recommend storing this cake at room temperature to maintain its softness. Place it in an airtight container for up to 3 days, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
The apple pie filling and crumble can also be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
Note about loaf pan:
I have used a 12.75"x5.25" loaf pan with a 3" depth for this cake, as it provides the perfect height and width for the cake-to-filling ratio. However, if you have a smaller loaf pan, the recipe can be adjusted to a reduced quantity. The best way to adjust the recipe is to make it using 2 eggs (instead of 3) and multiply each ingredient's quantity by 2/3.
For instance, the original recipe calls for 270 grams of all-purpose flour. If using 2 eggs, calculate 270x2/3=180, and do this for every ingredient.