Description
Moist apple coffee cake delivers pure comfort straight from the kitchen, blending warm spices with a luscious cream cheese layer that makes your morning feel absolutely special. Crumbly streusel topping adds the perfect finishing touch to this delightful breakfast treat that feels like a warm hug on a chilly morning.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups small chopped apples
- 8 oz cream cheese
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
Flavor Enhancers and Binding Agents:
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream Cheese Layer:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons white sugar
Streusel Topping:
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan thoroughly with butter or cooking spray.
- Grab a large mixing bowl and cream ½ cup softened butter with ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup white sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- Add 1 egg, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and ½ tablespoon vanilla to the butter mixture, blending until completely smooth and incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1½ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Gently stir 1½ cups small chopped apples into the batter, ensuring even distribution.
- Spread the cake batter evenly across the prepared pan.
- In another bowl, blend 8 oz softened cream cheese with 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons white sugar until completely smooth.
- Carefully spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter in an even layer.
- For the streusel, combine ¾ cup white sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl.
- Cut 6 tablespoons cold butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping generously over the cream cheese layer.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
- Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Select apples that are firm and slightly tart, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, to balance the sweetness of the cake.
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature for smooth, lump-free spreading across the cake batter.
- Let the cold butter sit out for 5-10 minutes before making streusel to help it blend more easily into crumbly texture.
- For gluten-free option, replace all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and check that all other ingredients are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg