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Apple Crisp Coffee Cake

Apple crisp coffee cake with a moist spiced cake base and a cinnamon-caramelized oat crumble topping. Bake a 9x13 pan for golden edges, a clean-toothpick finish, and a slice-ready apple layer beneath the crumble.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter, softened Soften before mixing.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
  • 2 cup apples, peeled and diced
For apple crisp topping
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 lb cold unsalted butter, cubed Keep cold for clumpy crumble.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish, keeping the pan ready for batter. Grease thoroughly so the crumble and cake release cleanly.
Make apple crisp topping
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold cubed butter until the mixture forms clumps like damp sand.
  2. Refrigerate the oat crumble while you mix the cake batter. You should see distinct clumps when you take it out.
Make cake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together until evenly combined. The dry mix should look uniform in color.
  2. Beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. The mixture should lighten and look aerated before adding eggs.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Scrape down the bowl so no egg streaks remain.
  4. Mix in sour cream until the batter looks cohesive and glossy. Use gentle stirring so the batter stays thick.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain. Stop as soon as the batter is combined.
  6. Fold in diced apples until evenly distributed. You should see apple pieces throughout the batter.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and level the top. Make sure the apples are covered by batter rather than exposed at the edges.
  2. Scatter the oat crumble generously over the top. Leave some clumps intact so the crumble bakes into golden clusters.
  3. Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the crumble is golden. Look for a browned, crisp top with darker cinnamon-caramelized edges.
  4. Let the cake cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired. The topping should set as it cools so slices hold their shape.

Notes

Pro tip: refrigerating the oat crumble helps the butter stay cold so it forms chunky clusters that brown as they bake. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze baked portions for up to 2 months. For a lighter swap, use plain nonfat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for similar moisture and tang.