Applesauce Streusel Coffee Cake: The Apple Fritter's Introverted Cousin
You know those apple fritters from the bakery? The ones that are sticky, sweet, fried to golden perfection, and impossible to eat without getting sticky? This is not that.
This is what happens when an apple fritter decides to stay home with a cup of coffee and a good book. Applesauce Streusel Coffee Cake is the apple fritter’s introverted, well-read cousin. It still brings all the cinnamon-sugar joy, but in a softer, crumbly, coffee-cake kind of way.
Why You'll Love It
It has tender chunks of spiced apples, a cozy brown sugar swirl, and a buttery streusel topping that makes your kitchen smell like a fall farmers market collided with your grandma’s best baking pan. And the best part? There's no yeast, no frying an no oil splatters on your stovetop. Just one bowl, one pan, and one very happy you.
This cake is a little sweet, a little spiced, and a lot like a hug in cake form. You can serve it for breakfast, for dessert, or for that 3 PM slump when you don’t know if you need caffeine, a nap, or to scream into a pillow. (Spoiler: the answer is cake.)
So next time you’re craving the comfort of an apple fritter but don’t feel like wrestling a deep fryer, bake this Applesauce Streusel Coffee Cake instead. It’s soft, it’s cinnamon-y, and it’s the kind of cake that will never judge you for eating the topping off first.
Recipe
Easy Applesauce Streusel Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups cake flour or 1 ½ cups all purpose (190 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup melted salted butter (114 grams)
- ¾ cup applesauce (170 grams)
- ¼ cup sour cream (56 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
Streusel
- ¼ cup cake or all purpose flour (35 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg ⅛ tsp
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, cold or room temperature (56 grams)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans don’t need to toast
- ⅓ cup dried apple chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch glass dish or pan. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch round pan of springform.
- Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and brown sugar; set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix melted butter, applesauce, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir until mixed. Pour into pan.
- Make streusel. In a mixing bowl or food processor, mix together all streusel dry ingredients, then cut in butter. If you'd prefer, you can use slightly soft butter and just stir it in, then freeze briefly so that the mixture will crumble. Mix in the nuts and the dried apple slices (if using). Sprinkle evenly over the batter.
- Bake for 30- 35 minutes (may take longer, but check at 30) or until golden brown around edges. Let cool, then serve.
kristan roland says
YUM YUM YUM!! I will definitely be trying this!!! I love coffe cake and I love apple cakes!!
What a great combination!!
Anna says
Thanks for all the latest reviews and the yogurt experiments. I'm really happy to know yogurt works as well as sour cream.
Elena says
used yogurt instead of sour cream.. came out AMAZING, very very moist.. had it with some cream cheese icing, but is great even without it..
Chelsea says
I made this this morning!
I subbed plain yogurt for sour ceam, and apple pie spice for allspice.
I also left the white sugar out of the topping, and reduced the brown sugar in the cake to 1/2 cup.
This was great!! Hubby isn't much on sweets, and this was perfect. Not too sweet, and certianly not bland.
Hendria says
just to let you know I made this yesterday and it is GREAT..... Thanks for posting the recipe. I just love this blog..... 🙂
Judy says
I'm temporarily off desserts (hips are recovering from chocolate overdose)but I love your Portmerion dishes.
Carol says
Anna, you're right, the apple is not a main flavor at all. I used a full cup of applesauce, with peels, and there's no trace of the peels, even. The cake is moist and a little denser this morning than right out of the oven, and just lovely. Yum, yum! Whatever changes you made to the original recipe certainly seem to work, I can't imagine it being any better.
Kay says
Anna, wanted to pass on a similiar recipe. This is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. The cake is very moist but the top stays crisp with the crumle topping and brown sugar glaze. I took it to a friend who had just had a baby and she couldnt keep her husband and son from eating the whole thing! I had to make her another one just for herself! My family loves it too!
Here is the recipe:
APPLE COFFEE CAKE WITH CRUMBLE
TOPPING AND BROWN SUGAR GLAZE
Cake
1 stick plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples
Crumble Topping
½cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Brown Sugar Glaze
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with 2 teaspoons of the butter.
In a large bowl, cream together the remaining stick of butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl or on a piece of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.
To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.
To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and water and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.
Anna says
Carol and Amy,
Thanks for trying the recipe. We're enjoying the cake too. I think what I like about it is the apple flavor is subtle and it's more of a spice-focused cake. Spice-focused. I guess that's my new term for the day.
Amy says
I wasn't planning on baking this morning, but this caught my eye. It turned out great! Even though I rushed too quickly and somehow overlooked the white sugar in the topping. Still good though!
clair says
My Grandma has lots of apple trees and makes her own apple sauce and then will make applesauce cakes. I love her applesauce cake! Once she thought she forgot to add salt so she just sprinkled a little on the top when it was in the oven...strange but delicious! I need to start collecting her recipes.
This one looks very tasty.
carole says
Anna, do you think I could make into muffins.
Carol says
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! The cake is very light and the streusel adds a nice sweet crust. I used all applesauce - but Chris, I would have used yogurt instead of sour cream, too - I just decided I wanted maximum apple in it so went with that option. I use my homemade applesauce, which includes peels, and that worked just fine.
Thanks again, Anna! It was fun to throw this together on a whim and have it come out so great. I can't wait to have some more in the morning. 🙂
Cakelaw says
I love a good apple cake - thanks for sharing.
Chris C-L says
Does anyone substitute plain yogurt for sour cream in recipes? I've done it a few times and have been very pleased with the results. The flavor is much the same, but you cut out a ton of fat.
I think some cinnamon chips would be yummy in this too.
Carol says
Mmmmm, anything with apple and streusel is okay by me. And easy, and with ingredients that I keep on hand. I'm in! Will be making this very very soon. Thanks for the bonus treats, Anna!
Glad you are feeling so well, and get to go to a concert, too! Woohoo!