Here are some of my favorite things: Apples, oatmeal, cinnamon, nuts, and sugar. So of course this Apple Coffee Cake with Oatmeal Cinnamon Streusel Topping is going to be in super-heavy rotation in my house.
Admittedly, I am always on the lookout for a new kind of coffee cake because I am a coffee addict (I think a 10-cup pot is single-serve) and because I would opt for a hunk of a homey cake, crumble, or crisp over a delicate tart any day.
This Apple Coffee Cake recipe caught my eye on www.wellplated.com. First of all, it was easy to bake in a springform pan and was super-quick to make (no yeast…yesssss!). I liked how the crisp Granny Smith apples played off the chewy oats, and the drizzle of icing gives it that extra kick of sugar-rushness.
Let me also compliment the look of this Apple Coffee Cake –one of those cakes people cannot wait to dig into because it’s so chockfull of good stuff. And while it’s called a coffee cake, it’s equally good with tea. And it makes a fantastic breakfast as you’re running out the door.
And as if you didn’t have enough reason to run into the kitchen right now and make it, I’ll also add this Apple Coffee Cake recipe is one of those ones you’ll be emailing friends all the time. Everyone who tastes it wants to go home and make one!
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 2 medium)
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
FOR THE GLAZE
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (or cream for a richer glaze)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch round spring form pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease once more. Set aside.
- Next, in a medium bowl, whisk together the white whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, all spice, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter, then 1/2 of the buttermilk, stopping to combine after each addition. Repeat, adding the second 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the remaining 1/2 of the buttermilk, and ending with the remaining 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined. Stir in the apples. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, then with the back of a rubber spatula, smooth the top.
- Prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter, then stir until the mixture forms large crumbs. Stir in the nuts. Sprinkle the streusel over the coffee cake batter in the pan.
- Bake the coffee cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake’s edges to loosen it, then unmold.
- Prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over the warm cake after it has been unmolded. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
