Apple Spiced Coffee Cake
We love this time of this time of year because we’re loaded with ripe, juicy and in-season apples. Our apple spiced coffee cake is now on the menu for the next few months and no one ever gets tired of it.

Apple Coffee Cake Season
Inspired by the cooler weather and Fall season, we visited apple country to explore the apple and pear orchards of the area. What a treat is is to be able to be immersed in all these beautiful apple trees. If you have any apple u-pick orchards in your area we suggest you take a day trip and indulge. The beauty of apples and pears growing on the trees are always a spectacular sight. And it’s even better if you can pick a bag full of fresh apples for this apple spiced coffee cake!
Video of our Spiced Apple Coffee Cake Recipe:
Easy Coffee Cake with Apple Flavors
A while back I posted a pumpkin spiced coffeecake with we’ve had to make a couple times since because it was so good. So why not try a riff off of that recipe with all these apples? So we axed the pumpkin puree, bumped up the sour cream, tweaked the spices a bit, and added in grated apples. I thought about sautéing slices of apples and layering them in, but this way was quicker and easier, and with so much to do in our schedule, quick and easy seemed best. It came out fantastic. We had previously thought the pumpkin spiced coffeecake was one of best we’ve had, however now we can’t decide. This apple one is pretty darn tasty. No need to compete, there is plenty of love for both.
This Apple coffee cake recipe was originally published in 2013 and it’s still a reader favorite.
Apple Spiced Coffee Cake
Ingredients
for the topping:
- 1/3 cup (42 g) Flour
- 1/2 cup (110 g) Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground Cinnamon
- Pinch (Pinch) Kosher Salt or sea Salt
- 6 Tablespoons (90 g) cold Butter , cut into small chunks
- 1 cup (144 g) chopped Nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, or almonds)
for the batter:
- 1 1/2 cups (188 g) All-purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground Clove
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground Ginger or 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Kosher salt or Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup (114 g) Butter (one stick)
- 1 cup (220 g) Brown Sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) Sour Cream , or Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) peeled and grated tart Apples , about 2 medium apples
- (optional) ((optional)) Powdered Sugar , for dusting
Equipment
- 1 9" Springform Pan or 9"x9" or (2.5qt) baking dish
- Powdered Sugar Duster (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan or 9"x9" pan or 2.5 qt baking dish.
- Make the topping: In a bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pinch in the butter, or use a pastry cutter, until it looks like coarse crumbs. Mix in the chopped nuts, and then refrigerate topping until ready to top the coffeecake.
- Make the batter: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and salt for at least 20 seconds. Set aside.
- With a mixer beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Stir in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Mix in the grated apples until combined.
- Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the topping over the batter and then bake.
- Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
- Allow to cool, then remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Cut and serve.
This is my favorite for breakfast. The apple coffee cake is also so perfect for Fall.
I’m so in love with this cake. The combination of apples and coffee in one single cake is pure perfection.
Absolute perfection, tender and flavorful! I love having this for breakfast.
The spiced apple complements so well with coffee. Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
I used Granny Smith apples and also put one cup of walnuts in the batter and mmm mmm mmm! Perfection!
That’s fantastic! Love that you added walnuts. YUM.
I made this last night and it is DELICIOUS! Thanks for the recipe. I will be making this again!
Hi Suzanne,
So glad you loved it! Happy baking ๐
Hoping I get an answer by tomorrow because Iโm getting what I need in the store for this then. I absolutely love nuts in baking. Especially walnuts! I also feel it makes recipes even more hardy. Would it be ok to actually mix some walnuts in with the batter before baking? Iโd really like some for the topping and in the cake itself.
Hi Amy, Yes you can definitely mix some extra walnuts into the batter. It will probably give the cake extra texture and crunch. Enjoy!