Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Freshly picked hoenycrisp apples, warm spices, and comforting flavors are the epitome of fall - and they're all rolled into this one simple coffee cake. You'll find soft baked apples throughout the soft spiced cake, with a buttery cinnamon swirl filling running through the middle. Oh and the streusel topping - it's nothing like you've ever had before. Made with quick cooking oats, the streusel is almost like a brown sugar oatmeal cookie that truly sets this coffee cake apart from the rest. 

For more autumn apple recipes, try Easy Apple Frangipane Tart with Shortcrust Pastry, Spiced Apple Pie Cookies, Salted Caramel Apple Pie, and Apple Cider Bundt Cake.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: Be sure to weigh your flour carefully, as it can dramatically effect the outcome of the cake. 
• Leaveners: You'll need both baking soda and baking powder for the cake. 
• Spices: I used a combination of several warm spices, but feel free to change them up to your liking. 
• Whole Milk: Use whole milk for optimum flavor and overall result. 
• Yogurt: Yogurt is added to the cake for moisture and texture, and to the glaze to make it thick. 
• Applesauce: Applesauce adds moisture and amplifies the apple flavor.
• Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or light tasting extra virgin olive oil.
• Unsalted Butter: Use room temp butter for the cake, and cold, cubed butter for the cinnamon swirl and the streusel. 
• Sugars: In every element of this cake, you will need brown sugar and granulated sugar. 
• Eggs: You will need 3 eggs for the cake.
• Apples: I recommend using either honeycrisp or granny smith apples.
• Oats: My secret ingredient for the best streusel topping is quick cooking oats!
• Powdered Sugar: If making the glaze, you'll mix the powdered sugar with milk and yogurt (which makes the glaze thicker!)

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this apple streusel coffee cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, combine the cold, cubed butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

STEP 2: Mix and chill. Cut the butter into the sugar and cinnamon by squishing the pieces with your fingers. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

STEP 3: Make the streusel topping. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, sugars, and spices.

STEP 4: Mix and chill. Add in the cubed cold butter and squish the pieces together with your fingers until it is fully incorporated. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

STEP 5: Make the cake batter. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the whole milk, yogurt, applesauce, and oil. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 6: Fold in the apples. Add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, and then alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients until everything is fully combined. Lastly, fold in the apples until fully combined.

STEP 7: Layer. Pour half of the batter into the prepared square pan. 

STEP 8: Fill with cinnamon swirl. Top with all of the cinnamon swirl mixture.

STEP 9: More batter. Gently pour the rest of the batter on top.

STEP 10: Top and bake. Add the streusel on top and bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before removing from pan and adding the glaze.

Expert Baking Tips

• I recommend making the cinnamon swirl and streusel before making the cake batter, so they'll be ready to go when you're ready to bake the cake. Just store them in fridge while you're making the cake batter.
• You can use just about any baking apple - I prefer honeycrisp apples for this recipe.
• Store this cake at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze individual pieces for up to 3 months.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x