Easy Apple Coffee Cake
- By Amy Dong
- Published Sep. 24, 2015
- Updated Oct. 18, 2023
This Super Easy Apple Coffee Cake only uses one bowl. You get to dump all the cake ingredients together, without the fuss of wet/dry ingredients separately! The streusel topping is absolutely scrumptious.
The Best Apple Coffee Cake
It’s been a lonnnng time since I’ve stepped into a classroom. And I really miss it sometimes. It occasionally hits me like a brick in the head that it’s been a long 8 years since I {temporarily} closed the door on The Teaching Years.
Since then, I’ve frequented my own Littles’ classrooms on a regular basis as they’ve grown up. I love to tiptoe into my boys’ classrooms to volunteer or read to a crowd of bright-eyed kiddos.
Today was one of those days. My first grader was beyond excited when he saw me sitting in his classroom after they trekked in from lunch. One boy stared at me and asked if my hair was red when I was born. I didn’t answer. He asked again. I said it was L’oreal. Another boy announced he “used to dye his hair, too.”
Um, when you were 3? [Really, does it get any cuter than that?]
Fresh Apples
Yeah, I miss so many things about teaching. I laughed everyday at all the silly and funny stuff kids say.
I definitely miss classroom fun days like Apple Day. After reading silly stories to my son’s class this morning, they informed me that today was Apple Day. There were green ones, red ones, yellow ones, and pinkish ones just waiting for them to taste.
It automatically brought me back to those days when I’d slice apples, make applesauce, and do apple tasting with my students eagerly surrounding me in complete silence and awe. [Why they don’t act that way at home, who knows.]
At least the apples are still happening in my kitchen. Sans mass of kiddos. But it’s still Apple Day around here.
Moist, Buttery, Apple-Full
Ok, I wasn’t sure if it was legit to call this a One-Bowl cake, since the streusel obviously has to be separate. After mind-whirling, twirling, and overthinking, I decided it’s totally legit.
The cake part uses only one bowl… no messing with dry ingredients vs. wet ingredients separately. It all gets to be dumped into one big bowl at the same time. Sort of, since you only have two hands, but you get it. That by itself is worthy of a one-bowl title.
Not that the streusel is much work, though. You get to toss 4 little ingredients into a bowl and play with it like a kid with sand. Super easy and craaazzzy yummy.
This entire apple cake is ridiculously moist, buttery, apple-y, and just what everyone craves for fall!
Here’s to fun days like Apple Day. And cakes to celebrate such a day.
Whether you’re 6 or 96.
Enjoy.
Did you make this?
Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!
Easy Apple Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup whole plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp table salt
- 3 large granny smith apples, peeled and diced small
Streusel Topping:
- 8 TB salted butter, very cold, diced
- ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup pecans, toasted, chopped
Optional Drizzle:
- 1 cup powder sugar
- 2 TB milk, more or less, depending on thickness desired
Instructions
- Make the Topping ahead of time: Combine all topping ingredients except pecans in a large bowl. Use fingers to work mixture into the texture of wet sand. Work in the pecans. Cover and keep chilled.
- Butter a 13×9 in baking pan and preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle position.
- Combine all cake ingredients except apples in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed, stopping to scrape a few times, just until mixture is combined. Don't over mix.
- Use a rubber spatula to fold in apples. Batter will be thick. Spread batter into prepared baking pan, evening out the top and corners. Sprinkle evenly with streusel topping.
- Bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few small tender crumbs attached. Do not over-bake. (If topping browns too quickly during baking, cover loosely with foil.) Let cake cool completely before cutting into it.
- If desired, make drizzle by combining powder sugar with milk and whisking until combined. Add more powdered sugar or milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- Actual bake time varies, depending on individual ovens.
- For a layered coffee cake: Double the streusel ingredients. Spread half of batter into bottom of baking pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel. Evenly spoon remaining batter evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining streusel over cake. Bake as directed; may need to increase bake time a bit.
- This cake keeps well when wrapped airtight at mild room temperature for 3-4 days. Leftovers can also be frozen in airtight containers for up to a month.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!
Nutrition (per serving)
We’re all apple-happy over here! Check these yumalicious recipes out:
- Upside Down Apple French Toast Bake. Because it tastes amazing. And because it’s make-ahead.
2. Hawaiian Apple Bread Pudding. Because it uses tons of apples and Hawaiian sweet bread.
- Apple Caramel Cinnamon Cake. You can never eat enough apple cake in fall. Especially when it tastes like caramel apples in a cake.
- Apple Texas French Toast Bake. A decadent twist on our Texas French Toast Bake, fall-ified.
