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Apple Crisp Coffee Cake

Apple crisp coffee cake combines a moist cinnamon-spiced cake with a layer of diced apples and a golden oat crumble topping. Baked until the crumble is caramelized and a toothpick comes out clean for a sliceable, crumb-topped finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake and apple layer
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.75 cup sour cream
  • 2 cup apples peeled and diced
Apple crisp topping
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prepare pan
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the cake releases cleanly after baking.
Make the apple crisp topping
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
  2. Cut in cold butter until the mixture looks clumpy rather than sandy.
  3. Refrigerate the topping while you mix the cake batter.
Make the cake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  2. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla, then beat again until smooth.
  4. Beat in sour cream until the batter is thick and cohesive.
  5. Fold in the flour mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
  6. Fold in diced apples, distributing them evenly through the batter.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and scatter the oat crumble generously over the top.
  2. Bake 50-55 minutes at 350F until a toothpick comes out clean and the crumble is golden.
  3. Let the cake cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: refrigerating the crumble keeps the butter cold, so it bakes into larger clumps with crisp, caramelized edges. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the topping and apples stay best when chilled. Freeze the whole cake for up to 2 months (wrap tightly); thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter swap, use low-fat sour cream (and reduce bake time by 2-3 minutes if your oven runs hot).