This Easy Applesauce Coffee Cake is the perfect companion for your morning coffee or afternoon cup of tea. With warm spices and a buttery cinnamon streusel topping, it’s moist, tender, and bursting with fresh apple flavor. This old-fashioned applesauce coffee cake is simple to make, using easy-to-find ingredients, and it's perfect for cozy mornings.
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Ingredients and Substitutions:
Streusel:
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon (cinnamon chips can enhance cinnamon flavor)
- Butter (use melted or cold butter pieces, see directions)
- Chopped pecans (optional; walnuts or almonds work well too)
Cake:
- All-purpose flour (or substitute half with whole wheat flour for a nutty flavor)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsweetened applesauce -homemade applesauce works wonderfully, or use mashed banana as a tasty alternative
- Granulated sugar (white sugar)
- Full-fat sour cream - Greek yogurt is a delicious substitute. Low or non-fat versions are ok, but full fat will give you that tender crumb.
- Butter -unsalted butter, melted and cooled; vegetable oil can be used if preferred
- Eggs, room temperature
- Vanilla extract - almond is an alternative we like too!
Directions:
Prepare the Streusel Topping:
In a food processor, add flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Pulse 3 or 4 times. Add pecans and pulse quickly, keeping nuts chunky. Alternatively, in a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until coarse crumbs form. Stir in pecans if using. Set aside.
Preheat & Prep:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x9-inch square pan or line with parchment paper.
Mix the Dry Ingredients:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
Combine Wet Ingredients:
In a separate large bowl, whisk applesauce, sugar, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Make the Batter:
Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, gently stirring until just combined. Avoid over mixing; thick batter is ideal.
Assemble the Cake:
Pour half the cake batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle half of the streusel topping over batter. Add remaining batter, then top evenly with remaining streusel.
Bake the Cake:
Bake 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the top browns quickly, cover loosely with foil.
Cool & Serve:
Let cake cool in pan for at least 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature with a hot cup of coffee or scoop of ice cream.
Tips for Success:
- Measure flour carefully for a tender crumb.
- Don't over mix to avoid dense cake texture.
- Cover leftovers with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- This cake freezes well. Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to three months.
Enjoy this delicious applesauce coffee cake all season long—it’s a great recipe you'll keep coming back to!
Love apples? Try more of my easy apple recipes!
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Applesauce Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel:
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter cut into pieces or melted (see notes)
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- 2 eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
Streusel:
- In a food processor, add the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and butter. Pulse 3 or 4 times. Add the nuts and pulse quickly just until the nuts are still chunky but chopped. If you don't have a food processor, mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans if using. Set aside.
Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x9-inch baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk the applesauce, sugar, sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and well incorporated.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the batter. Add the remaining batter on top, then finish with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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