Go Back

Apple Crisp Coffee Cake

Apple crisp coffee cake with a moist spiced cake layer and a cinnamon-caramelized oat crumble topping. Bakes in a 9x13 pan until the center sets and the crumble turns golden.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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
  

For the cake
  • 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
For 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, cubed and cold

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cake pan

Method
 

Prep and heat
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the cake releases cleanly after baking.
Make apple crisp topping
  1. Combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until evenly mixed.
  2. Cut in cold unsalted butter until the mixture forms clumpy crumbs with no large dry pockets.
  3. Refrigerate the crumble while you prepare the cake batter, keeping it cold for a golden, crisp top.
Mix the cake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl until uniform in color.
  2. Beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes, then add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
  3. Mix in sour cream until the batter looks thick and cohesive.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture just until no streaks remain, then fold in diced apples.
Assemble and bake
  1. Spread the batter evenly in the greased 9x13 pan and scatter the oat crumble generously over the top.
  2. Bake 50-55 minutes at 350F until a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the crumble is golden with crisp edges.
  3. Let cool briefly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired before slicing for serving.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the topping cold (refrigerate it before baking) so the butter firms up and bakes into a crisp, clumpy oat crumble. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat individual slices in the microwave. Freezing: yes, freeze cooled slices airtight up to 2 months. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, use reduced-fat sour cream and reduce granulated sugar by 2 tbsp if you prefer a less sweet crumb.