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Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

This apple streusel coffee cake pairs tender baked apples and currants with crunchy pecans, cinnamon-spiced brown sugar streusel, toffee bits, and a supremely buttery, moist cake for the perfect autumnal treat!

Slice of apple streusel coffee cake on plate

Apple Coffee Cake With Streusel and Cinnamon Glaze

Fall is a thrilling time for bakers. You can make such homey, comforting desserts with fall fruits like apples and pears. The kind of desserts that make you want to curl up under a blanket and just savor every bite. Desserts like this apple streusel coffee cake.

Let me tell you that this is, simply put, fall in a pan. The cake portion of this coffee cake is not that different from other cakes. It’s buttery and sweet. And, it has plenty of sour cream, which is one of my favorite cake ingredients.

Overhead view of apple streusel coffee cake slice on plate with fork

But, in between layers of soft, moist, delicious cake is a combination of apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Frankly, it’s pretty amazing. It gives a wonderful contrast to the cake in both flavor and texture. Then, there are all those toffee bits scattered on top, plus a sweet cinnamon glaze as the perfect finishing touch. 

With so many different elements, this is a coffee cake with something for everyone!

Overhead view of ingredients for apple streusel coffee cake

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

Streusel:

  • Apples – Most bakers like to peel the apples first, but you can leave the peel on if you prefer.
  • Dried currants
  • Pecans – Save yourself some money and buy the cheaper pecan pieces instead of whole pecans. They’ll end up being chopped anyway!
  • Light brown sugar – Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
  • Ground cinnamon

Cake:

Glaze:

  • Confectioners’ sugar – Also known as powdered sugar.
  • Milk – Any kind you have on hand.
  • Ground cinnamon

What Kind of Apples Are Best for Baking?

Your best bet is a tart or sweet-tart apple variety, with crisp, firm flesh. The classic choice is Granny Smith, but there’s no reason you can’t choose a sweeter apple like Pink Lady, Braeburn, Cortland, Jonagold, or Fuji.

How to Make Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Each component of this coffee cake is quite simple to make, so this is a treat that can be easily put together in an afternoon.

Make the streusel. Toss the apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. 

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Finish the batter. Decrease the mixer speed to low. Mix in the dry ingredients in three portions, alternating with two portions of the sour cream. 

Assemble. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the top. Spread the remaining cake batter over the streusel layer and scatter toffee bits over the top.

Overhead view of apple streusel coffee cake in pan

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Closeup of apple streusel coffee cake on cake stand

Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a serving plate. (Alternatively, you can let the cake cool completely in the pan if you plan on serving it from there.)

Make the glaze. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add more milk if needed, until the glaze reaches your desired consistency.

Drizzling glaze over apple streusel coffee cake

Glaze the cake. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and serve.

Tips for Success

Read my baking tips for beginners, then follow these additional tips for a perfect apple streusel coffee cake:

  • Grease the pan well. Then, flour it and tap out the excess. You can also use a cooking spray with flour, like Baker’s Joy or Pam Baking.
  • Don’t over-mix. This is key to a coffee cake that’s light and fluffy, as opposed to being dense and tough.
  • Distribute the streusel layer evenly. Make sure each slice of cake will have bites of apple, pecans, and currants.
Slice of apple streusel coffee cake on spatula

Variations

With all the mix-ins in this apple streusel coffee cake recipe, there’s a lot of room for customization. Swap the pecans for walnuts; try pears instead of apples; use white chocolate chips or cinnamon chips instead of toffee bits. As long as you keep the ratio of cake-to-streusel the same, you won’t go wrong.

Overhead view of apple streusel coffee cake cut into pieces

How to Store

This apple streusel coffee cake will last 3 to 4 days at room temperature. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, or transfer leftovers to an airtight container.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze this coffee cake for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly and place it in a freezer bag or airtight container; let it thaw at room temperature overnight, or warm it up in the microwave before serving.

Slice of apple streusel coffee cake on plate

More Cozy Coffee Cake Recipes

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Yield 10 to 12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is a buttery, sweet cake packed with apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Overhead view of apple streusel coffee cake on plate with fork

Ingredients

For the streusel:

  • 1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped apples
  • 1/2 cup (80g) dried currants
  • 1/2 cup (60g) chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cake:

  • 1 & 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (170g) sour cream
  • 1/4 cup toffee bits

For the glaze:

  • 1/2 cup (55g) confectioners' sugar
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the streusel:

  1. Combine the apples, currants, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  2. Set aside.

To make the cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. (Or use a cooking spray with flour, like Baker's Joy or Pam Baking.)
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix well.
  4. Decrease mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in three portions, alternating with two portions of sour cream. Mix just until combined.
  5. Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over batter. Spread the remaining cake batter evenly over the streusel.
  6. Sprinkle the top of the batter with toffee bits.
  7. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a serving plate. Or, cool completely in the pan if serving directly from the pan.

To make the glaze:

  1. Combine the confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk, and cinnamon in a small bowl. If necessary, add more milk until the glaze is the desired consistency.
  2. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.

Notes

Recipe adapted from an unidentified recipe clipping.

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    19 Comments on “Apple Streusel Coffee Cake”

  1. I’m also very excited about fall! I bought two pairs of boots and also wore a scarf to dinner this weekend! Love it! I also love apples in all things, so I want this cake!

  2. Ok, so if fall motivates you to bake delicious cakes like this one then I just fell in lone with Fall all over again!

    Oh my, I would love a big O’ slice of this loaded with goodies cake!

    Btw…I was just trying to find myself some boots over the weekend with no success! 🙁 I will not give up!!

  3. I think I’ve reached the point in fall where I am over pumpkin but still very much into apples. Mind you, I always go for apples, especially in dessert!

  4. I absolutely love coffee cake, and the addition of cinnamon-laced apples only makes this cake even more appealing!

  5. Oh yum! We are in Spring on my side of the world but I totally want to make this nonetheless!!! xx

  6. That looks so great. Definitely a project for this weekend! Come on, toffee bits AND a cinnamon glaze!

  7. This looks so wonderful! I don’t remember Mama ever making this, so it might have been in a “to try later” status. I might even attempt this one!

  8. Fall is definitely my favorite baking season!! The apples get me going every time and this streusel cake looks pretty much ideal in every way.

  9. This cake sounds great, I love how you’ve added currants and pecans to it. Delicious! I’ll be featuring this bake on my baking news feature this week on my blog. Have a great day!

  10. Coffee cake and apples – perfect pair. I’ve never thought of adding toffee bits. Great idea!

  11. Guess I’m not the only baker who gets giddy at this time of year. I nearly lose sleep thinking about what I want to bake next! This one gets added to the list for sure. The hard part is finding someone to give it to who isn’t overwhelmed by everything else I keep baking and giving to them. Luckily I have a few groups to spread the love around. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had discovering your site and making these recipes. I feel I’m connecting with a kindred spirit! Thanks!!

  12. This sounds fantastic! Will have to try it sometime!

  13. Oh yay I am so loving all the apple recipes currently around!

  14. Hi Jennifer, This look gorgeous. Love this kind of recipe. Thanks a lot for sharing.

  15. Looks so wonderful…will be making it this weekend.Love your blog.

  16. Well, I can’t agree with you about fall. I live in Maine where it is horribly cold and gloomy for many months. Give me the beach any day. I’d gladly give you my scarves. But, all that being said I do love your recipes – you do such a great job. So I am going to try this cake that looks scrumptious and I will report back.
    Many thanks for all your hard work and creative ideas.

    • Thank you! Our opposite viewpoints come from a similar place. Living so many years in the South where it feels like summer most of the year, I prefer fall and winter weather. I hope you’ll enjoy the cake!

  17. I think I will add some dried cranberries to the batter. I love dried cranberries and add them to anything I can reasonably add them to. Like Linda above I too give everything I bake away – I bring it all to the library, the fire station, my mechanic, my neighbors, etc. I mail what can be mailed to my son in Florida who loves my cooking and baking. No greater fan exists. His dog recently was operated on and he e-mailed me and said the dog would recover so much quicker if he had some lemon bars from my kitchen. He is shameless! Could I love anyone more?

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