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I’ve been SO excited to share this Caramel Apple Coffee Cake recipe!
It’s one of those delightful fall recipes that will be a hit with any group. And, bonus, it’s nice and easy to make.
This coffee cake is perfect to make in the fall – especially after going apple picking with family or friends.
It stays moist and flavorful for days so you can make it ahead of time. Or hoard it for yourself to enjoy daily until it’s all gone. (I don’t know anything about that…)
I was excited to use Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose flour in this recipe to ensure show-stopping tender and moist results! I’ve worked with Bob’s Red Mill previously and I am so grateful to have them as a sponsor.
They’re an employee-owned company with incredible values woven in. Not to mention this flour is made without the use of chemical pesticides, which I personally greatly prefer.
How to Make Easy Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
How to Make Coffee Cake MOIST
- The brown sugar, oil, and sour cream are all ingredients that create richness, tenderness, and moisture in cake. They are used in full force in this recipe!
- If you don’t have sour cream, you can also use plain full-fat yogurt.
- I use oil here because it gives the sensation of moistness better than butter does. We don’t really need the flavor of butter here as much as other recipes. This cake has so much flavor already between the spices, brown sugar, apples, and caramel.
What Kind of Apples are Best For Baking?
I love Granny Smith apples in this recipe because they won’t get mushy or mealy during baking and their tartness complements the caramel perfectly. Alternatively, you can use Braeburn, Pink Lady, or Honeycrisp, if you prefer. A mix of apples also works well.
Can I Bake This in a Square Pan Instead?
Yes! If you don’t have a 9-inch springform pan you can use a 9-inch square baking pan. If you only have an 8-inch square pan then add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time and keep an eye on it for doneness.
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes! Double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.
Store-Bought or Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce?
I have an excellent easy recipe for Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce here. However, for this recipe, I think you can totally get away with using store-bought. I prefer Trader Joe’s salted caramel sauce!
How to Store Coffee Cake?
This recipe stays SUPER moist for days after you bake it. I actually find the flavors intensify over time as well. Store covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Serve at room temperature or warm. Reheat in the microwave if desired.
Can I Freeze Coffee Cake?
Yes – but freeze before drizzling the caramel on top. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temperature then refresh in a 300°F oven until warmed through.
More Fall Apple Recipes:
For the Streusel:
-
1/4
cup
(50 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/2
cup
(64 grams) Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour
-
1
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
3
tablespoons
(43 grams) unsalted butter,
melted
-
2
tablespoons
(56 grams) salted caramel sauce
For the Coffee Cake:
-
2
cups
(254 grams) Bob’s Red Mill Organic All-Purpose Flour
-
1
teaspoon
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
-
1/2
teaspoon
fine salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground ginger
-
1/4
teaspoon
ground nutmeg
-
1
cup
(200 grams) light brown sugar
-
1/2
cup
(100 grams) vegetable oil
-
2
large eggs,
beaten
-
8
ounces
(227 grams) sour cream or plain yogurt,
at room temperature
-
2
medium Granny Smith apples,
peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (200 grams)
-
2
tablespoons
(56 grams) salted caramel sauce,
for drizzling
Make the streusel:
-
In a small bowl, combine all of the streusel ingredients except caramel with a fork until crumbly.
Make the cake:
-
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and brown sugar. In a small bowl, stir together the oil, sour cream, and eggs. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until a few streaks of flour remain. Gently fold in the apples.
-
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel and drizzle with caramel sauce. Spread the remaining batter over the streusel. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
-
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Drizzle with salted caramel sauce before serving.
-
Cut into slices and serve. Store leftovers, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days.
This post was published in 2019 and has been updated with additional recipe tips and information. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
October 2019 Baking Challenge
This recipe was the selection for the October 2019 baking challenge! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. See everyone’s coffee cake entries below:
I just made this recipe for the first time and it’s absolutely delicious, very appropriate for fall!
I burned the caramel sauce and was out of heavy cream to remake it so I skipped the caramel part and instead made a classic icing to go on top and it’s perfect.
can’t wait to make it again and hopefully I’ll be successful with the caramel sauce next time.
So glad this cake was delicious, even without the caramel, Hebatallah! Can’t wait to hear what you think of it next time!
I made this for the bake sale I was running at my daughter’s school and sold it by the slice. I only sold a few slices before someone came back and bought the whole thing! I used honeycrisp apples and the fleur de sel caramel sauce from Trader Joe’s – perfection! I got asked for the recipe a ton. Many thanks from a fellow Phoenician!
This is so amazing! So glad to hear this!
Not sure if I already reviewed this last year when I made the recipe as written but I made it this year in muffin form and used vanilla greek yogurt instead of sour cream cuz it was what I had. A small scoop of batter, a dollop of caramel, another small scoop of batter, and the crumb topping on top. Made 15 muffins. Baked for 25 min. They are AMAZING. Thanks again for such a great recipe Tessa.
This was absolutely delicious! And very easy to make! Love everything about this recipe!
Looks so good!! I’m just a little confused if there’s actual coffee in the cake because I can’t see it in the recipe?
Caramel apples are one of the best desserts and this coffee cake perfectly mixes the flavor with a brown sugar crumble! Yum!
This recipe was easy to make. I made little muffins instead of one big cake. They turned perfectly moist and delicious.
This was so delicious! Perfect for this fall evening!
This cake is delicious and so tender! And I love your salted caramel sauce recipe! Thank you!
Love it so much! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Very delicious, moist, tender, and not too sweet. Will definitely make again!
This was great, easy enough for me to make and has my favorite flavors all rolled up together. Thank you!
Absolutely loved this recipe! Would and WILL definitely be making this again. The streusel was an excellent addition to the texture and sweetness of the cake. I modified the recipe by browning the apples on the stove with brown sugar, caramel sauce, and butter before folding them in to the batter. Very happy with the results and happy to have the kitchen smelling so much like fall.
Absolutely loved this recipe! My kitchen smelled like apples and cinnamon and I could not be more in the fall mood after this! The streusel was a really great addition to the texture and sweetness. I browned the apples on the pan with brown sugar, caramel sauce, and butter prior to folding them into the batter. Would and will definitely be making this again!
Such a delicious, easy recipe! It came together beautifully!
So for Halloween I made this and this is my first time to make a coffee cake and man, every details of this recipe is on point from the streusel to the cake.
This is perfect to pair with coffee, milk, or just as is. It’s so good that my picky eater toddler love it as well and she helped me make it.