Caramel Apple coffee cake
How can I not romanticize Fall?
To be fair, October is my birthday month so I am a bit biased, but there’s an exciting buzz in the air when the summer heat begins to fade away.
Imagine: It’s the first week of October, the wind at your cheek sends goosebumps down your arms. The leaves begin to brown and tree branches begin to go limp. The cable knit sweaters in your winter clothes boxes are beckoning a call “Come wear me”. It’s Fall, how could it get any better than this?
Well for starters, this caramel apple coffee cake will definitely set the tone for the season, and helps you eat your way through your apples. (Fall is peak apple season after all :) )
Ingredients
Cake
2 cups (240g) of all-purpose flour
2 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1/2 cup(113g or 1stick) of softened unsalted butter
¾ cups of granulated white sugar (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (226g) sour cream
1/2 cup (170g) caramel sauce
2 cups (190g) peeled and diced granny smith apples
Cinnamon Ribbon
¾ cups (148g) brown sugar
¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
Streusel topping
½ cup (100g) brown sugar
½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup (113g) of unsalted butter cubed
Directions
Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 350°F.
First prepare the streusel topping by mixing the cinnamon, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl.
Add in cubed butter and mush into the streusel dry ingredients with fingers until jagged crumbled pieces form. Place in the refrigerator to keep cool.
Next prepare cinnamon ribbon by mixing brown sugar, cinnamon, flour to another medium bowl. Set aside.
Prepare and 8x8 baking pan by lining with parchment paper, and greasing the pan.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together softened butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until eggs are completely incorporated. Then mix in the sour cream.
Add in caramel sauce and diced apples until combined.
Using a rubber spatula fold in dry ingredients. Mix until well combined. The batter will be thick.
Add about half the batter to the prepared baking pan. Smooth batter to each corner and edge of pan with a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle in cinnamon ribbon mixture. Cover the entire surface area of the batter.
Add the other half of the batter on top of the cinnamon ribbon by scattering spoonfuls of batter on top and gently spread edge to edge with a rubber spatula, trying not to move or disturb the cinnamon ribbon.
Evenly sprinkle the streusel topping as the final layer.
Bake 35-40 minutes, or until center comes out clean (a little bit of crumbs are okay) and the center is no longer jiggly in the middle.
Let cool for 15 minutes before transferring to wire wrack to completely cool.
Cut into desired pieces.
Coffee cake can be stored at room temp for 2 day, or refrigerated up to one week. You can freeze pieces for up to 2 months. Let it come to room temp before consuming.
