Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

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This loaf is what happens when coffee cake and apple bread fall in love. It’s incredibly moist, with a cinnamon-apple syrup folded right through the middle. Finely diced Granny Smith apples melt into the batter, so every slice has that warm, jammy cinnamon flavor. It’s perfect with a hot cup of coffee. It’s also easy to make. Make sure to finely dice the apple, otherwise, the loaf may not hold together as well. I used a mandolin.

I just ordered this new loaf pan, so this was my excuse to make this. It’s officially fall so I knew I wanted to make something with apples, then it hit me… coffee cake. apples. cinnamon. sugar. What could go wrong?

Why I Weigh My Flour

If you take one tip from this recipe, let it be this: weigh your flour. A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 120 to 160 grams, depending on how you scoop it. Dip the cup into the bag and it packs the flour down. Spoon it in lightly and you get much less. That difference can turn a tender, moist loaf into a dry, dense one. A scale gives you the same result every time, and it means one less measuring cup to wash. Here’s the digital baking scale I use.

Why I Love Using My KitchenAid

This is the perfect excuse to pull out your KitchenAid stand mixer. The paddle attachment creams the butter and sugars quickly and evenly, and it mixes in the eggs and buttermilk without any effort. That leaves your hands free to dice the apple while the mixer does the work. No stand mixer? A hand mixer works just as well.

Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake Loaf

A super moist, tender loaf with a cinnamon-apple syrup swirled through. Part coffee cake, part apple bread, and perfect with a hot cup of coffee.
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Servings: 1 loaf
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Batter
  • 1/4 cup 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 240 g all-purpose flour or 2 cups, not packed!
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Apple Filling
  • 1 Granny Smith apple very finely diced (brunoise)
  • 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup white sugar

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a loaf pan.
  2. Toss the diced apple with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup white sugar. The sugar will draw out the juice and form a syrup. Set aside while you make the batter.
  3. Using a hand mixer, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the white and brown sugars.
  4. Beat in the eggs, then the buttermilk, until just combined.
  5. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix only until combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold in the apple filling, including all the syrup.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Notes

Notes: Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before turning out. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. 

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