Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel and Caramel Drizzle

Once a month, I torture my husband by baking something to take to my Bible study’s brunch.  First he has to restrain himself from eating it the evening before, and then hope that I bring some back for him afterwards.  I know…poor man!

This month I decided to try out Pinch of Yum’s Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake, but because I have a chronic inability to leave well enough alone when it comes to baking, I made a few modifications.

As luck would have it, there was some left over, so my husband’s patience was rewarded and he got to sample it.  I asked him to leave a piece so I could take pictures for the blog, and at one point I heard him emphatically clattering the lid into place in the kitchen, whereupon he declared resolutely, “I must close this, or I will EAT.IT.ALL!”  About half an hour later he came into the living room with a groan and said, “It’s just soooooo good…I ate more!”

It’s a very moist cake with bursts of apple all through it, and the streusel and caramel toppings add an amazing crunch plus gooiness that’s just divine.  Thankfully, I did snap some pictures before it all disappeared, and I can confidently say that it met with the husband’s approval.  Hope it meets with yours!

Apple Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel and Caramel Drizzle

INGREDIENTS

• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar)
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1½ cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups chopped Granny Smith apples (about two small)

Streusel:

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Caramel Drizzle:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together.
3. In separate bowl, whisk egg, then add buttermilk, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and apples.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until combined.
5. Pour batter into a 9×13 greased pan.

For streusel:

1. Mix white sugar, cinnamon, and butter with a fork until crumbly (you can slightly soften butter, but do not melt).
2. Sprinkle topping over batter and bake for 45 minutes.

For caramel drizzle:

1. Add brown sugar, butter, and milk to small saucepan and bring to boil, stirring frequently.  Boil for one minute, then drizzle over baked cake.

Close up of the cinnamon streusel and caramel topping

An odd phenomenon with this cake has been that every time my husband or I walk past it a fork-full or two seems to disappear. Strange….

Please leave a comment to let me know how it turns out for you!  Enjoy!