Description
This Apple Cider Coffee Cake is a moist and flavorful treat perfect for fall or any time you crave a sweet, spiced dessert. Featuring a tender cake made with reduced apple cider, warm spices, and fresh apples, it’s topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel and finished with a tangy apple cider glaze for an irresistible balance of sweet and tart.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Streusel
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the Coffee Cake
- 1 ¼ cups apple cider, reduced to ½ cup
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger, pumpkin pie spice, or allspice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 ¼ cups chopped apples, preferably Granny Smith
For the Apple Cider Glaze
- 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon apple cider
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, or more as needed for desired consistency
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare the Streusel: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly. Chill the streusel mixture in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake batter.
- Reduce the Apple Cider: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring the apple cider to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the cider reduces to about ½ cup. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
- Prepare the Cake Pan: Butter an 8-inch pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides for easy removal later.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger or pumpkin pie spice.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl or a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter with both the brown and granulated sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the vanilla extract and egg to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until fully combined. Then stir in the cooled reduced apple cider followed by the Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Combine Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the chopped apples.
- Assemble the Cake: Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula or offset spatula to spread the batter evenly and tap the pan sharply on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Add Streusel Topping: Sprinkle about ½ cup of the chilled streusel evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Bake for 25 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before glazing.
- Prepare the Apple Cider Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, apple cider, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Adjust the consistency with additional powdered sugar if needed.
- Glaze the Cake: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cooled cake. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to fully reduce the apple cider to concentrate its flavor in the batter and glaze.
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith for a nice contrast and texture.
- Do not overmix the batter to keep the cake tender.
- Make sure the cider is cooled before adding it to the batter to prevent curdling the yogurt or sour cream.
- The cake is best served at room temperature, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: apple cider coffee cake, streusel coffee cake, fall dessert, spiced coffee cake, apple dessert
