Recipe for easy cinnamon-apple coffee cake with streusel topping

Are your guests still sleeping? Do you have friends coming for brunch today? Is your menu all set for New Year's morning? In the time it takes to pull ingredients off the pantry shelf, and peel and chop one single apple (or pear, if that's what you have on hand), you can make this quick and easy coffee cake. All it takes is a bowl or two, a whisk, a few things from the pantry, one piece of fruit, and less than ten minutes of work. Plan-ahead types can bake ahead and freeze this cake, right in its pan.

Easy cinnamon-apple coffee cake with streusel topping

From the pantry, you'll need: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, butter, pure vanilla extract, kosher salt, baking spray and an egg.

Serves 12. Adapted slightly from Cooking Light Quick Baking.

Ingredients

Baking spray
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup nonfat or 1% milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (1 large apple)

For the streusel topping:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 or equivalent size loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, cloves and salt. Make a well in the center. In a 2-cup or larger glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and egg. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour, and use the whisk to combine just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apple. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it's the consistency of coarse meal. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving, and serve warm; or, cool completely in the pan and freeze.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Apple spice cake
Pear spice cupcakes
Fresh apple cake
Yogurt coffee cake with pecan filling
Lemon tea cake
Cinnamon and vanilla challah French toast

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Mom's blueberry coffee cake, from Kitchen Parade
Apricot coffee cake, from Chocolate & Zucchini
Coffee cake, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Sweet potato coffee cake with dried cranberries, from Baking Bites
White chocolate and ginger coffee cake muffins, from Cookin' Canuck

Easy cinnamon-apple coffee cake with streusel topping

From the pantry, you'll need: all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground cloves, butter, pure vanilla extract, kosher salt, baking spray and an egg.

Serves 12. Adapted slightly from Cooking Light Quick Baking.

Ingredients

Baking spray
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup nonfat or 1% milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (1 large apple)

For the streusel topping:
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8x8 or equivalent size loaf pan with baking spray, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, cloves and salt. Make a well in the center. In a 2-cup or larger glass measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vanilla and egg. Pour the mixture into the well in the flour, and use the whisk to combine just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Then, using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apple. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the streusel ingredients. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it's the consistency of coarse meal. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving, and serve warm; or, cool completely in the pan and freeze.

[Printer-friendly recipe.]

More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Apple spice cake
Pear spice cupcakes
Fresh apple cake
Yogurt coffee cake with pecan filling
Lemon tea cake
Cinnamon and vanilla challah French toast

Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Mom's blueberry coffee cake, from Kitchen Parade
Apricot coffee cake, from Chocolate & Zucchini
Coffee cake, from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Sweet potato coffee cake with dried cranberries, from Baking Bites
White chocolate and ginger coffee cake muffins, from Cookin' Canuck

Comments

A great treat to wake up to! Perfect for breakfast & snacks.

Perfect Lydia! I adore coffee cakes, especially easy ones!

This looks delicious! I think I'm going to try this...

That looks absolutely scrumptious! I love any kind of dessert containing apple.

How is this a Coffee cake because I didn't see it in the ingredients. But this looks great and easy. Will try it soon.

Marla, you're so right!

Pam, I adore them, too, and this one's as easy as it gets.

Mary, please do try it. This is really a moist and delicious cake.

Steve, I love anything baked with apple and cinnamon. And it makes the house smell wonderful.

Shaleen, it's called a coffee cake because it's the kind of cake you'd serve with coffee (or tea), not because it has coffee in it. I'm sure you'll like this one.

Sounds like the perfect recipe for a snow bound night, which this is!

Nothing beats a cinnamony apple dessert. So comforting!

Sounds deicious, I love baking for the smell it puts though the house.

Oh what a great coffee cake. I hope you had a fabulous holiday. Love your blog.

I enjoy the Perfect Pantry so much. I live in a small apartment so no room for a pantry. I have made many of the recipies Great. It is a homey page. Thanks.

Lydia--this looks like I can do it! I can smell it already. Thank you for your inspiration! I don't use my cookbooks anymore--I just go to your blog. Thanks!

This is easy and I do already have all the ingredients on hand.
Unfortunately I am "sweeted out" for the moment from the past few days!!

but when I recover....

TW, we're snowbound, too. You could even make this without the apple, if you don't have one.

D&D, Gourmet Getaways, Wendy: I agree! I love the aroma when apples and cinnamon bake together.

Delishhh: This was great with coffee -- the perfect coffee cake!

Mildred, so sweet of you. Thank you.

Carol, I know just what you mean. This is the kind of cake you can make and freeze, whenever you have an apple or pear on hand. Then, when people drop in for tea, you're prepared.

Lydia, I must make this! The spices and fruit are perfect for a moist cake like this. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family.