Baked Desserts | Baking | Breakfast | Cakes | Dessert
Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
If you’re looking for the perfect fall breakfast or dessert, this Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese checks every box. It’s soft, buttery, and layered with a creamy cheesecake filling, fresh apples, and a cinnamon walnut streusel that bakes into the most incredible topping. Every bite is packed with cozy fall flavor, making it perfect for brunch, holiday gatherings, or an afternoon cup of coffee.
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Why You’ll Love Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
- Simple and Easy: This recipe is simple to follow and only uses simple ingredients.
- Perfect for Sharing: Make this coffee cake for potlucks, bake sales, or just enjoy it with friends and family. It makes a lot, so there’s plenty to go around!
- Weekend Brunch Star: Wanna impress everyone at brunch? This coffee cake is a guaranteed hit. Serve it warm with a cup of coffee for a yummy weekend treat.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Busy schedule? No problem! Make this coffee cake ahead of time and enjoy it later. Just bake it a day before and it’ll be fresh and delicious.
- Endless Fun Variations: Feel free to get creative and change things up! We’ve got some cool ideas below to spark your inspiration.
Ingredients Needed To Make Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Sour cream
- Room temperature butter
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Chopped walnuts
- Brown sugar
- Granny Smith apples
- Honeycrisp apples
- Powdered sugar (for glaze)
- Milk
How To Make Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and spray an 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides with nonstick baking spray.
- Cream Cheese Layer: In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and set aside.
- Cake Batter: In another mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter on high for 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon). Mix until well incorporated.
- Streusel: In a separate bowl, combine streusel ingredients (chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour) and mix well.
- Assemble Cake: Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture in the center and half of the apples on top. Add the remaining cake batter on top, followed by the rest of the apples and streusel.
- Bake: Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the baking dish.
- Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle on top of the cooled cake.
Variations & Substitutions
- Nuts: Use different types of nuts such as pecans or almonds instead of walnuts for variety.
- Spice: Add nutmeg or allspice to the cake batter for extra warmth.
- Fruits: Add different fruits such as pears or berries to the streusel for added flavor.
Commonly Asked Questions
Can I use other types of apples?
Absolutely! This recipe is versatile when it comes to apples. Feel free to use Gala, Fuji, Braeburn, or even a mix of your favorite tart and sweet varieties. Just keep in mind that some apples are more watery than others. If you use an apple that’s very juicy, you may want to toss the chopped pieces with a tablespoon of flour before adding them to the cake to prevent excess moisture.
Can I make apple coffee cake ahead of time?
You sure can! This coffee cake is perfect for making ahead of time. Simply bake it according to the recipe, then let it cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to serve, you can warm it up slightly in the microwave for a few seconds.
How can I tell if my apple coffee cake is done?
The best way to tell if your coffee cake is done is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your coffee cake is good to go! If it comes out with batter clinging to it, bake for a few more minutes and check again.
Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
Apple Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese is a soft, buttery coffee cake layered with a rich cream cheese filling, fresh Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples, and a buttery cinnamon walnut streusel. It's the perfect make-ahead breakfast cake or fall dessert for brunches, holidays, and weekend baking.
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides
- Toothpick for testing doneness
- nonstick baking spray
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (1.1 gluten-free flour)
- 3 tsp baking powder for GF or 2 tsp if using all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 1 cup room temperature butter
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
Streusel Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 8 tbsp room temperature butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1:1 gluten-free flour)
- 1 Granny Smith apple peeled and finely diced
- 1 Honeycrisp apple peeled and finely diced
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and spray an 9” round or 9×9 square with at least 2 1/2” deep (at least 2-inch sides) with nonstick baking spray.
- Cream Cheese Layer: In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and set aside.
- Cake Batter: In another mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter on high for 3 minutes. Mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon). Mix until well incorporated.
- Streusel: In a bowl, combine the room temperature butter with the rest of the streusel ingredients (chopped walnuts, ground cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour). Use a fork to cut the ingredients together until well combined.
- Assemble Cake: Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture in the center and half of the apples on top. Add the remaining cake batter on top, followed by the rest of the apples and streusel.
- Bake: Bake for 55-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely in the baking dish.
- Glaze: Mix powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle on top of the cooled cake.
Notes
Optional Cream Cheese Filling
If you’d like to add a rich, creamy layer to your coffee cake, the cream cheese filling is a delicious option—but it’s completely optional.Recipe Note
Adding a cream cheese layer will change the texture of the cake. Because cream cheese adds both moisture and weight, the bottom cake layer may bake up slightly denser and more moist than a traditional coffee cake. This is completely normal and doesn’t mean the recipe didn’t turn out. The cream cheese creates a rich, cheesecake-like center that many people love, but if you prefer a lighter, fluffier coffee cake, you can simply leave the cream cheese layer out.Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 878kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 10gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 658mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 6gSugar: 67gVitamin A: 1440IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 220mgIron: 2mg
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Such a winner of deliciousness. Soo good. Moist, flavorful, amazing texture. This is a keeper. I live in an rv and don’t bake a lot but I will have this on repeat.