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Coffee Cake is my favorite excuse to have cake for breakfast, and this apple cinnamon version is unbelievably tender thanks to a sour cream batter, a ribbon of cinnamon pecan filling swirled through the middle, and a sweet vanilla glaze on top. I first made it on a rainy fall weekend when Maddie begged for something that made the whole house smell like a bakery. If you love a cozy apple dessert, our caramel apple dump cake is another easy favorite.
Grated apple and a swirl of cinnamon sugar keep every bite of this bundt moist, sweet, and packed with warm fall flavor.
Coffee Cake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 1 hour
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 16 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 387kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Warm cinnamon, sweet apple, and buttery vanilla glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, about as simple as our cranberry coffee cake
Quick Answer
Whisk the dry ingredients together, then cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs and vanilla. Alternate adding sour cream and the dry mix, then fold in grated apple. Layer the batter in a greased bundt pan with a cinnamon pecan filling, bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, cool, and finish with a simple vanilla glaze.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Sour cream makes it extra tender. Two full cups of sour cream give this coffee cake a rich, moist crumb that stays soft for days.
- Grated apple melts right in. Grating the apple instead of chopping it means the fruit disappears into the batter, adding moisture and gentle apple flavor in every bite.
- A cinnamon pecan swirl in the middle. Layering the filling between the batter gives you that classic coffee cake ribbon of cinnamon sugar and crunchy pecans running through the center.
- One bowl of batter, no mixer gymnastics. The batter comes together in a stand mixer with simple alternating additions, so it is beginner friendly and hard to mess up.
- The bundt shape does the work. Baking in a bundt pan gives you a showstopping cake with zero frosting skills required, just a quick pour of glaze.
- Perfect make ahead treat. This coffee cake tastes even better the next day, so it is ideal for holiday mornings, brunch, and gifting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a moist, tender coffee cake with a cinnamon pecan swirl in every slice.
- Grated apple adds natural sweetness and keeps the crumb soft for days.
- It bakes up bakery worthy with no fancy decorating, like our lemon blueberry coffee cake.
Key Ingredients
A handful of pantry staples plus fresh apples make this coffee cake come together fast.
- All-purpose flour: The sturdy base that gives the cake structure while staying tender.
- Sour cream: The secret to a rich, moist crumb. Full fat works best for the softest texture.
- Honeycrisp apples: Sweet, crisp baking apples that are grated right into the batter. Any firm baking apple like Gala or Granny Smith works too.
- Ground cinnamon and pecans: The heart of the swirl filling, adding warm spice and toasty crunch through the middle.
- Butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla: Whisked into a quick glaze that soaks into the warm cake, just like the topping on our apple cinnamon cream cheese roll ups.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This coffee cake is easy to make your own.
- Swap the pecans for chopped walnuts, or leave the nuts out entirely for a nut free cake.
- Add a handful of raisins or dried cranberries to the batter for extra chew.
- Stir a teaspoon of apple pie spice into the filling for even more warm fall flavor.
- Turn the leftover glaze idea into a full cinnamon roll morning with our gingerbread bars with cream cheese frosting on the side.
How to Make Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a bundt pan well with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until smooth. Add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Alternate adding the sour cream and the dry mixture a little at a time until fully combined, scraping the sides as needed. Fold in the grated apple and set the batter aside.
- In a small bowl, make the filling by stirring together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.
- Pour a third of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle on half the filling, add another third of the batter, then the rest of the filling, and top with the remaining batter. Bake for about 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then flip it out onto a serving platter and let it cool completely.
- While the cake cools, whisk the melted butter and powdered sugar together, then whisk in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and garnish with more chopped pecans if you like.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Grease the bundt pan very well, getting into every crevice so the cake releases cleanly after baking.
- Grate the apple rather than chopping it so it melts into the batter and keeps the crumb moist.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in, just mix until combined to keep the cake tender.
- Layer the filling evenly between the batter for that signature cinnamon swirl in every slice.
- Cool 20 minutes before flipping, since flipping too soon can cause the cake to break apart.
- Glaze while slightly warm so some soaks in, then add a second drizzle once fully cooled for a pretty finish.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This apple cinnamon coffee cake is made for slow mornings with a hot cup of coffee. Serve thick slices for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, and watch it disappear off the platter.
It is a natural fit for a fall brunch spread. Set it out alongside our pumpkin cinnamon rolls and a batch of apple hand pies for a cozy morning table everyone will love.
Pour a warm mug of our honeycrisp apple cider punch to sip alongside, or add our baked chocolate chip cake donuts for a bakery style breakfast board.
Leftovers keep beautifully. Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to three days, or wrap slices well and freeze for up to two months. A few seconds in the microwave brings back that just baked softness, and it is honestly even better on day two once the flavors have had time to settle in.
Coffee Cake FAQs
Firm, sweet baking apples work best. Honeycrisp is a favorite for its sweetness and structure, but Gala, Fuji, or a tart Granny Smith all bake up beautifully. Grate them so they melt into the batter and keep the cake moist.
Yes. You can bake it in a greased 9×13 inch pan instead, layering the batter and filling the same way. Start checking for doneness around 40 to 45 minutes, since a 9×13 bakes faster than a deep bundt. A tube pan also works well.
The most common causes are overbaking or too much flour. Spoon and level your flour instead of scooping, and pull the cake as soon as a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The sour cream and grated apple are there to keep it tender, so measure them accurately too.
Absolutely. This cake actually tastes better the next day. Bake and cool it completely, then store it covered at room temperature. You can glaze it right away or wait and glaze the morning you plan to serve it for the freshest look.
Keep it covered at room temperature for up to three days. To freeze, wrap the unglazed cake or individual slices tightly in plastic and foil and freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature and glaze before serving.
Definitely. If you love a crunchy top, mix a simple streusel of flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter and sprinkle it over the batter before baking. You can skip the glaze or use both for an extra bakery style finish.
Tried this apple cinnamon coffee cake? I would love to hear how it turned out, leave a comment and a star rating below!
Our cozy apple cinnamon coffee cake is another crowd pleasing morning bake.
Apple season calls for our brown sugar cinnamon baked apples.
Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Coffee Cake Batter
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sour cream
- 2 Honeycrisp Apples* (or any baking apple) peeled and grated
For the filling
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
For the glaze
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease well a bundt pan with cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl and an electric hand mixer, add the butter and granulated sugar. Cream together until smooth, add the vanilla and eggs one at a time, mix well.
- Alternating between the sour cream and the dry mixture, add each a little at a time until fully mixed in. Scrape the sides down as needed. Add the grated apple and mix to combine. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.
- Pour 1/3 of the cake batter into the bundt pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle 1/2 of the filling on top evenly. Pour another 1/3 of the cake batter on top, and smooth. Add the remaining filling evenly. Top with the last of the batter and smooth the top. Bake for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out mostly clean. A few crumbs are okay, but any wet batter means it needs to bake longer.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, flip out onto a serving platter and let cool completely.
For the glaze
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by whisking the melted butter and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the milk and vanilla, whisk until smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the top of the cooled cake, garnish with more pecans if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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