Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Streusel
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Getting into the Fall spirit with this delicious Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Streusel. Made with simple pantry staple ingredients, a super easy homemade apple pie filling, this coffee cake is soft, buttery, perfectly sweetened, and is everything you could dream about for Fall! But then, there’s the cinnamon pecan streusel. The topping is made with brown sugar, pecans, and delicious cinnamon to give it a little extra kick. There’s also a generous amount of apple pie filling in between the layers of fluffy coffee cake. You really can’t find anything not to love about this apple pie coffee cake. Perfect for breakfast during everyday of the week, or even as a super special thanksgiving day breakfast. I mean, who doesn’t want a classic apple pie turned into a delicious breakfast cake? Seriously, SO. GOOD.
About The Recipe
Okay, who doesn’t love cake for breakfast? But, have you ever wanted to combine pie and cake AND have them for breakfast?
Well, now you can!
Okay, maybe not exactly…but close enough! A fluffy, delicious sour cream coffee cake meets a super delicious apple pie filling, topped with cinnamon and pecan streusel. It takes the best of both and combines them together.
I have always been a lover of coffee cake during the holidays. There’s just something about waking up one morning, making a delicious breakfast cake, while sipping on a seasonal coffee flavor.
Now, we finally have a festive Fall coffee cake to go with all of our seasonal coffees and teas! Honestly, it would even be a good dessert.
It all came together out of necessity, really. We had some leftover apple pie filling in the fridge, some sour cream that was getting a little too close to the expiration date, and some pecan halves sitting out on the counter.
Don’t you just love it when everything works out like it’s supposed to?
The idea was just a quick thought, but when we decided to actually give it a try…this beautiful cake was born!
It’s light and fluffy, but full of cinnamon-y apple pie flavor. The streusel on top just gives it that little extra crunch and sweetness you need!
What Is Coffee Cake And Does It Have Coffee In It?
The term, “coffee cake” simply means a cake that is served at breakfast alongside a cup of coffee. So, while there is no coffee in most coffee cake recipes, they are typically any flavor (most commonly vanilla or cinnamon), filled with a streusel or a jam, then topped with streusel.
Reasons You Will Love This Apple Pie Coffee Cake
- An excuse to eat cake for breakfast!
- The perfect recipe to make this Fall.
- Homemade or store-bought apple pie filling can be used in this recipe.
- SOUR. CREAM. COFFEE. CAKE. Need I say more?
- Each bite tastes like the very best of Fall!
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
For The Streusel:
- Pecan Halves – For this recipe, we like to use pecans to give the streusel a nutty/buttery flavor.
- Brown Sugar – Adds a sweet molasses flavor to the streusel.
- Ground Cinnamon – Gives every bite just the right amount of warming spice to compliment the apple pie filling!
- All-Purpose Flour – Keeps the streusel from becoming like hard candy.
- Salt – Cuts some of the sweetness, while enhancing the flavors.
For The Cake:
- Apple Pie Filling – Whether you use homemade or store-bought, this is what adds a decadent Fall flavor to every bite.
- All-Purpose Flour – No need for any specialty flours in this recipe! All-purpose creates the perfect structure and crumb for this cake.
- Baking Soda – With the addition of sour cream in this cake, we added baking soda to ensure a perfect rise.
- Baking Powder – Leavening is essential and with this recipe, we opted for two types of leavening to give this cake the perfect texture.
- Salted Butter – Remember to set the butter out ahead of time to allow it to come to room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness.
- Brown Sugar – Not only does the brown sugar sweeten this cake, but it also adds a decadent undertone to every bite.
- Large Eggs – Set the eggs out ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature for a better mix!
- Vanilla Extract – Adds a splash of flavor.
- Sour Cream – Makes this cake unbelievably tender, moist, and oh-so rich.
How To Make Apple Pie Coffee Cake
Step 1: Make streusel
In the food processor, combine the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Pulse until the pecans are thoroughly chopped and no more large chunks remain. Set aside.
Step 2: Chop filling
In a clean food processor bowl, place apple pie filling and pulse until only small chunks remain. Set aside.
Step 3:Prepare batter
Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl. Set aside.
Put the butter and the sugars into the mixer with the beater attachment. Beat until smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
Stir in the vanilla.
Add half of the sifted dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Stir in all of the sour cream.
Add in the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Step 4: Layer and bake
Spoon half of the coffee cake batter into a greased pan. Spread evenly. You may need to tap the pan to ensure that the layer is level.
Add the apple pie filling on top and spread across evenly. Don’t like the filling touch the edges. It will burn and make the cake hard to get out of the pan.
Spoon the rest of the batter on top and spread evenly.
Top with streusel and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake tests done.
Let cool slightly and serve immediately!
FAQ’s and Troubleshooting
Why did my cake batter split?
If the batter split when mixing, this was most likely caused by one of your ingredients being too cold. Remember that your butter and eggs need to be room temperature!
Why is the cake batter so thick?
This cake batter needs to be thicker, as it helps hold the apple pie filling in place.
Should I use store-bought or homemade pie filling?
With this particular recipe, it’s really about what you like/have time to make! We personally love our apple pie filling for this cake.
Why is my cake dry/crumbly?
Dryness can be a common issue with baking cakes. It’s either a result of over-mixing or over-baking! Though, keep in mind that under-mixing and under-baking can be equally as bad. So, be sure to follow the directions in the recipe card below (and make sure your oven is at the right temperature!) for the best results in this cake!
Why are there lumps of flour in my batter/cake?
If there are lumps of dry ingredients in your batter and/or cake, this is likely due to the dry ingredients not being incorporated properly. Be sure to follow the recipe below for best results!
Why is my cake tough?
Tough cake is usually caused by over-mixing, which over-develops the gluten and that leads to a tough, dry, and dense cake.
Why did my cake stick to the pan?
If your cake stuck to the pan, this may be caused by improper greasing of the pan or the jam may have leaked out from the cake, causing the cake to stick. Either way, you can run a thin bladed knife along the edges to help release the cake from the pan.
What’s The Best Way To Get This Coffee Cake Out of The Pan?
Once this cake is completely cooled (about 1 hour), take a cooling rack and place it upside down on the pan. Turn the pan upside and let the cake fall onto the cooling rack. Remove the pan and grab another cooling rack. Place the second cooling rack upside down on the bottom of the cake. Invert and remove the cooling rack that is on top of the streusel.
Super simple! Though, some streusel may fall off when you turn out the pan, so be near somewhere you can clean it up easily.
What To Serve With This Apple Pie Coffee Cake…
Sometimes, just cake isn’t enough! Here are a few ideas to turn this cake into a delicious breakfast or an amazing dessert.
- Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze
- Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Vanilla Ice Cream
- Homemade Apple Butter
- Chantilly Cream
- Extra Apple Pie Filling
How To Store
This cake is best kept in the fridge or freezer! You can easily store in a freezer safe bag or container, and store in either the fridge or freezer. I also definitely recommend reheating the cake before eating! It tastes good cold, but it’s much better warmed!
Substitutions
- You can use store-bought apple pie filling for this recipe.
- Walnuts or almonds can be used in place of the pecans for the streusel.
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Expert Tips
- This cake batter is very thick. It might be a little hard to spread.
- You don’t have to use all of the streusel on top of the cake!
- Don’t let the apple pie filling touch the sides of the pan. It will burn and cause the cake to stick!
- Slide a knife around the edges of the cake before turning it out of the pan.
- Bake times may vary depending on how your oven bakes. You can use a cake tester or a toothpick to see when the cake is done!
- Let the cake cool completely before turning out of the pan!
- Some of the streusel will fall off when you turn the cake out.
When you make this Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Streusel, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Apple Pie Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Pecan Streusel
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons all purpose flour
- pinch of salt
Cake
- 4 cups apple pie filling
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1½ cups salted butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
- 1½ cups sour cream
Instructions
Streusel Topping
- In bowl of food processor, pulse together pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt. Set aside.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray an 8"x12"x3" pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- In bowl of food processor, pulse apple pie filling until finely chopped. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Add half of flour mixture. Stir to combine.
- Mix in sour cream.
- Add rest of flour mixture. Stir to combine.
- Spread half of batter evenly in prepared pan.
- Top with apple pie filling, leaving at least 1/2" around the edges.
- Spread other half of batter of top.
- Sprinkle with streusel topping.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until cake tests done.
Notes
- You can use store-bought apple pie filling for this recipe.
- Walnuts or almonds can be used in place of the pecans for the streusel.
- This cake batter is very thick. It might be a little hard to spread.
- You don’t have to use all of the streusel on top of the cake!
- Don’t let the apple pie filling touch the sides of the pan. It will burn and cause the cake to stick!
- Slide a knife around the edges of the cake before turning it out of the pan.
- Bake times may vary depending on how your oven bakes. You can use a cake tester or a toothpick to see when the cake is done!
- Let the cake cool completely before turning out of the pan!
- Some of the streusel will fall off when you turn the cake out.
EQUIPMENT
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
– Still Hungry? –
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Perfect recipe — a great fall coffee cake with apples — excellent, my granddaughters love this one!!
Hello. I haven’t made this yet. I’m wondering where can I purchase a mixer like you have?
Hi Judy! What you see is a Ankarsrum Mixer. You can purchase one on Amazon! Here is a quick link to the exact one we used: [eafl id="27324" name="Ankarsarum Mixer" text="Ankarsrum Mixer"] (Discloser: this is an affiliate link). You don’t need one of these mixers to make this coffee cake, as a normal stand mixer like Kitchenaid is just fine! Hope this helps x, Cayile
Wow! Perfect!
Hi Diane! Thank you so much ☺️! Xo, Caylie