If there ever was a perfect fall coffee cake recipe, it has to be this Apple Cider Coffee Cake with Apple Cider Glaze! Made with in-season apples, apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg and topped with a buttery, cinnamon streusel. To intensify the sweet apple cider flavor, this incredibly moist cake is topped with a simple, but delicious apple cider glaze!
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I love everything about fall, including baking with apples! This Apple Cider Coffee Cake with Apple Cider Glaze definitely takes the apple flavor up yet another notch with apple cider added to the cake and the glaze!
Not only is it made with over a cup of chopped apples, it’s also moistened with apple cider. The apple cider takes the place of the majority of the sour cream you’d find in other coffee cake recipes. It also adds a slight tang and additional sweetness. Once baked, this delicious coffee cake is very generously drizzled with a simple but delicious apple cider glaze!
For another heavenly apple recipe to try, definitely make my moist, delicious Apple Cinnamon Bread.
WHAT TYPE OF APPLES SHOULD I BAKE WITH?
My favorite apples to bake with are McIntosh, Granny Smith, and Honey Crisp. For this coffee cake, we only need around one apple. I prefer Granny Smith, but any type of apple will work.
WHAT MAKES THIS COFFEE CAKE SO GOOD?
We’ve already established the fact that this coffee cake is full of apple flavor. It’s also tender, soft, and super moist!
Most coffee cakes are made with yogurt or sour cream to give them moisture. This cake uses a quarter cup of sour cream and a half a cup of reduced apple cider. As I mentioned, the apple cider adds sweetness, apple flavor and moisture!
HOW AND WHY TO REDUCE APPLE CIDER?
I should start with the why- reducing apple cider intensifies the flavor and tartness of the cider. That said, if you are short on time or would prefer to skip this step, you definitely can. Instead of starting with a cup and reducing it to a half a cup, just use a half a cup of apple cider without reducing it.
Reducing apple cider is super simple. Just heat it on the stovetop until is reduces to about half. Let it cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
MAKING THE APPLE CIDER GLAZE
I love a simple powdered sugar icing such as this one! I typically use milk and vanilla to the powdered sugar, but couldn’t resist using apple cider instead. This recipe is as easy as stirring the four ingredients together.
On my list of recipes to try is this Apple Cider Pound Cake with Apple Cider Glaze from Buns in My Oven and this Cinnamon Apple Quick Bread with Apple Cider Glaze from New York Times Cooking. Both glaze recipes include butter and I can’t wait to try butter in mine!
ABOUT THE STREUSEL TOPPING
There are so many things I love about this coffee cake, the streusel topping definitely being one of them! The streusel adds more of that buttery, cinnamony flavor that’s found in the cake along with with a yummy crumbly texture!
WHAT’S IN THE STRESEUL TOPPING?
- Melted unsalted butter
- Flour
- Brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
HOW TO MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING
- Whisk to combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Stir in the melted butter.
- Place the streusel in the fridge while you prepare the batter.
- Before baking, take the streusel from the fridge and use a fork and/or your hands to break it up a bit. Try not to break it up too much other wise you’ll lose some of those bigger, more delicious pebble sized pieces. Sprinkle it evenly over the coffee cake.
There’s no better way to enjoy apple season than with this Apple Coffee Cake with Apple Cider Glaze! This coffee cake is packed with over a cup of chopped apples and warm fall spices, topped with a buttery cinnamony streusel and finished with a simple apple cider glaze! Best enjoyed with a steaming cup of coffee…while still wearing your pajamas!
Apple Cider Coffee Cake
Ingredients
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 1/2 cup, see instructions below
- 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 1/2 teaspoon apple cider
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup powdered sugar or more as needed for desired consistency
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
FOR THE CRUMBLE
- Combine the melted butter, flour, sugars, cinnamon, in a bowl butter in a small bowl. Set aside in the fridge to chill while you prepare the batter.
FOR THE COFFEE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small pot, bring the apple cider to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until cider is reduced down to 1/2 cup. Set aside to cool before using. Butter and line an 8 inch pan with parchment paper leaving a two inch overhang on the sides. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars, on medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla followed by the egg. Add the apple cider followed by the sour cream. Stir in the flour until just combined and stir in the apples.
- Spoon the batter into pan. Use a spatula or an offset spatula to spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Tap sharply to reduce air bubbles. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chilled streusel over the cake batter. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the batter. Bake 25-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before adding the glaze and serving.
FOR THE APPLE CIDER GLAZE
- Whisk the powdered sugar, apple cider and pinch of salt together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Christina M. Goding
This sounds delicious! My husband loves apple stuff and I have a gallon of cider needing to be used. Would this work in a muffin tin?
Natalie
Hi Christina! Great question. Yes it definitely works in a muffin tin. I have actually been asked about this a lot, so I turned this cake into a muffin recipe! Here it is https://parsleyandicing.com/apple-cider-muffins/ Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you enjoy them!
Alyssa
This is an excellent recipe!!
Natalie
Thank you so much Alyssa!!
Bee
My husband said this is the best thing I’ve ever baked! I skipped the glaze and added pecans to both the cake and the streusel. I also reduced the amount of sugar in the cake because I felt like with the cider it was going to be too sweet. It turned out perfect.
Natalie
Hi Bee, Wow this is the best compliment! Thank you so much for making this apple cider coffee cake and for sharing your helpful (and yummy) recipe notes!I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Alexandra Rees
Made this for a family Sunday lunch on the first day of fall. Made the rain and end of summer feel so much less important 😂. Really delicious and super easy to make. There was none left! Thanks Natalie 😊
Natalie
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to comment! I love that you made this cake for your family lunch! Glad they made a rainy day and end of summer a more cheerful and so happy the recipe was a hit!
Gloria
This recipe is just delicious. I used Trader Joe’s spiced apple cider and allspice where that was an option. I didn’t add the glaze and didn’t miss it. I shared with my neighbor and she said it was the best coffee cake she’d ever had. If you haven’t tried this, don’t wait!!
Natalie
Hi Gloria, Thank you so much for your kind words and for sharing your useful recipe notes! I’m thrilled you enjoyed this coffee cake and what an amazing compliment from your neighbor! Have a fantastic week! -Natalie
Cristy Bushatz
the recipe looks so yummy
Natalie
Thank you Cristy!
Mary
Can you use Apple Cider vinegar for apple cider? I know it will be a little tart your thoughts please?
Thank you I can’t wait until this afternoon to bake it it looks delicious I will get back to you after I make it.
Thank you.
Mary
Natalie
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried apple cider vinegar in place of apple cider, so unfortunately I can’t say how that would turn out. Sorry I can’t be more helpful with that. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Have a great day!
Dawn Jefferys
Made with measure to measure Better Batter GF flour & made as extra large muffins instead of coffee cake! Excellent recipe! Very Moist & love the Apple Coder flavor!
Natalie
Hi Dawn,
I’m thrilled you enjoyed this apple cider coffee cake! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for sharing your recipe notes. Glad the GF flour worked out and great idea to make extra large muffins! 🙂 Have a great week. -Natalie
Robyn Field
Any gf substitutes? Would love to make this! Thank you.
Natalie
Hi Robyn, I haven’t made this cake gf yet unfortunately, so I can’t recommend anything for sure. That said, many readers have had great luck with using a 1:1 gf flour with many of my other recipes, so that is what I’d try. Please let me know if you give it a try or if you have any other questions! -Natalie
Linda
EXCELLENT!!! I have never tasted an apple coffee cake as delicious as this one! I bake a lot and try many recipes but this one is even beyond 5 stars!!! So moist and delicious, almost addictive! So good!
Natalie
Soooo happy you enjoyed this coffee cake, Linda! Thanks so much for your awesome review. I’m glad you love this recipe as much as I do! Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend 🙂 xo Natalie
Sarah Griffith
What a gorgeous recipe but where is the coffee?? I have read it and re read it – am I going crazy?
Natalie
Hi Sarah, Thanks for the kind compliment and for your question. You are right, there is no coffee in this coffee cake 🙂 Some coffee cakes do have coffee, but some are called coffee cakes because they can be served with coffee 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions! -Natalie
caryl barkwill
sarah… it is to have WITH coffee, not coffee IN it. see?
Julie
I found Natalie’s recipe for the Apple Cider Coffee Cake through an Instagram reel. I am a big fan of apple cider, so I knew I had to make this recipe ASAP! I ended up using a Jonagold and half of another apple (I think it was a McIntosh). This recipe is pretty easy to make and absolutely screams Fall! And needless to say it is delicious! I shared the coffee cake with my coworkers and they LOVED it. Thank you Natalie for this amazing recipe!! 🙂
Natalie
Hey Julie,
I truly appreciate you making this cake and sharing your feedback. I’m so happy this recipe was a hit with you and your coworkers!:) Have a great weekend! XO Natalie
Debbie
Hi, can I leave the apple cider out and just use 1 cup of sour cream? it’s hard to find apple cider where I live.
Natalie
Hi Debbie, Unfortunately I haven’t tried this recipe without the apple cider, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. I think it would still be delicious, but obviously would not have the exact flavor. If possible, I would try to substitute some or all of the apple cider with unsweetened apple juice. Please let me know if you try it. Have a nice day. -Natalie
Tami
Absolutely delicious! I used a Granny Smith and half a honey crisp apple.
Natalie
Hi Tami! Thanks so much for making this apple cider coffee cake and for taking the time to comment! Granny Smith with half a honey crisp sounds lovely! Have a great week 🙂 Natalie
Barbara Briggs Ward
Absolutely the perfect addition to a Fall menu!
Natalie
Thank you! Definitely the perfect coffee cake for fall!
Natalie
Definitely the perfect coffee cake recipe for fall! Thanks!