Apple cider coffee cake is the perfect fall treat: a spiced apple cake finished with a crunchy crumble and tangy cider glaze. It’s ideal for breakfast, brunch, or as a dessert with coffee — incredibly flavorful and easy to make.
I have your weekend treat!
This apple cider coffee cake will quickly become a seasonal favorite. It’s perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast, a coffee break snack, or a casual brunch with friends. It also works well for holidays because you can prepare it ahead of time and serve it the next morning without losing its texture or flavor.
It stays fresh and tastes just as good the next day. A simple make-ahead dessert that looks fancy but is very forgiving to prepare.
I personally prefer apple cider over pumpkin for fall baking. Cider brings a bright, fresh, slightly tart apple flavor and aroma that feels nostalgic and lively. It’s less heavy with spice and more distinctly apple-forward, which I love in fruit-forward cakes.
Apple cider is refreshing and bright, while pumpkin leans warmer and cozier. Both are great, but when you want apple flavor to shine, cider is the way to go.
The idea of coffee cake for breakfast is one of life’s simple pleasures. Coffee cake gives you a delicious, lightly spiced morning treat that pairs perfectly with coffee or tea.
Cake for BREAKFAST?
Absolutely. Coffee cake is a great excuse to enjoy cake in the morning — especially when it’s studded with fresh apple and finished with a crisp streusel.
Here’s how I make it.
The cake base contains grated apple and a touch of apple cider for moisture and flavor. This batter is based on a well-loved coffee cake formula that keeps the crumb tender and moist. I kept the grated apple in the batter for texture and natural apple flavor.
The streusel is a crunchy, cinnamon-scented crumble with a nice thickness — I always love a generous crumb topping. If you’re like me, half the time you’ll want to eat mostly the streusel!
The apple cider glaze brings everything together. It highlights the cider’s flavor with the right balance of tang and sweetness, and it’s the final flourish that makes this cake unmistakably autumnal.
This cake is ideal to share — a warm, apple-scented treat that tastes like a hug on a cool morning.
Apple Cider Coffee Cake
Apple Cider Coffee Cake
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup apple cider
- 2 cups grated apple
Crumb topping
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
Apple cider glaze
- 1 heaping cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup apple cider
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick baking spray that contains flour and place the pan on a baking sheet.
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In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each, then mix in the vanilla.
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Add half of the dry ingredients, then the milk and apple cider, followed by the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape the bowl as needed and mix until just combined. Fold in the grated apple with a spatula.
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Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Prepare the streusel and sprinkle it evenly over the batter.
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Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool 15 to 20 minutes, remove the springform ring, then drizzle the apple cider glaze over the top. Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.
Crumb topping
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For the crumb, whisk together the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter until the sugar starts to dissolve. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes crumb-like and dry. Sprinkle this evenly over the batter before baking.
Apple cider glaze
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Whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and apple cider until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add cider 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency; if it’s too thin, add powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time.
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The crunchy crumb!