Apples and cinnamon and cake, oh my!

You all know how much I enjoy making coffee cakes so for the first Bake & Munch post for September, I have for you a fruity, almost autumn-y coffee cake that's just worth all the prep and effort (and an accidental slice on the finger- teehee!).

I've made a Strawberry Jam Crumb Coffee Cake back in April and now, I have an Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake! Instead of a jam, this one has fresh sliced apples with a huge hit of cinnamon and brown sugar sprinkle. I LOVE cinnamon so this one just hits the spot for me! The cake base is moist and not overly sweet and complements the cinnamon sprinkle and apples really well. The apples become soft at the edges but still retain some crispness on the center- really great contrast to the softness of the cake. Plus, there's the nuts at the top that add additional texture and nuttiness to the overall taste. I love having this as a snack (with coffee, of course!), dessert, and yes, even breakfast.

This cake requires quite a lot of prep (sprinkle mix + chopping the apples and nuts + batter + assembly) but overall, I think it's worth the effort. I used an 8" square pan for this cake but you can also use a round pan or even a loaf pan to turn this into a apple cinnamon quick bread. So if you have apples lying around, make 'em into a delicious coffee cake! 

Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

(adapted from FlakyBakers.com)

Cinnamon Sprinkle:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts but you can substitute with pecans, cashews, or even almond slivers)

Apples:

2 1/4 cups apples, peeled and diced (about 2-3 medium apples)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

a pinch of salt (make 1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)

1/2 cup butter, room temp

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

Cinnamon Sprinkle:

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. (Do not add in the nuts yet.) 

Apples:

Combine chopped apples, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well, making sure the apples are coated in cinnamon and sugar evenly. Set aside. 

Batter:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8" square pan with baking paper.

2. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla.

5. Add in flour mixture and while beating, pour in milk. Mix until just incorporated.

Assembly:

1. Add in half of the cake batter onto the lined square pan. (Use a scale if needed.)

2. Sprinkle half of the apple mixture on top of the batter, drizzling some of the apples' liquid as well.

3. On top of the apples, add in half of the cinnamon sprinkle.

4. Pour remaining half of the batter on top, followed by the remaining apple mixture.

5. Add in chopped nuts into the remaining cinnamon sprinkle and mix well. Add on top of apple layer.

6. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

7. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!