Easy Apple Coffee Cake

Made with a handful of pantry staples, this easy apple coffee cake is quick to throw together – perfect for any last-minute fall gatherings.

Now that we’re fully into September, I’m ready to start thinking about fall recipes. And oh boy, do I have a lot of them lined up for you as we lead up to Thanksgiving.

We’re gonna kick things off with a simple, no-frills recipe: this easy apple coffee cake.

This cake may be simple to make, but it’s not short on flavor. It makes a great breakfast, afternoon snack, or dessert that you can whip up any time! 

EASY APPLE PIE FILLING COFFEE CAKE

This is the recipe you’re going to need this fall when you find yourself with unexpected guests. 

Why? Because it’s made with just a few pantry staples that you can always have on hand. So when you get a call that an old friend is in town unexpectedly or your in-laws are dropping by, you can easily toss this apple coffee cake together and have a lovely dessert to serve.

Not a single person will guess that it was so easy to make.

Don’t let anyone tell you that because this easy apple coffee cake uses a doctored cake mix and apple pie filling that it doesn’t count as baking. It totally does! 

It just means that it’s perfect for beginners or anyone short on time and energy to bake something from scratch. 

If you do have more time on your hands, I have a from-scratch apple coffee cake recipe that’s amazing. You can also check out my cinnamon coffee cake or my pumpkin coffee cake.

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY APPLE COFFEE CAKE

This easy apple coffee cake has a moist, apple-studded cake base and a sweet and buttery streusel topping.

Ingredients you’ll need

The cake base of this recipe uses only 4 ingredients. You’ll need:

• A white cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• A can of apple pie filling
• ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce

That’s it! If you have a homemade apple pie filling that you like, you can always use that in place of the canned pie filling. 

You can use any brand of pie filling that you like. Some brands will have an option with “more fruit” – I like to use those if I can, because who could be mad about extra apple goodness in their coffee cake?!

For the streusel topping, you will need:

• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon of apple pie spice
• A pinch of salt
• ½ cup softened unsalted butter

Apple pie spice is my preferred spice for the streusel because it complements the apples so well. If you don’t have apple pie spice or the ingredients to make it on hand, you can use pumpkin pie spice or simply use a teaspoon of cinnamon.

I think this easy apple coffee cake is sweet enough with just the streusel topping, but you can always add the icing drizzle from my easy peach coffee cake if you’d like.

Making this recipe

This recipe makes a 9×13-inch cake, so grab your favorite 9×13-inch pan and spray it with cooking spray. I also recommend lining it with parchment paper to make it easy to take the cake out once it has cooled.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the cake mix and eggs. The batter will be thick.

Set aside the mixer and use a spatula to stir in the apple pie filling and the applesauce until well mixed. Spread the batter into the baking pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, and salt. Use a fork, pastry blender, or your fingertips to mix the butter into the dry ingredients until large clumps form.

Sprinkle the streusel over the cake, then bake it for 40-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. It is especially delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.

STORAGE AND REHEATING

Store this easy apple coffee cake at room temperature for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze slices of the cake for enjoying later. Follow the tips in my tutorial on how to freeze cake and wrap the slices in plastic wrap before freezing. 

Then, whenever you want to enjoy a slice of easy apple coffee cake for a “treat yourself” breakfast, snack, or dessert, you can unwrap a slice and microwave it for 30-60 seconds to thaw and warm it through.

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Easy Apple Coffee Cake

By: Jamie

4.84 from 12 ratings

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12

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Made with a handful of pantry staples, this easy apple coffee cake is quick to throw together – perfect for any last-minute fall gatherings.

Equipment

• Nordic Ware Metal 9×13 Covered Cake Pan
• KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US CustomaryMetric

For the cake:

• ▢ 1 box white cake mix 15.25 ounces
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 can apple pie filling 21 ounces
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

For the streusel:

• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together cake mix and eggs until well combined. Mixture will be thick.
• Switch to a spatula and mix in the apple pie filling and applesauce until well combined. Spread into the prepared pan.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, and salt. Work the butter into the mixture with a fork, pastry blender, or your fingertips until large clumps form. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Video

Notes

I personally think this coffee cake is sweet enough on its own, but if you would like to add an icing drizzle, feel free to use the icing from my easy peach coffee cake and add it once the cake has cooled.

Helpful resources:

• Make sure you know how to measure flour correctly before you get started.
• If you forget to set your butter out ahead of time, check out my tips for how to soften butter quickly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 406kcal, Carbohydrates: 75g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 344mg, Potassium: 111mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 44g, Vitamin A: 311IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 123mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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