This Applesauce Coffee Cake is soft, moist, and loaded with warm cinnamon flavor, all topped with a buttery crumb topping and sweet vanilla glaze. The applesauce keeps every bite incredibly tender while adding just the right amount of cozy apple flavor. It's the perfect cake for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon coffee break.
Applesauce Crumb Cake Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 20 Minutes Prep + 40 Minutes Bake Time
- 🍴 Servings: 12 Servings
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, cinnamon-spiced, and lightly apple flavored
- 🍚 Best Served With: Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, or yogurt
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes! Bake a day ahead and glaze before serving.
Summarize and Save This Content On
There's something special about recipes that make the entire kitchen smell like cinnamon and brown sugar while they bake. This coffee cake is one of those recipes that feels comforting, nostalgic, and perfect for sharing.
My grandma always kept applesauce in her pantry because she believed it made baked goods extra moist and flavorful. She loved serving coffee cake to family and friends with a fresh pot of coffee, and this recipe reminds me of those cozy visits around her kitchen table.
This recipe was inspired by our baked apple fritters and apple pie bites and tastes great with fresh fruit salad or a hot cup of coffee.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Moist, soft, and full of flavor: Applesauce keeps the cake incredibly tender while cinnamon adds warm, cozy flavor in every bite.
- Easy and beginner-friendly: Simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps make this a foolproof recipe anyone can make.
- Perfect for any occasion: Great for breakfast, brunch, dessert, holidays, family gatherings, and afternoon coffee breaks.
- Bakery-style texture: The buttery cinnamon crumb topping and sweet glaze make this cake look and taste special.
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple pantry staples that come together to create a moist, flavorful coffee cake. Most of the ingredients are likely already in your kitchen, making this an easy recipe to bake anytime.
- Cake Batter: Flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, butter, brown sugar, eggs, applesauce, buttermilk, and vanilla create a moist, tender cake with warm cinnamon flavor.
- Crumb Topping: Flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter bake into a buttery bakery-style crumble.
- Vanilla Glaze: Powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla create a sweet finishing drizzle.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredients and amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Customize the fruit: Add diced apples, pears, peaches, raisins, cranberries, or dried cranberries for extra flavor and texture.
- Add extra texture: Stir chopped pecans or walnuts into the crumb topping, or double the crumb topping for a thicker bakery-style layer.
- Change the flavor profile: Add nutmeg, ginger, cloves, apple pie spice, orange zest, mini chocolate chips, or replace the vanilla with maple extract.
- Switch up the glaze: Try maple glaze, cream cheese glaze, or a caramel drizzle instead of the vanilla glaze.
- Make it your own: Reduce the sugar slightly for a less sweet cake or stir finely diced apples into the batter for even more apple flavor.
How to Make Applesauce Crumb Cake
This Applesauce Coffee Cake comes together in just six easy steps. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
Step 1: Prepare the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
Step 2: Prepare the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Step 4: Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
Step 5: Assemble and bake. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 6: Glaze and serve. While the cake cools for about 20 minutes, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, then slice and serve.
Expert Tips
- Start with success: Use room-temperature ingredients, measure the flour correctly by spooning and leveling, and use fresh cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Mix and spread carefully: Avoid overmixing the batter and spread it evenly in the pan to ensure a tender cake and even baking.
- Bake and finish properly: Watch the cake closely near the end of baking, check for doneness with a toothpick, and allow it to cool before adding the glaze.
- Make cleanup and storage easy: Line the pan with parchment paper for easier removal and store the cake covered to maintain its moisture.
- Plan for leftovers: Consider making an extra batch because this cake disappears quickly and freezes beautifully.
If you love recipes like this applesauce crumb cake, you may also enjoy our apple pecan bread or apple crisp muffins.
Storage Directions
Room Temperature: Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Store covered in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Freeze tightly wrapped slices for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Reheat: Microwave individual slices for 15 to 20 seconds.
Make Ahead: Bake up to 1 day ahead and glaze before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- For breakfast or brunch: Serve with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fresh fruit, eggs, glazed bacon, brunch burgers, or sausage crescent rolls for a complete meal.
- For a bakery-style experience: Pair with a latte, cappuccino, strawberry cheesecake muffins, pastries, or a sweet waffle brunch board.
- For dessert: Top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce or rhubarb sauce for an extra-special treat.
- For holidays and gatherings: Add it to Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, or weekend breakfast spreads where it's sure to be a crowd favorite.
- For everyday enjoyment: Serve warm from the oven as an afternoon snack with your favorite hot beverage or caramel shake.
Applesauce Crumb Cake Recipe FAQs
The batter may be too thin or the topping too heavy.
A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
Yes, finely diced apples make a delicious addition.
More Apple Cake Recipes
If you enjoyed this Applesauce Coffee Cake, here are a few more apple recipes you'll love.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Applesauce Crumb Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce store-bought or homemade
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk or whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Option
- 1 cup apples finely diced
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
- ½ cup butter melted
Option
- ½-¾ cup pecans or walnuts chopped
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs, applesauce, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix just until combined, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, ideally using your hands, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 38 to 42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 20 minutes in the pan.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth, then drizzle over the warm or cool cake before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Start with success: Use room-temperature ingredients, measure the flour correctly by spooning and leveling, and use fresh cinnamon for the best flavor.
- Mix and spread carefully: Avoid overmixing the batter and spread it evenly in the pan to ensure a tender cake and even baking.
- Bake and finish properly: Watch the cake closely near the end of baking, check for doneness with a toothpick, and allow it to cool before adding the glaze.
- Make cleanup and storage easy: Line the pan with parchment paper for easier removal and store the cake covered to maintain its moisture.
- Plan for leftovers: Consider making an extra batch because this cake disappears quickly and freezes beautifully.
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