This apple sour cream coffee cake is a moist, old-fashioned snack cake made with diced apples, sour cream and a buttery brown sugar-oat crumb base. The easy recipe uses two apples, one egg and ¾ cup of sour cream and bakes in a nine-inch square pan.
I first started making this cake as an easy way to use the last couple of apples in the fruit bowl. It also helps use up sour cream left after taco night, chicken casserole or another family meal.
When we lived off the grid without garbage pickup, I became very aware of how much food our family threw away. Recipes like this helped me stretch our grocery budget and keep perfectly good ingredients out of the garbage.
This cake also came in handy during one of our pantry and freezer challenges. It's inexpensive, easy to make and large enough to feed a family or take to a potluck.
Table of Contents
There are plenty of easy apple cake recipes out there, but this is one of my favourites. It's especially useful when you have just one or two apples left at the end of the week.
If we've had rice and beans or chicken salsa casserole for dinner earlier in the week, we usually have a little sour cream left over, too.
This apple sour cream coffee cake recipe makes good use of those leftovers. And it's easy to whip up and pop in the oven.
This recipe is a simple way to use leftover sour cream before it goes to waste. You don't need a mixer or any special baking equipment. Or if you're feeling adventurous, try a homemade sour cream recipe.
I made this apple cake without cinnamon last week, and it was very good. But feel free to add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the crumb mixture.
How to Serve Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake
This coffee cake isn't overly sweet, which makes it a good choice for breakfast or brunch. You can also cut it into smaller squares and serve it as an afternoon snack.
For dessert, warm an individual piece and add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It also travels well for a potluck, church lunch or family gathering. And if you're a real apple lover, serve it alongside a tall apple crisp macchiato.
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake with Sour Cream
This old-fashioned apple coffee cake uses basic ingredients you may already have in your pantry and refrigerator. The sour cream keeps the cake moist, while the apples, cinnamon and brown sugar give it a warm fall flavour.
You'll need the following ingredients.
- all-purpose flour
- large-flake old-fashioned rolled oats
- brown sugar
- softened butter or margarine (I prefer butter)
- baking powder
- salt
- egg
- sour cream
- pure vanilla extract
- cinnamon
- Granny Smith apples
I usually use Granny Smith apples because their tart flavour balances the brown sugar. Other firm baking apples should work, too.
I normally peel the apples before dicing them. However, you can leave the peels on if you cut the apples into small pieces.
Directions
The crumb mixture does double duty in this recipe. Half forms the buttery oat base, while the remaining half becomes part of the cake batter.
Use Other Fruit in This Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
Apples provide the firm texture and fall flavour this recipe is designed around. However, you can also try the sour cream batter with other fruit.
- pears
- peaches
- plums
- 1 ½ cups of blueberries
- ¾ cup of rhubarb
- 1 ¼ cups Saskatoon berries
- 1 ½ cups everbearing raspberries
If you use blueberries or raspberries, freeze them for about 30 minutes first. Toss the partially frozen berries with a little flour before folding them into the batter.
This helps keep the berries from breaking apart and turning the whole cake purple. It may still taste good, but a purple block of cake could put off the picky eaters in your family.
The first time I made this apple sour cream coffee cake, I baked it in a nine-inch square silicone pan. I greased the pan with butter, although the flexible silicone peeled away from the finished cake easily.
How to Store and Freeze Apple Coffee Cake
Let the cake cool completely before covering it. Store it in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
You can also freeze individual pieces. Wrap each cooled piece well and place it in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw the pieces in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake FAQs
The preparation method is a little different from that of a typical coffee cake. Here are quick answers to the questions readers ask most often.
Does coffee cake contain coffee?
No. In Canada and the United States, coffee cake usually means a simple cake served with coffee or tea. It doesn't necessarily contain coffee.
Should I peel the apples?
I usually peel the apples, but it isn't strictly necessary. If you leave the peels on, dice the apples finely so the pieces are easy to eat.
Do I invert the cake?
No. Leave the cake right-side up in the pan and cut it into squares once it has cooled slightly.
Is the crumb mixture supposed to go on the bottom?
Yes. Half of the flour, oat, sugar and butter mixture is pressed into the pan to form the crumb base. The remaining half becomes part of the cake batter.
Make New Recipes From Leftover Apples
You don't need a bushel of apples to make good use of fall produce. This recipe works well for those weeks when you have only one or two apples left and don't want them to go to waste.
If you have more apples to manage, learn how to store apples or use the peels and cores to make homemade apple cider vinegar.
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Recipe
Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9 inch square baking pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup large-flake old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled if desired finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Butter a 9-inch square pan and set aside.
- Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, softened butter and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Press about half of the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Add the baking powder and salt to the crumb mixture remaining in the bowl. Mix well.
- Make a well in the middle for your wet ingredients.
- Whisk the egg, sour cream and vanilla extract together in a small bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the well and stir gently until just combined.
- Fold in the finely diced apples.
- Spread the batter evenly over the crumb base.
- Bake for 60 minutes. Insert a clean knife or cake tester into the centre. If it comes out without wet batter, the cake is ready. If not, bake for another five minutes and test again.
Notes
- Peeling the apples is optional. Dice unpeeled apples finely.
- You can omit the cinnamon for a milder apple and vanilla flavour.
- Don't invert the cake. Cut and serve it directly from the pan.
- Cool the cake completely before storing or freezing it.
Your Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake is delicious and featured it on Full Plate Thursday, 556. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Hi
Thanks for the recipe, it sounds lovely & I intend to replace the apples with plums, as we have a glut at the moment! One quick question - there appears to be no coffee in the ingredients list - is this an Anglo/American misunderstanding - is coffee cake a a generic term in the US for cake one has with coffee? My grandma used to make coffee cake & there was definitely coffee in it. If it's missing from the list - how much should I add?
Once again thank you
Thanks so much for sharing this awesome post with us on Full Plate Thursday,533. We featured your post and just pinned it!
Hope you come back soon!
Miz Helen
Pinned to give it a try later. This cake looks great
As the crumb is on the bottom, do you invert this cake to serve?
Yikes! Baking powder. Just updated the ingredients list - my apologies!
So the ingredient list says baking powder but the instructions say baking soda. Which one do I use?
I love baking with sour cream! It adds so much flavor and offsets sweetness. I really want to try this recipe with rhubarb! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the comment Christie! I DO peel the apples, but it isn't really necessary. If you don't peel them, cut the pieces quite small so it's easier to eat.
Sounds so good about now.. I am ready for breakfast.. I might try this substituting coconut sugar for the brown.
This sounds great. Curious if you peel your apples or not. A store I shop at was giving away cases of those bagged sliced apples, and they were all Granny Smith so sounds like I’ll be making this soon.
That sounds delicious! Pinned.