Apple Crumble Coffee Cake

Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Servings: 8
Yield: 8 servings

Description

Chef John's tempting apple crumb cake recipe has diced apples layered with a buttery cinnamon-walnut crumble for an elevated, irresistible coffee cake.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Honeycrisp apples

Directions

1 Gather all ingredients.
2 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) with an rack in the center position. Generously butter a 9x12-inch baking dish with 2 teaspoons butter.
3 Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon sea salt together in a bowl; set dry ingredients aside.
4 Combine walnuts, ⅓ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup white sugar, 3 tablespoons melted butter, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl until walnuts and sugars are thoroughly coated with butter; set crumble mixture aside.
5 Beat 1 cup white sugar and ½ cup butter together in a separate bowl with a spatula until well blended.
6 Whisk in 1 egg until mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
7 Whisk in second egg until thoroughly incorporated. Add yogurt and vanilla; whisk together.
8 Add flour mixture to yogurt mixture; whisk just until flour disappears. Do not overmix.
9 Remove and discard cores from apples. Cut apples into ⅛- to ¼-inch slices. Stack a few slices; cut down the center, lengthwise, then dice, crosswise, into cubes.
10 Fold apples into cake batter with a spatula until just combined.
11 Spread ½ the batter into the prepared baking dish; evenly scatter ½ crumble mixture over top.
12 Dollop remaining ½ batter on top crumble mixture; spread carefully to evenly distribute, trying not to disturb the crumbs.
13 Top with remaining ½ crumble mixture; press crumbs into the batter very gently.
14 Bake in the center of the preheated oven until a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
15 Cool to room temperature before slicing and serving, about 30 minutes.