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Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake
5 from 64 votes

Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake

Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake combines browned butter, applesauce, and chopped apples with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for a moist, tender cake with a rich crumb. The streusel topping adds sweet cinnamon-spiced crunch that contrasts with the soft cake beneath. A vanilla-cinnamon glaze enhances the flavors and adds a glossy finish. This cake is an inviting dessert or breakfast treat, showcasing comforting apple and maple syrup notes through a careful browning of butter and use of applesauce as a moistening agent.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert, Cake, Brunch
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • For the topping & streusel:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup butter salted, melted
  • Wet Ingredients:
  • ⅓ cup butter salted (unsalted is fine too
  • 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
  • 2 egg
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour or substitute gluten free all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Mix-ins:
  • 1 apple medium honeycrisp, peeled, cored and roughly chopped into ¼ inch pieces (about 1 cup chopped apple
  • FOR THE GLAZE:
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk of choice, to thin glaze to your liking

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. First make your streusel: in a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add in the melted butter and stir together with a fork until it begins to form into crumbles and resembles clumps of wet sand. You may need to use your hands/fingers to form into nice thick ‘crumbs’. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until ready to use.
  3. Make your brown butter: add ⅓ cup butter to a large saucepan or skillet and place over medium heat. The butter will begin to melt, crackle, and then eventually foam. Make sure you stir constantly during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown and turn a nice golden amber color on the bottom of the saucepan, this usually happens right when it foams. Continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients until well combined: applesauce, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cooled brown butter.
  5. In a separate medium bowl: whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chopped apples.
  6. Pour HALF of the batter into the prepared pan; sprinkle with HALF of the streusel mixture. Then top with half of the remaining batter and top with remaining streusel mixture.
  7. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean with just a few crumbs attached. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before glazing.
  8. To make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk. Start with a little bit of milk to thin the glaze, knowing you can always add more to thin if necessary. Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the cake. It does make a good amount of glaze, so you can always cut it in half or omit it from the recipe (but I highly recommend the drizzle!). Cut into 12 slices. Store covered at room temp for 1-2 days, then transfer to the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • Use vegan butter melted (not browned) to make this recipe dairy free.
  • Substitute gluten-free all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio for a gluten-free version.
  • Try adding half a cup of butterscotch or peanut butter chips for extra flavor.
  • This cake can be prepared ahead and frozen for later serving.