Honeycrisp apples, cinnamon, and maple syrup are the ultimate fall ingredients and they come together in this indulgent Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing. This tender coffee cake is studded with cubes of apples and layered with a sweet brown-sugar cinnamon mixture. Serve this as is or with a maple glaze for the ultimate fall treat.
Recipe developed in collaboration with Langley Farm Market.
The Ultimate Fall Coffee Cake
My Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing is the perfect fall dessert. It has everything you want: a tender spiced cake, layered with a brown-sugar cinnamon mixture, studded with local honeycrisp apples, and topped with a sweet maple icing. I told you…it’s perfect!
This is a classic dessert that is great to serve for a fall get together or just to enjoy yourself. I especially love serving it alongside a hot cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon treat. It also makes a beautiful addition to a Thanksgiving or fall brunch spread.
And because the cake can be made ahead, it is an easy option when you are entertaining. You can have it baked, cooled, and ready to serve before your guests arrive, leaving you more time to enjoy the gathering.
Why use honeycrisp apples?
Honeycrisp apples have that quintessential fall flavour. They are sweet and tart in flavour and hold up perfectly when cooked. I use them in apple pies, fruit crisps, and galettes because they bake perfectly.
In addition to their sweet and tart flavour, I find that Honeycrisp apples are best in this recipe because they balance the sweetness of the rich brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple icing. Dicing them up into cubes allows you to get a nice piece of apple in every bite, plus it keeps the cake moist and tender.
I highly recommend using honeycrisp apples in this recipe, but if you want an apple substitute, I recommend Pink Lady apples or Fuji apples, or Braeburn apples. These are great baking apples but are not as tart as honeycrisp apples.
A few tips for the best apple coffee cake
There are a few simple things that will make this Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing especially delicious. First, make sure your butter is softened before you begin. This helps it cream properly with the sugar, giving the cake a light and tender texture.
When adding the flour mixture, be careful not to overmix the batter. The batter is quite thick, which is exactly what you want as it helps support the pieces of apple and creates those lovely layers of brown sugar and cinnamon throughout the cake.
I also recommend letting the cake cool completely before adding the maple icing. The icing comes together in just a minute or two, and drizzling it over the cooled cake gives you that beautiful finish without it melting straight into the cake.
Pick up all these fall ingredients at Langley Farm Market
Langley Farm Market is your one-stop-shop for all of your fall baking needs! You can pick up all of these ingredients, including local honeycrisp apples, spices, and baking essentials at your local Langley Farm Market. Check out a location near you, pick up the ingredients, and turn them into this seasonal homemade Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing.
Get the Recipe: Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing
Get the Recipe: Honeycrisp Apple Coffee Cake with Maple Icing
Ingredients
For the Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Mixture:
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Cake:
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple peeled, cut into 1-centimetre cubes
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk 2%
- 1/2 cup sour cream full fat
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
For the Maple Icing:
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
Preheat the oven and prepare the pan:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Grease an 8-inch spring-form pan with butter. Set aside.
Make the Brown Sugar-Cinnamon mixture:
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix until combined. Set aside.
Prepare the apples:
- Peel the apple and remove the core. Dice into 1-centimetre cubes. Set aside.
Mix the wet ingredients:
- Add the butter and white sugar to a large mixing bowl. Cream the butter and white sugar on high speed for 1 minute until fluffy using a hand mixer (or use a stand mixer). Add the egg and beat to combine. Add the vanilla, milk and sour cream, and mix to combine again. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Mix the batter and layer:
- Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Then add the apples and remaining flour mixture and mix to combine again. Do not overmix the batter.
- Pour the half of the cake batter into the greased spring-form pan and use a spatula to level the batter in one even layer. The batter will be thick and it may be helpful to use an ice cream scoop to divide and distribute the batter in the pan.
- Sprinkle three-quarters of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the cake.
- Add the remaining cake batter on top and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the top of the cake.
To bake:
- Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the cake is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before unmoulding. Let it cool completely before adding the maple icing.
For the Maple Icing:
- Whisk the icing sugar and maple syrup in a bowl until smooth. Add more icing sugar or maple syrup to adjust to your desired consistency.
- Drizzle evenly over the fully cooled cake. Let the icing harden for 15 minutes, then cut and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The consistency of the maple icing can vary depending on humidity and moisture levels. Start by adding the noted amount of maple syrup and adjust from there (adding more maple syrup to loosen the icing or more icing sugar to thicken the icing). The icing should be on the thick side. See the video for the consistency to aim for.
- Storage instructions: Store wrapped in plastic wrap or in a cake stand at room temperature. The cake will last for 3 to 4 days.