Apple Crumb Coffee Cakes

Another great recipe from the Thanksgiving Issue of Food & Wine is the Apple Crumb Coffee Cakes. I made less changes than with the Crab Cakes, and it turned out fabulous. Although, I only ate one!

Ingredients

Streusel

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup light brown sugar

½ tsp salt

5 tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Crumb Cakes

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

1 ½ tsps baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¾ cup sour cream

1 large egg, beaten

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely diced

Preheat the oven to 350°. In the mixing bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, combine the flour with the brown sugar and salt. Add the butter pieces and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal; continue mixing the streusel until very small clumps form. The Food & Wine recipe recommended a standing mixer. That may have been easier, but I think the hand mixer would do the job just as well.  Transfer the streusel to a large plate and refrigerate until it is well chilled, about 10 minutes.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. Spray the liners with vegetable oil cooking spray. In the mixer bowl, combine the flour with the granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

Add the butter pieces and beat at low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the sour cream and beaten egg and beat until the batter is smooth. Add the diced apple and beat just until incorporated.

Fill the muffin cups halfway with the crumb cake batter. Press the streusel into clumps and sprinkle on top. 

Bake the crumb cakes in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until risen, golden and springy to the touch; rotate the pans halfway through baking.

The crumb cakes came out great! They were a big hit for dessert and even for breakfast the next morning. I realize more and more how easy and enjoyable baking can be.  I sense a cake somewhere in the near future.

Hungry yet?