Meta Description: This Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake is incredibly moist and flavorful! Featuring a tender sour cream cake, juicy fresh apple chunks, and a rich maple pecan streusel, it’s the ultimate easy crumble coffee cake recipe.
The Essential Fall Ritual: Why Coffee Cake is Always the Answer
There’s a special type of cake in the world that manages to be appropriate for every hour of the day. It’s too comforting for dessert, too decadent for a simple snack, and yet perfectly suited for a leisurely breakfast. That, my friends, is the coffee cake. When the weather cools, and the harvest season hits, the perfect easy crumble coffee cake recipe becomes absolutely vital.
My annual pilgrimage to the apple orchard always ends with a pile of beautiful, crisp apples and a serious craving for that warm, spiced, crumbly goodness. Traditional apple cake is lovely, but I wanted something with multiple layers of texture: a tender cake, a ribbon of juicy fruit, and a generous, buttery crumble.
This recipe for Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake is the result of years of perfecting that vision. It replaces the plain butter with sour cream for an impossibly moist cake batter and uses a blend of brown sugar and pure maple syrup for a rich, caramel-like sweetness. The hero is the maple pecan streusel—we don’t just sprinkle it on top; we layer it in the middle and on the top, ensuring every slice has a burst of crunchy, nutty flavor. It’s an apple pecan crumble unlike any other, guaranteeing a spectacular breakfast or brunch centerpiece. 🍎🍁
🎂 The Core Recipe: Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake
The key to this moist cake batter is the addition of sour cream, which lends incredible tenderness, and balancing the spices so they enhance the fresh apple flavor without overpowering it.
✅ Ingredients List
For the ultimate moist texture and best rise, ensure your wet ingredients (eggs and sour cream) are at room temperature. Use a firm, tart apple variety like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
Part 1: The Maple Pecan Streusel
- 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 cup Pecans, coarsely chopped
Part 2: The Moist Cake Batter
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Sour Cream (or plain Greek yogurt), room temperature
- 1 large Apple, peeled, cored, and finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Part 3: The Maple Glaze (Optional)
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
- 1-2 Tablespoons Milk (or heavy cream)
⏱️ Prep Time & Cook Time Summary
| Metric | Time |
| Prep Time | 25 minutes |
| Bake Time | 50–60 minutes |
| Cooling Time | 1 hour |
| Total Time | ~2 hours 35 minutes |
| Yield | 1 (9×13-inch) cake, 12 servings |
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Baking Instructions
We employ a layering technique to ensure the crumble topping runs beautifully through the center of the cake, maximizing flavor in every bite.
- Prep and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Make the Streusel: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt for the streusel. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips to cut the cold butter into the mixture until coarse crumbs form. Stir in the pecans. Place the bowl in the refrigerator while you make the batter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the cake batter. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Mix Batter and Fruit: Gently mix in half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Then, mix in all of the sour cream. Finally, fold in the remaining dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Gently fold in the diced apple. Do not overmix!
- Layer and Bake: Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over the batter. Carefully spread the remaining cake batter over the streusel layer. Top with the remaining streusel mixture.
- Final Bake: Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for at least one hour.
- Glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, and milk together until smooth to make the glaze. Drizzle over the cooled cake before slicing.
🌟 Pro Tips and Delicious Variations
This Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake is perfect for your next fall breakfast. These tips focus on the science of coffee cake to ensure a lofty, tender crumb.
💡 Secrets to a Tender, High-Quality Cake
- The Sour Cream Advantage: Sour cream (or full-fat Greek yogurt) adds acidity, which reacts with the baking soda to give the cake a tender, moist crumb. Its high fat content also prevents the cake from drying out.
- Cold Streusel/Cold Butter: Keeping the butter cold in the streusel is critical. When the cold butter melts in the hot oven, it releases steam, creating those distinct, crunchy crumble layers we love in a good apple pecan crumble.
- Use Room Temperature Eggs: Room temperature eggs emulsify better with the fat, creating a smoother batter that holds more air, resulting in a lighter, fluffier cake.
- Don’t Overmix: Overmixing develops gluten, which makes the cake dense. Stop mixing as soon as the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
🌰 Flavor & Ingredient Swaps
Customize your easy crumble coffee cake recipe for any season or occasion.
- Nut Swaps: The pecans can be substituted with walnuts or slivered almonds. For a nut-free version, substitute with a mixture of rolled oats and extra flour.
- Fruit Swaps: Use fresh peaches and a touch of ginger in the summer, or cranberries and orange zest in the winter. Simply swap the diced apple for an equal amount of your chosen fruit.
- Make it Milder: For a less heavily spiced cake, reduce the cinnamon and omit the nutmeg/allspice in the cake batter, keeping the heavier spice focus only in the crumble.
- Cream Cheese Filling: For a decadent center, mix 4 oz of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread this mixture as the middle layer instead of the streusel.
❓ Troubleshooting Common Questions & Storage
- Why did my streusel sink? This happens if the cake batter was too thin (usually from over-mixing) or if the streusel butter wasn’t cold enough. Make sure to cream the butter and sugar correctly and fold the batter gently.
- Is this a good make-ahead dessert? Yes! This cake is excellent for meal prep. Store the cooled cake, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cake texture actually improves slightly the next day.
- Can I use canned fruit? It’s best to use fresh apple. Canned fruit often contains too much moisture and can make the cake heavy or soggy.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions & Perfect Pairings
This Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake is a celebratory dish. Serve it warm with simple, classic accompaniments.
The Ultimate Morning Setup
- Whipped Cream: Serve warm slices topped with a dollop of fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream (if serving as dessert).
- Salted Butter: A warm slice with a generous pat of salted butter is the perfect way to enjoy the cake for breakfast. The salt beautifully contrasts the maple sweetness.
- Yogurt Parfait: Pair a small slice with a scoop of plain Greek yogurt for a protein boost and a tangy contrast.
Beverage Pairing
The rich spices and dark sweetness pair beautifully with strong, hot beverages.
- Coffee: A strong, dark roast coffee or a creamy latte is the traditional and perfect accompaniment, cutting through the richness of the butter and sour cream.
- Spiced Cider: A mug of hot, mulled apple cider enhances the spice notes of the cake.
🥗 Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
This table provides estimated nutritional values for one serving, assuming the recipe yields 12 servings and includes the optional Maple Glaze. Values can vary based on the fat content of the sour cream and the size of the apples.
| Component | Amount |
| Calories | 480 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 65 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 45 g |
| Sodium | 320 mg |
Your Perfect Fall Bake is Ready!
You now have the definitive recipe for the most tender, flavorful Maple Pecan Apple Coffee Cake. This easy crumble coffee cake recipe is your secret weapon for the fall and winter seasons, delivering a melt-in-your-mouth texture, juicy fresh apple chunks, and a perfect maple pecan streusel layer.
Remember the simple secrets: sour cream for moisture, and cold butter for the flakiest crumble! This cake is guaranteed to be a hit.
Go ahead, try the recipe today! Did you go heavy on the pecans, or did you use the cream cheese filling hack? Share your baking triumph! 😋
