Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake Recipe

I’m not a morning person. But I rolled out of bed at 6:30 am just to bake my sister a cake before leaving NYC.

The picture my sister sent me after I left, I never got to try it rip.

Her love language is gifts. Mine is acts of service. So when we see each other, it’s always this fun trade: she’s shoving teas and pastries into my hands the second I drop my bag, and I leave her something home-baked.

This time, it was a brown-butter apple coffee cake. I browned the butter (the smell alone woke me up), whisked it into a spiced batter, folded in apple chunks, and topped it with a buttery streusel.

By 8 am, her apartment smelled like cinnamon apples and cake. I actually left before it was done, texting her when to take it out of the oven. She messaged me later that it tasted good, which is all I needed to read to bring a smile to my face.

I modified this recipe to make my sister this lovely apple coffee cake!

Brown Butter Apple Coffee Cake Recipe

This brown butter apple coffee cake is tender, warmly spiced, and filled with soft apples and a buttery crumb topping. This is great for a late breakfast with tea or coffee, as a dessert, or gifting to someone you love. The addition of Greek or coconut yogurt keeps the texture moist and light, and the sugar is slightly reduced, so the apples really shine.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ cup salted butter, browned & cooled

• ½ cup granulated sugar (reduced)

• ¼ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup Greek or coconut yogurt, room temp

• 2 eggs, room temp

• 2 tbsp oil (olive or neutral)

• 2 tbsp milk of choice

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Apple Filling

• 4 medium apples, peeled & thinly sliced

• 3 tbsp brown sugar (less sweet)

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• ½ cup brown sugar (reduced)

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 6 tbsp salted butter, room temp

Instructions

1. Preheat & Prep Pan

   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9″ cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.

2. Brown Butter

   In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until golden amber and nutty-smelling. Let cool slightly.

3. Apple Filling

   In a medium pot, cook apples with brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until slightly softened. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 1–2 min until thickened. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Set aside to cool.

4. Crumb Topping

   Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl. Mix until crumbly and refrigerate until ready.

5. Cake Batter

   Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk browned butter with sugars, yogurt, eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Fold dry into wet just until combined.

6. Assemble

   Spread batter in the pan. Top with cooled apple filling, then sprinkle crumb topping evenly.

7. Bake

   Bake 45–55 min until the crumb top is golden, and a toothpick comes out cleanish. Cool at least 15 min before slicing.

Tips for Success

• Use tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp; they hold up well and balance sweetness!

• Don’t overmix the batter; keep it light and tender.

• Enjoy warm on its own, or with a scoop of yogurt if you prefer something lighter than ice cream.

1 Peter 4:10: ‘As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.’ Even something as simple as a coffee cake can be a way of loving well.”