Spiced Apple Coffee Cake (GF)

Coffee cake is one of my favorite ways to begin a day, and this Spiced Apple Coffee Cake is outstanding. Filled with all the flavors you love, especially during the Fall, this coffee cake will satisfy and delight your entire family and house guests. It is so good you can serve it anytime of the day, even for dessert!

I love the smell of cinnamon and spices as they bake, filling the house with amazing aromas. This cake smells incredible as it bakes and you will have a hard time waiting for it to cool before you can slice a piece to enjoy. You will want to share this with family and friends otherwise you may inhale the whole thing like I almost did, LOL. 

Hot from the oven! My bundt pan has handles that are really helpful!

This cake is even better the second day so bake it ahead and save time in the morning. The best part of breakfast will already be done and you just have to quickly put the rest of it together. A fruit salad would be lovely with it and can be made ahead too, making your morning even easier!

Another thing you can do ahead is to reduce the apple cider. Place 1 cup in a small saucepan and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup. This intensifies the flavor and really enhances your coffee cake!

This is a sticky cake so be sure to butter the insides (including the center column) liberally and use more flour than normal to coat the butter. If the cake doesn’t release easily, you can use a dull knife or plastic spreader to run around the edges and the center column and try again.

Even if your pan is nonstick, still butter and flour it. My pan is nonstick and I still had some areas that stuck, even with the butter and flour coating I gave it. I needed to be more careful and certainly will be next time!

The flecks in the glaze are from vanilla paste I used to flavor it.

My pan features handles on two sides making it much easier to move the pan around in and out of the oven and while I am inverting the cake onto a wire rack for cooling. So helpful!

Bundt cakes make cake baking easy and beautiful. I have several pans with different designs that bring interest to my desserts and baking projects. The only challenge with bundt pans is testing the cake for doneness. It takes a long skewer to get to the center because they are tall/deep. Another way that is more accurate is to use an instant read thermometer. Most cakes are done when they hit about 210°F (99°C). It is much easier to use a thermometer in bundt cakes!

Another sign the cake is done is when it pulls away from the edges of the pan. This will also make it much easier to remove the cake from the bundt pan.

I used Honeycrisp apples in this Spiced Apple Coffee Cake and they are wonderful! Just tart enough to balance the sweetness of the cake. It makes for a beautiful delicacy.

I used a large bundt pan and wound up with a somewhat short cake. Pick a smaller volume pan if you want a taller cake. Shorter cakes will cook more quickly than taller ones so watch them and pull the cake when it is close to being done and the sides are beginning to pull away from the edges. You can always put it back in the oven if needed!

If you decide to make a glaze I have included a great one. If you want to emphasize the apple flavor you can use more reduced apple cider instead of vanilla. Just reduce some extra when you’re reducing it for the cake and you’ll have everything you need.

This coffee cake is luscious, packed with fresh apples and spices with a sweet glaze over the top that balances everything. This is a wonderful treat in the morning or after-school sweet snack!

I hope you give this beautiful Spiced Apple Coffee Cake a try and get a round of applause from your family and friends. It is delightful and delicious, just what you want to begin any day of the week!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for Spiced Apple Coffee Cake:

• Filling: brown sugar, flour*, cinnamon, butter, nuts
• Cake: butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour*, xanthan gum (if using), baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, buttermilk, apple cider**, apples, golden raisins, white chocolate

PRO Tip:

Butter the bundt pan really well and coat thoroughly with gluten-free flour* before beginning to make the cake batter. You’ll need the coating to be sure the cake doesn’t stick. Even if your bundt pan is nonstick, still butter and flour the pan!

How to make Spiced Apple Coffee Cake:

1. Liberally butter and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
2. Make the Filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour*, cinnamon, and nuts, mixing with a fork. Add the melted butter and mix until crumbly; set aside.
3. Prepare the Cake: Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. In a bowl, whisk together the flour*, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices; set aside.
4. Combine the buttermilk and reduced apple cider**; set aside. Now add the dry and wet ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating between the two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat just until incorporated after each addition.
5. Fold in the apples, raisins, and white chocolate chips with a spatula. Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt pan, top with all of the filling, spreading it out over the batter. Pour remaining batter into the pan and smooth the top.
6. Bake the Cake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 60 to 70 minutes until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. The center should register about 210°F (99°C) on an instant read thermometer.
7. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Then invert it onto the rack and remove the pan. Let the cake finish cooling completely for a couple of hours before serving.
8. If you want a glaze you can make one and pour it over the top of the fully cooled cake. Let it set up before slicing.

PRO Tip:

You can change the kinds of spices and the amounts if you want. Use the flavors you love the most!

PRO Tip:

If you want to add a glaze for the top, whisk together powdered sugar, a little cream or milk, vanilla, and melted butter until you get the consistency you are looking for. Pour over the top of the cooled coffee cake and enjoy! Here is a great recipe from Homemade in the Kitchen! I tripled the recipe to be sure I had enough to cover the whole cake generously.

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen scale
• Chef’s knife
• Small saucepan (for reducing apple cider)
• Bundt pan
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Instant read thermometer

* You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of flour or regular flour, whisk it, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial gluten-free blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

** If you want to make your own quickie version of boiled cider with a much more intense apple flavor than regular apple cider, making it worth the effort to make it. Take 1 cup of fresh cider and pour it into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat a bit and continue boiling until the cider has reduced down to about 1/4 cup. Let it cool before using. Can be made a day or two ahead.

You will get the best and most consistent results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking.

Penzeys.com and McCormick spices are clearly labeled and nearly all are gluten-free. Be sure to check the ingredients before adding them.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Continue to Content

Yield: about 10 servings

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake (GF)

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Coffee cake is one of my favorite ways to begin a day, and this Spiced Apple Coffee Cake is a wonderful treat. Filled with all the flavors you love, especially during the Fall, this coffee cake will satisfy and thrill your entire family and house guests. It is so good you can serve it anytime of the day, even for dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Ingredients

Filling

• 3/4 cup (160g) firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (40g*) gluten-free all-purpose flour blend* or regular all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup (57g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (57g) finely chopped pecans or your favorite nuts

Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113g) salted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (100g), at room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2-2/3 cups (320g*) gluten-free all-purpose flour* or regular all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (use only if your GF flour doesn’t contain it)
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp EACH ground nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom (cardamom is optional)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3/4 cup (177 ml) buttermilk
• 1/4 cup (59 ml) fresh apple cider or boiled cider**
• 4 to 5 medium semi-tart apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped, about 2-1/4 cups (532 ml)
• 2/3 cup (99g) golden raisins
• 3/4 cup (6 oz; 133g) mini white chocolate chips (optional)

Glaze (optional)

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tbsp salted butter, melted
• If the butter is unsalted add a pinch of kosher salt
• About 3 tbsp whole milk or more if needed
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or more reduced apple cider

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter and flour* a smoother designed bundt pan really well – don’t skimp on either the butter or flour* so the coffee cake will release easily! Set aside.

2. Make the Filling: Combine the brown sugar, flour*, and cinnamon in a bowl with a fork. Add in the melted butter and mix until it is thoroughly moistened and crumbly. Mix in the nuts. Set aside.

3. Prepare the Cake: In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat on med-low speed until lighter in color and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined. Scrape the bowl again.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour*, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Set aside.

5. In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and apple cider/boiled cider** and set aside.

6. Alternating dry and wet ingredients, add a little of the flour mixture then some of the buttermilk mixture to the bowl with the butter/egg mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on low speed just until incorporated after each addition.

7. Gently fold in the apples, raisins, and white chocolate chips (if using) with a spatula.

8. Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Spread the filling evenly over the batter and pour in the remaining batter. Smooth the top with a spatula.

9. Bake the Cake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 60 to 70 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. The center should register about 210°F (99°C) on an instant read thermometer. When done, the sides will begin to pull away from the edges of the pan.

10. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes. Then flip the hot pan onto a wire rack, inverting it, and if the cake doesn’t fall out immediately, carefully shake it until it releases. Remove the pan and leave the cake on the wire rack to finish cooling. Let cool completely before slicing, about two hours. Feel inside the center column to be sure there is no lingering heat. Carefully transfer the cake to a platter for serving. This cake is even better the second day so bake ahead and save time on the day of your party. Glaze if desired.***

11. Make the Glaze (optional): In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, melted butter, 3 tbsp milk, and the vanilla. If needed, slowly whisk in a little more milk until you get a pourable consistency. You may not need to add additional milk. Mine was perfect at 3 tbsp.

12. To test for consistency, take a spoonful of glaze and drizzle it back into the bowl. It should leave a ribbon on the top for a few seconds before blending back into the glaze. If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar; too thick, add more milk.

13. Pour over the cooled cake as desired – it will run down the sides beautifully. Let harden at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com

Notes

* You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

You will get the best results by using a digital kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients, especially when you are baking. Your baking will be more accurate and consistent.

** Boiled cider has a much more intense apple flavor than regular apple cider, making it worth the time to reduce it. Take 1 cup of fresh cider and pour it into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then continue boiling until the cider has reduced down to about 1/4 cup, about 9 minutes. Let it cool before using. Can be made a day or two ahead. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

*** If you want a beautiful vanilla glaze for the coffee cake, check out this recipe from Homemade in the Kitchen. I tripled it today to make enough to heavily coat my apple coffee cake.

Penzeys.com and McCormick spices are clearly labeled and most are gluten-free. Be sure to check labels before consuming.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

Cake adapted from a recipe by From Cupcakes to Caviar
Glaze adapted from a recipe by Homemade in the Kitchen

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 664Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 335mgCarbohydrates: 118gFiber: 6gSugar: 59gProtein: 10g

The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.

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