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Cream Cheese Apple Coffee Cake

Cream cheese apple coffee cake with cinnamon apples and a buttery streusel topping baked until golden and set. Cream cheese layer ribbons through the cake for a tender crumb and gooey, spiced apple center.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
For cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For apple layer
  • 2 cup apples diced
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
For streusel
  • 0.5 cup flour
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup cold butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the oven and make streusel
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then grease a 9x13 dish and set it aside.
  2. Make streusel by combining flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in the cold butter until crumbly with visible small clumps.
Prepare the cream cheese and apple layers
  1. Beat the cream cheese layer ingredients until smooth, stopping when the mixture looks glossy and fully blended.
  2. Toss the apple layer ingredients together until the diced apples are evenly coated with sugar and cinnamon.
Mix the cake batter and assemble
  1. Beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla until the batter looks uniform.
  2. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream, stopping once no dry streaks remain for a thick, spreadable batter.
  3. Spread the batter in the pan, then dollop the cream cheese over the surface and spread gently so swirls form.
  4. Top with the cinnamon apples, then scatter the streusel over everything so the peaks and crumbs sit on top.
Bake
  1. Bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with no wet batter.

Notes

For clean slices and a firmer cream cheese layer, cool the coffee cake for at least 20 minutes before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze slices wrapped well for up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream—texture will be slightly softer but still holds a creamy layer.