Apple Crumb Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• For the crumb: 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• For the cake: 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, soft
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 medium apples, peeled and diced small
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch square pan (or line it with parchment).
2. For the crumb, stir the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together, then mix in the melted butter until clumpy. Chill while you make the cake.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, 3 minutes, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
4. Mix in half the dry ingredients, then the sour cream, then the rest of the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Toss the apples with the cinnamon. Spread half the batter in the pan, scatter over half the apples, then spread on the rest of the batter and top with the remaining apples.
6. Break the crumb into pea-sized and larger pieces over the top. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.

TipChilling the crumb mixture before you sprinkle it keeps big buttery clumps on top instead of sandy patches.