Savor the charm of this vintage apple coffee cake recipe, a classic creation that embodies the essence of nostalgia. This delightful cake features a moist and tender crumb infused with the warm embrace of apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Each bite brings you the comforting flavors of a bygone era, wrapped in the sweet embrace of simplicity and tradition.
Coffee cake is a delicious dessert that often confuses people because the sweet treat doesn’t contain coffee. Much like a tea cake in England is a cake that you eat with tea but doesn’t actually contain tea, coffee cake got its name because you eat it with coffee.
It’s thought that the timeline for coffee cake started during the 16th century when Ottoman coffee houses started serving coffee as a social ritual. These coffee houses were the inspiration for coffee houses in the 17th century in Vienna where cakes being served with coffee got their start.
While looking through vintage cookbooks and vintage magazines I have noticed a lot of different coffee cake recipes. Their popularity during the mid-century likely had a lot to do with the fact that people entertained at home more often.
It wasn’t unusual to have a friend or neighbor over for a cup of tea or coffee and homemakers wanted something sweet to offer their guests as well and a coffee cake would have been a great option.
In my house, I started the tradition of serving coffee cake on Thanksgiving morning. I was tired of hearing “when will food be ready” while I cooked up all the food so I made a coffee cake that people could nibble on while I made the Thanksgiving meal. The coffee cake I make is a cinnamon coffee cake with cream cheese icing. It’s delicious and something my husband looks forward to every year.
While I think cinnamon coffee cake is what a lot of us think of when we think of coffee cake I have found in my reading of vintage recipes that there are so many more options! A few years ago I shared a lemon coffee cake that is delicious and perfect for the summer months and now I want to share an apple coffee cake recipe that is perfect for the fall months.
How to Make Apple Coffee Cake
This vintage apple coffee cake recipe was originally found in an issue of Better Homes and Garden magazine from the 1950s. Like with many vintage recipes, the instructions were vague.
After years of using vintage recipes, I have a pretty good idea of what they mean in these vague recipes so I’ve turned it into an easier-to-use recipe that is still just as delicious!
Scroll down to find the full recipe card. There is a printable version as well!
You will need these ingredients:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Apples
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
One thing you will find with most vintage recipes, the ingredients are things you likely already have on hand. If you don’t have all the ingredients you can make it easy by having them delivered by Instacart. You can even get free delivery on your first 3 orders.
Before you get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. It won’t take long to get this dish ready to go in the oven so if your oven takes a long time to heat up turn it on a little bit before starting to put this together.
While you start mixing your dry ingredients go ahead and melt your butter so it’s ready to go at that step.
Now, sift your flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl. Add in your eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter, and mix until combined. Pour into an 8-inch greased baking dish.
Slice your apples, if you like very thin slices of apple you will only likely need one apple, if you like thick pieces you may need two.
Place the apple slices along the top of the coffee cake in a V design. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar and then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.
Apple Coffee Cake Variations
This recipe is a very simple and delicious one but you can also mix it up. Another delicious option would be to pour half the batter into the dish, add thin apple slices and half the brown sugar, and top with the other half of the batter and more apples and brown sugar.
You can also make an icing to drizzle over the top when it’s done to bring it to another level. It’s a really easy recipe to change up.
Vintage Apple Coffee Cake Recipe
Vintage apple coffee cake features a moist and tender crumb infused with the warm embrace of apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup butter (melted)
- 1 medium tart apple (sliced, unpeeled)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- cinnamon (to taste)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Sift flour, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl.
- Add eggs, milk, vanilla, and melted butter, mix until combined.
- Pour into an 8-inch baking dish.
- Place the apple wedges on the top of the cake in a V pattern.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and then cinnamon.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 285Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Leave a Reply