Recipe: Apple-Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Spiced Brown Butter Glaze

  This recipe is a moist, fruity alternative to your average coffee cake. Apples and cinnamon replace the traditional nut and spice filling, making this a better option where nut allergies may be a concern. The optional Spiced Brown Butter glaze compliments the fruit with a creamy, caramel-y flavor.




  A healthier version of this delicious coffee cake can be made by skipping the glaze, replacing butter with margarine, and using low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt. Serve topped with fresh fruit, yogurt, or a combination of both.




For the Filling:
1/2 cup (113 g) packed brown sugar
2 small to medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tbsp (14 g) ground cinnamon




For the Cake:
3 cups (665 g) all purpose flour
2 tsp (28 g) baking powder
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 mL) baking soda
3/4 tsp (6.5 mL) salt
1 1/2 cups (337.5 g)granulated sugar
3/4 cup (170 g) butter (1 1/2 sticks) or margarine, softened
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (337.5 g) sour cream




For the Spiced Brown Butter Glaze:
1/4 cup (56.7 g) butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups (454 g) powdered sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla*
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp (28 g) milk**

If you're not good at following recipe directions, or you're new to baking, click here for a step by step tutorial!




Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F (176.6 C).

1. Combine the ingredients for the filling in a small mixing bowl. Toss to coat the apples, then set the mixture aside.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup (170 g) and 1 1/2 cups (337.5 g) sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in about 1/4 of the sifted dry ingredients, then 1/4 of the sour cream. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and sour cream until completely blended. Scrape the bowl as you work to completely incorporate ingredients.

3. In a greased 12 cup (2.8 L) Bundt or angel food cake pan, spread about 1/3 of the batter. Top with about 1/3 of the filling mixture. Continue alternating batter and filling, using about 1/3 of the mixture in each layer. Place the cake pan on a cookie sheet for easy handling and clean up in case of spills.

4. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. A knife or toothpick inserted will come out clean when done. Allow to cool on a wire rack, then invert on a plate. Prepare glaze while cake is baking.

Spiced Brown Butter Glaze:

1. Melt 1/4 cup (56.7 g) butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until golden brown in color, swirling pan or stirring constantly.


2. Remove from heat, whisk in powdered sugar and extract*.


3. Whisk in milk, 1 tsp (5 mL) at a time**. Drizzle hot glaze over cooled cake. Glaze will harden as it cools.

*For a variation, try using lemon, coconut, or any other choice of extract, or use apple juice to replace extract and milk.

**Depending on humidity levels, the amount of milk you use may be more or less than this measurement. Add until the glaze is runny enough to drizzle over cake.