This Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake is moist and delicious and packed with flavor. From the sweet cake, to the crunchy apples, it’s all topped with a glorious caramel glaze! Perfect for weekday breakfasts or weekend brunch with friends and family.
If you love today’s cake, you’ll love our clasic cinnamon roll recipe! Or give our sopapilla cheesecake a try for an easy breakfast or dessert idea!
Why This Recipe Works
Like a lot of the recipes on this blog, Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll coffee cake evolved from an earlier recipe.
I based this off of my love of this Cinnamon Cinnabon Coffee Cake. Except I channeled inspiration from an autumn favorite, Caramel Apple Nachos.
Throw in some chopped apple pieces and top it off with a generous pour of caramel sauce and you have an even more indulgent cream cheese coffee cake!
Baked in round pans with pantry friendly ingredients, this Apple Coffee Cake is begging to be included on your next brunch menu! If you’re like me, you’ll want a slice of this for breakfast every day of the week.
Like the name suggests, it’s pretty darn amazing with a cup of coffee on the side. Try it. You can thank me later.
Ingredient Notes
- Apples – Granny smith or another tart variety like pink ladies are best in this recipe. Peel and dice the apples before beginning the coffee cake recipe.
- Allspice – This addition gives a unique flavor note to the cinnamon roll filling. If desired, feel free to swap it for more cinnamon instead.
- Vanilla extract – I used my homemade vanilla extract to give the cake an even deeper vanilla taste.
Tips & Tricks
Assemble the ingredients first. There are three components to this cake: the coffee cake itself, the apple filling and the caramel glaze. It’s not complicated to make but getting your apples chopped and all your ingredients out on the counter first makes life easier for any multi-step recipe.
Grease and line your pans. I used two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper AND baking spray so the coffee cake slides out easily once its done baking. Or use my homemade cake release!
The cake tastes great warm and at room temperature. Why not try it both ways? After letting the cake cool for a few minutes, sink your teeth into a warm slice fresh from the oven. Then, let it keep cooling overnight for a ready-made breakfast the next morning.
There’s no wrong way to enjoy Cinnamon Roll Caramel Apple Coffee Cake. Be sure to try our caramel apple cupcakes next!
Easy Instructions
Prepare the coffee cake batter.
Blend the ingredients together in a stand mixer then divide evenly between two round cake pans.
Make the cinnamon roll apple filling.
Beat butter and brown sugar together, then add the spices and apples.
Assemble.
Drop the filling in scoops onto the batter in both cake pans. Swirl to lightly combine the cake batter and filling.
Bake for 30 minutes and let cool while you make the caramel topping.
STEP 3. Make the glaze
Melt the butter on the stove top and whisk in the brown sugar. Boil for one minute, then add milk and remove from the heat.
Drizzle the caramel topping over the cooled cake right away! The cake can be enjoyed immediately or stored covered until ready to eat.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend that you use a tart apple like a granny smith, fuji or pink lady. However, any apple variety will taste good!
Store this apple coffee cake covered at room temperature. A round tupperware container or cake cover is my preference so it doesn’t get sticky with caramel glaze.
You can freeze coffee cake before or after adding the glaze. The cake will keep well in the freezer for about a month.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
- Swedish Almond Cake
- Honey Bun Cake
- Waffle Recipe
- Vegetable Quiche Recipe
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
Easy Cake Recipes
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Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 ½ cup peeled diced apples
For the Glaze:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray and line bottom with parchment paper.
- In a mixer, blend flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda, milk, eggs, and vanilla until fully combined. Divide batter evenly between two cake pans.
- In same mixing bowl (no need to rinse it out), for filling, beat butter with brown sugar, cinnamon and allspice until fully combined. Fold in apples.
- Drop by cookie scoop onto batter, dividing evenly between two cake pans. Spread with a knife to smooth tops and swirl slightly.
- Bake cakes for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on serving plate.
- For the glaze, melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and bring to a boil. Whisk for one minute, then add milk. Bring back up to a boil, remove from heat.
- Whisk in powdered sugar and pour glaze immediately over warm cakes. Enjoy warm or room temperature!
Notes
- Grease and line your pans. I used two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper AND baking spray so the coffee cake slides out easily once its done baking. Or use my homemade cake release!
- The cake tastes great warm and at room temperature. Why not try it both ways? After letting the cake cool for a few minutes, sink your teeth into a warm slice fresh from the oven. Then, let it keep cooling overnight for a ready-made breakfast the next morning.
- What kind of apples should I use? I recommend that you use a tart apple like a granny smith, fuji or pink lady. However, any apple variety will taste good!
- STORAGE: Store this apple coffee cake covered at room temperature. A round tupperware container or cake cover is my preference so it doesn't get sticky with caramel glaze. You can freeze coffee cake before or after adding the glaze. The cake will keep well in the freezer for about a month.
Nutrition
Even better than a regular coffee cake is a Caramel Apple Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake! With all the flavors and aromas you love of both cinnamon rolls and caramel apples, this is the perfect autumn or winter breakfast, brunch or dessert.
Those lucky ladies in your Bible study group! Sounds like a nice time to try new coffee cake recipes for sure. I love coffee cake. I still need to get donut pans and make your strawberry donuts!
Oh yeah, you must get donut pans 🙂
This sounds so good! Think I am gonna make this for my next women’s gathering.
Is there any butter in the cake batter?
Nope! There is enough in the filling on top that it seeps through the entire cake!
I love a good coffee cake and this looks fantastic!
Wow, this looks fabulous! I love your idea of freezing one too. Great to have on hand for any unexpected guests, or just because your craving a piece of this delicious cake. 🙂
One of the saddest days in high school was the day our mall lost its Cinnabon. Even though that was over 10 years ago, I still get nostalgic when I smell cinnamon rolls. I am so thankful you posted this recipe. It looks impossibly delicious!
Oh that would be sad!!!
Super delish Aimee! One of my favorite variations of my mom’s coffee cake is apple. This is gorgeous!
I love every single flavor that is happening in this post! Caramel – apples, cinnamon rolls, coffee cake. Oh how I wish I had a big slice of this to go with my coffee tomorrow morning! 😀
I’ll trade you some of this for one of your donuts 🙂
Oh, I love this! I wish I had some now. I would love for you to share it at my link party going on now over at http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
Have a nice evening.
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
I have to make this! It would be my only food until it’s gone and I probably wouldn’t share it lol. 😉
LOL, It’s so hard to share. I get it 🙂
To get all the flavors I love in one simple cake sounds perfect! This must make the house smell like heaven (kind of appropriate for bible study 🙂 ).
Cute. Totally smiling reading your comment. And yes, the house smelled like heaven (of my dreams 🙂
What a lovely coffee cake! I love that apple filling!
Wow – this sounds like one heck of a breakfast! And that glaze…..don’t judge if I just grab a spoon!
I am not here to judge 🙂 i may have done the same myself!
That coffee cake is the bomb! I want to be in your Bible study group…I could use the studies and the cake!!!
I wish you were in my group too 🙂
This cake sounds fantastic for any time of day – I’d probably munch on it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and for a snack in between meals as well. 🙂
Thank you for linking to my cinnamon rolls miss Aimee! This cake looks unbelievable. You never cease to amaze me. This is gorgeous! PS: let me know what you decide with a new server!
This cake sounds so lovely! Awesome idea!
This cake looks divine and I love the way you can make two and freeze one! So great to not be too tempted to eat it all at once!
Freezing it works great!
You had me at Cinnamon Roll! I’m so happy that this recipes make 2 cakes – there’s never enough with just one! The added apple is a nice bonus 🙂
I love having a “spare.” Plus my kids like it too, means they get some, and my bible study group gets some!!
Thanks for linking up to my Blueberry Bread. I actually have a Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake that I made in a springform pan not 2 cake pans, but with flavors similar to this one! I have an Apple bundt that I made when you hosted Apple week last fall, too! I love this whole flavor family. Beautiful, Aimee!
Thanks Averie! I remember that Apple Bundt. YUM!