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This Salted Bourbon Apple Crumble Coffee Cake is fall baked up into a sweet little cake, infused with warming autumn spices, bourbon, and swirled with crisp autumn apples. This cake is no fuss, easy to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Every bite is layered with sweet cinnamon streusel, apples, and bourbon-vanilla coffee cake crumbs. Finish with a light drizzle of sweet glaze for a cake that no one can turn down…breakfast or dessert.
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I’m taking a pause from all the pumpkin recipes to bring back an autumn apple recipe! Once October hits I feel like we can all get sidetracked by baking (and cooking) with so much pumpkin. It’s easy to do, something about baking with pumpkin just feels so quintessentially perfect in October.
But, I’m here to remind us all that it’s still very much apple season. And we can’t forget about baking with fall apples too!
Enter this cake. It’s honestly one of the more delicious recipes I’ve baked up all month.
Here are the details
There are three steps to this cake…the batter, the streusel, and the glaze. The batter is pretty simple but has a few special ingredients: apple butter, apple cider, bourbon, apples, and a bit of sour cream to give the cake a perfect moist crumble.
Simply mix together the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then add in the dry…very simple, nothing fancy.
For the middle of the cake, you’ll need to make a streusel. You’ll also need some Honeycrisp apples. For this cake, I opted out of any creamy cheese, as I wanted the flavors of the apples and bourbon to really shine through.
I swirled the middle of the cake with chopped apples and then added a layer of streusel mixture.
For the very top of the cake, I like to arrange a few apple slices around the cake. Then I finish it off with streusel. It’s so delicious and perfect atop this apple cake.
Now on to that glaze
I don’t love a straight powdered sugar glaze. I find it to be pretty bland, and really, it’s just too sugary for my taste.
With this glaze, I wanted it to be exciting, but not overpowering. I wanted the flavors within the glaze to help highlight the flavors in the cake. Apples pair so well with maple. They help to make this my favorite buttery glaze. The bourbon adds a warmth and richness to the glaze, and the small pinch of salt ties it all together.
Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when drizzled over this warm cake.
Insanely delish.
When everything is combined into one cake, you have a truly special fall apple cake. Make it today for something sweet tonight. But don’t forget about it when Thanksgiving rolls around next month as well.
It makes for a great brunch cake too!
We all really loved this. Especially my dad, who highly agreed that the apples really do make this cake.
Looking for other apple fall recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Maple Icing
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Chewy Brown Sugar Maple Cookies
Lastly, if you make this Salted Bourbon Apple Crumble Coffee Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Salted Bourbon Apple Crumble Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1/4 cup bourbon, (or more cider)
Streusel
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, grated
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples, plus 1 small apple, thinly sliced
Glaze
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch bundt pan.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the sour cream, apple butter, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly mix in the apple cider and bourbon until just combined, being careful not to overmix.3. To make the streusel. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until a crumble forms.4. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the apples over the batter, sprinkle half the crumble over the apples. Spoon the remaining batter over in an even layer. Evenly layer on the apple slices, then top with the remaining streusel mix.5. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 30 minutes and then invert the cake onto a plate, flipping it back upright onto a serving plate.6. To make the glaze, add the butter and maple to a small pot set over medium heat to melt. Whisk in the powdered sugar, bourbon, and salt. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and let set 10 minutes. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Keep cake stored, covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan!
Thank you for this great recipe. I read your blog everyday and you’ve been a huge inspiration to my cooking.
I am concerned that with the Bundt pan I have it would look funny for the top of the cake to be the open side as it seems you did. Would it be okay to put the streusel on the very inside of the pan and then put the batter so the streusel is on the top since the Bundt bakes upside down?
Thank you!
This pan looks like what we call an angel food pan…straight with a hole in the middle.
I didn’t have any problem flipping the cake back over after it set and it looked perfect!
Hey Danielle! Thanks so much for your kind comment! Yes, you can definitely put the streusel on the inside of the pan, I’m sure that would turn out great! 🙂 xTieghan
If I made this in a rectangular baking dish would you adjust the recipe at all?
Hey Nicole! That should work just fine 🙂 xTieghan
I have a pan of 6 mini bundts, any idea on baking temp/time with this recipe?
Hi there! I’m so sorry I haven’t made it with mini bundts, but I would suggest baking at 400 degrees and start out with 30-40 mins, but keep a close eye on it. xTieghan
The combo of apples and bourbon and maple – incredible! I am not a bourbon drinker but absolutely love the flavor in baking. I forgot to get apple cider at my local orchard so juiced a fresh honeycrisp apple – it did the trick!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
This was beautiful! I loved everything about this coffee cake, the glaze is reminiscent of a warm crackling fire and the moist cake to crunchy crumble ratio is amazing. I used Crown Apple Vanilla instead of bourbon and pecan apple butter instead of apple butter; it was perfect! Seriously the most wonderful fall dessert!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Made this to take to a bourbon tasting! Very impressive cake!
Is there something I can use as a substitute for apple butter? I can’t find it here where I live.
Thanks!
Hi there! I would use applesauce 🙂 xTieghan
Has anyone baked in loaf pans yet? Looking for temp/time guidelines! Thx.
Hi Laura! I haven’t tested it with loaf pans yet, but I would follow the time that the recipe calls for and keep an eye on it 🙂 xTieghan
This cake has got to be my new favorit! I substituted a 1to1 GF flour and it turned out amazing!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
Hello,
This recipe looks amazing. Could I use a loaf pan instead of the Bundt pan?
Thank you for your recipes.
I used a 8×8 square and it worked perfectly. I found that it did rise some so you would probably want to split it between two loaf pans.
Did you do the same time as the Bundt pan?!
Hi there! Yes, definitely! It may even make two loaves 🙂 xTieghan
Can I substitute maple butter for the apple butter?
I’m using apple sauce and a tsp of allspice… could not track down apple butter. We shall see how it goes!
Yes! 🙂 xTieghan
Looks awesome, but I don’t see the coffee in the ingredients list, so why call it coffee cake?
Coffee cakes are simply a cake made to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee. There are all different types of coffee cake which may or may not have coffee as an ingredient.
Hi there! It’s just the type of cake, even though there is no coffee in it, it is considered to be a “coffee cake” because of the streusel and many people enjoy it with coffee! Sorry for the confusion 🙂 xTieghan
Is there a substitute for the apple butter? Thanks!!!
Apple sauce! 🙂 xTieghan
Where can we get the cake pan you used for the Apple Crumble cake?
How big is the form? 24 cm? 🙂 looks so yummy!
Plenary of these Swans Down cake pans on Ebay
Hi there! I’m so sorry, I don’t have a link for it! However, here is one that I love!
https://www.crateandbarrel.com/nordic-ware-anniversary-bundt-pan/s671897?localedetail=US&a=1552&campaignid=751206882&adgroupid=43087155321&targetid=pla-828210599696&pla_sku=671897&pcat=HSW&ag=adult&scid=scplp671897&sc_intid=671897&gclid=CjwKCAjw_L6LBhBbEiwA4c46uukxUJZOCs1r8QejGwNh-R27aSAykJaYBfNN8dptAH_Fe1dRCJNvUBoCAVEQAvD_BwE
xTieghan
Thank you so much for your response!! I appreciate it so much??
My Bundt pan is 10”…do you have any recommendations other than to add another size to my collection?! Thanks! Using Pacific Northwest honey crisps freshly picked from my friend’s orchard!
Hi Helen! That should work just fine! Those apples sound delish, I hope you enjoy 🙂 xTieghan
Hi. Could I get a difference between sea salt kosher salt and regular salt?
Thank you.
Hi there! Sea salt has a coarser grain than table salt and is softer than kosher salt. It has a crunchier texture and more potent flavor. Kosher salt and regular salt are pretty similar, kosher salt is just a little bit bigger in size! 🙂 xTieghan
Looks great – perfect way to use up some apples! Any sub for apple butter? It’s the one ingredient I don’t have lying around.
I now see the secret is applesauce – my computer wasn’t loading the rest of the comments. 🙂
Apple sauce or you can make your own homemade apple butter 🙂 xTieghan