Applesauce Coffee Cake

This moist and subtly spiced Old-Fashioned Applesauce Coffee Cake is topped with a buttery pecan streusel for the perfect crunch—the best accompaniment to your morning coffee, or top it with a scoop of ice cream and serve it as a decadent dessert.

Applesauce Coffee Cake

Coffee cake is one of my favorite brunch items. There’s just something about the combination of the simple ingredients that create the soft, moist, spiced cake and a hot cup of coffee that I find irresistible. The best part of coffee cake, in my opinion, is the sweet, crunchy delicious topping. I always devour it first! 

Applesauce Coffee Cake from Scratch

Fresh, homemade applesauce makes this coffee cake nicely spiced, and super flavorful. Sometimes used as a replacement for eggs, applesauce helps create a moist cake while also adding flavor. Store-bought applesauce will work just as well but it usually doesn’t have cinnamon. Feel free to stir in half a teaspoon of cinnamon if you end up using store-bought applesauce.

If you love this applesauce coffee cake and are a huge fan of apple desserts, you are sure to love these too: Fresh Apple Cake, Apple Kuchen, and this Caramel Apple Tea Cake. 

Quick Applesauce Coffee Cake

I baked this coffee cake in a square pan, but you could also use a springform or bundt pan. Any type of pan will work, just be mindful of the baking time. 

Or, if you want an easy on-the-go breakfast or brunch option, pour the cake batter into a muffin tray. Individual applesauce coffee cake muffins are sure to complement any brunch buffet.  

Ingredients for Applesauce Coffee Cake

For complete ingredients and instructions scroll to the bottom of this post for the full printable recipe card. 

• Flour: I used all-purpose flour to make this coffee cake and for the cinnamon streusel topping.
• Brown sugar: Any type of brown sugar will help sweeten this coffee cake. I prefer brown to white sugar in this recipe.
• Butter: I used salted butter, cold, cut into chunks. Unsalted butter will also work.
• Pecans: Chopped pecans add a crunchy texture to the topping.
• Cinnamon: A touch of cinnamon adds spice to the cake and the topping.
• Baking powder/baking soda: These both give the cake its light and fluffy texture and tender crumb. 
• Eggs: Any type of egg, beaten, will help bind the cake and hold it together. 
• Cinnamon applesauce: I used homemade cinnamon applesauce for natural sweetness but you can also use store-bought. If using store-bought, look for unsweetened applesauce. 
• Vanilla: Real vanilla extract is best but artificial also works in this applesauce cake. 

Be sure to keep reading to find tips and tricks, substitutions, and answers to questions you may have about this applesauce coffee cake. 

How to make applesauce coffee cake

There are just a few steps to getting this applesauce coffee cake recipe into the oven. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×9 baking dish or square pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine butter with brown sugar and 3/4 cup of flour. Blend until it becomes crumbly using a pastry blender, a fork, or your fingers.

Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and place it in a small bowl. Add it to the chopped pecans along with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix to combine. This is your streusel topping. Set aside.

Add to the remaining mixture, the balance of the dry ingredients; the rest of the flour, the baking soda, the powder, and the rest of the cinnamon. Then add the eggs, vanilla, and applesauce. Beat until the cake batter is smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared dish. Sprinkle topping on top of the cake.

Bake for 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. 

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container on the kitchen counter for up to 5 days. Or, cover the baking pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. 

Love it? Pin it!

If you love this old fashioned applesauce coffee cake recipe, make sure that you don’t lose it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Substitutions

Remember that when it comes to making substitutions in recipes, you don’t need to be afraid to get creative and use ingredients that suit your personal taste and dietary preferences. Make it your own!

• Top the cake with powdered sugar instead of the crumb topping. 
• Use chopped walnuts if you can’t find pecans. 
• For a gluten-free applesauce coffee cake, use a 1-1 gluten-free flour. 

FAQs about this easy applesauce coffee cake 

• What does applesauce replace in a cake? Applesauce can replace, eggs, oil, or butter in a cake.
• Why add applesauce to cake? Applesauce adds moisture and a hint of sweetness to cakes, without added sugar.
• What is the difference between crumble cake and coffee cake? Crumble cake is dense and has a generous crumb topping while coffee cake has a lighter texture. 
• Can I use applesauce instead of the egg in a cake mix? Yes, absolutely! Applesauce can be used to replace the egg in a cake mix. Use ¼ cup applesauce for every 1 egg. I suggest you use unsweetened applesauce or your cake may turn out too sweet. 

Tips & Tricks

• Use a food processor instead of a pastry blender to quickly and easily blend the topping. 
• Keep a jar of applesauce in the pantry so you’re ready when the mood hits for this delicious applesauce coffee cake. 
• Toast the pecans for a deeper, nuttier flavor. 
• Bring the eggs to room temperature before you begin so they blend more easily. 

More Recipes to Love

If you love a good coffee cake here are a few recipes you should consider baking next time; this Carrot Cake With Brown Butter Glaze and this Pumpkin Spiced Coffee Cake With Brown Butter Glaze (pictured above) are easier to prepare than they sound. This Bittersweet Chocolate Coffee Cake, this Sour Cream Coffee Cake, and this Cinnamon Spice Coffee Cake are all great twists on your traditional coffee cake. 

Pour yourself a nice cup of tea or coffee, slice yourself a piece of this delicious cake, and enjoy it while it’s warm.  You deserve it.

This recipe was originally posted on September 24, 2018. It has been updated to improve user experience and reshared on October 15, 2024.