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Cream Cheese Apple Coffee Cake

Cream cheese apple coffee cake with a cinnamon apple filling, swirled cream cheese layer, and a golden crumbly streusel topping. Bakes up tender with caramelized edges and a toothpick-clean finish at 350°F.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cake
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
For cream cheese layer
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 0.25 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
For apple layer
  • 2 cup apples diced
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
For streusel
  • 0.5 cup flour
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup cold butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x13 baking dish so the cake releases cleanly.
Make streusel
  1. In a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in cold butter until crumbly with visible pea-size bits.
Prepare filling layers
  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then set it aside for easier spreading later.
  2. Toss diced apples with sugar and cinnamon until evenly coated.
Mix the cake batter
  1. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes for a lighter texture.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until smooth and glossy.
  3. Alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream, mixing just until combined to keep the crumb tender.
Assemble
  1. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, then dollop the cream cheese over the top and spread gently.
  2. Top with cinnamon apples, then scatter the streusel over everything so it bakes into a crisp layer.
Bake
  1. Bake for 45–50 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean and the streusel turns golden at the edges.

Notes

For clean slices, cool the coffee cake at least 20 minutes before cutting so the cream cheese layer sets. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze slices for up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use low-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream to reduce richness while keeping the same layered structure.