A tender orange-scented butter cake baked in a tube pan with a swirl of brown sugar, apple and cinnamon streusel through the middle and on top, finished with a drizzle of orange glaze. Serves 12.
This is a coffee cake with a ribbon of apple streusel running through it. Half the brown sugar, apple and cinnamon mixture is layered and swirled into the batter, and the rest goes on top partway through baking so it stays crumbly instead of sinking.
It is good with morning coffee and just as good warm for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The same batter and streusel make apple streusel cupcakes.
Ingredients
Streusel
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup sliced almonds, pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup orange juice
Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
Make the streusel. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9- or 10-inch tube pan. In a medium bowl, stir together the brown sugar, apple, nuts if using, flour and cinnamon, then stir in the melted butter until crumbly.
Make the batter. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
Add the flour and juice. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and orange juice in turns, mixing just until smooth.
Layer and swirl. Spoon half the batter into the pan and sprinkle with half the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter over it and spread it level, then draw a knife through the batter a few times to swirl in the streusel.
Bake and top. Bake 15 minutes. Take the cake out, sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top, and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Glaze and serve. Stir the confectioners’ sugar and orange juice into a smooth glaze. Turn the cake out, then flip it onto a serving plate so the streusel is on top, and drizzle with the glaze.
Tips
Use firm baking apples such as Cortland, Rome, Granny Smith or McIntosh; Red Delicious falls apart when baked.
Chopped pears work in place of the apples, or use half of each.
Stir dried cranberries, golden raisins or a little flaked coconut into the streusel for a change.
A sprinkle of cinnamon over the glaze looks pretty and adds warmth.
To bake it in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, watch it closely; cast iron holds heat, so it may be done several minutes sooner.
Hard brown sugar? Microwave it, covered, for 30 to 60 seconds, without letting it melt.
Questions about this recipe
What are the best apples for apple streusel cake?
Firm apples that hold their shape: Cortland, Rome, Granny Smith or McIntosh. Avoid Red Delicious, which turns mushy.
Why add half the streusel partway through baking?
If all of it goes on at the start, the topping sinks into the soft batter. Adding it after 15 minutes keeps a crumbly layer on top.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. It keeps, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. Glaze it the day you serve it.
