This Sourdough Espresso Cake is moist, flavorful, and encompasses a scrumptious apple filling with a fast streusel topping. Excellent for Breakfast, dessert, or as a candy deal with together with your morning espresso!

Sourdough apple coffee cake with a streusel topping on a white plate with a fork on the side.

Utilizing sourdough discard in baked items like this one provides moisture and extends the cake’s shelf life.  When you’re searching for extra baking discard recipes, strive my in style Chocolate Sourdough Cake — it’s at all times a success!

Substances and Substitutions

For the cake, you’ll want:

Cake ingredients: sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, salt, baking powder, melted butter and sourdough discard.

Sourdough. You don’t have to feed your starter to make this cake: use sourdough discard. 

When utilizing sourdough discard, the size of time it’s been within the fridge usually doesn’t influence the result — as long as it’s been saved correctly and exhibits no indicators of spoilage like unhealthy micro organism or mildew. I’ve made this cake with discard that was over two months previous, and it got here out scrumptious!

Baking powder. Ensure it’s lively. Don’t substitute with baking soda, and use the complete quantity for the perfect cake rise.

All-purpose flour. persist with all-purpose white flour when making this recipe.

Butter. We’re utilizing melted butter for this recipe. I desire to bake utilizing unsalted butter, however salted butter additionally works for this cake. If utilizing salted butter, you’ll be able to omit the salt.

For the streusel:

Glass bowls with chopped almonds, flour, sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.Glass bowls with chopped almonds, flour, sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.

Almonds. Use chopped, crushed, or sliced almonds. For a variation, swap in hazelnuts or pecans.

Allergic to nuts? Substitute with rolled oats for a nut-free crunch.

And at last, for the apple filling:

Apples and cinnamon, brown sugar, vinegar plus melted butter in bowls.Apples and cinnamon, brown sugar, vinegar plus melted butter in bowls.

Apple. For this cake, I like utilizing Ambrosia apples, as they’re my favourite and likewise maintain their form throughout baking. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Golden Scrumptious apples are additionally nice choices. When you’re searching for a sweet-tart taste, Granny Smith apples add a terrific distinction.

Lemon Juice. Recent lemon juice is my go-to, however you’ll be able to substitute with lime juice. White vinegar additionally works nice. Simply don’t skip this ingredient, because it brightens up the apple filling.

Brown Sugar: You should use gentle or darkish brown sugar (that is for each for the streusel and filling).

Make It

You can also make this cake with out a mixer: three bowls, a whisk or spatula, and your fingers are all you want! It’s easy and fast to place collectively.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F, so it’s able to go when you’ve assembled every thing.

Apples with cinnamon, butter, sugar and vinegar.Apples with cinnamon, butter, sugar and vinegar.

Step 01. Peel, core, and minimize the apples. In a medium bowl, add the minimize apples, brown sugar, lemon juice or white vinegar, melted butter, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples with the components. Set the filling apart.

Streusel in a metal bowl.Streusel in a metal bowl.

Step 02. In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, chopped almonds, brown and granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Combine till irregular clumps kind. Set the streusel apart.

Whisk, butter and sugar whisked, in a metal bowl.Whisk, butter and sugar whisked, in a metal bowl.

Step 03. In a big bowl, whisk the melted butter with granulated sugar till mixed.

Cake batter with whisk inside metal bowl.Cake batter with whisk inside metal bowl.

Step 04. Add the sourdough discard, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk till mixed.

Cake batter ready with whisk, inside metal bowl.Cake batter ready with whisk, inside metal bowl.

Step 05. Add baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour, mixing simply till the flour is integrated and a thick batter varieties.

Cake bater spreaded into a baking sheet.Cake bater spreaded into a baking sheet.

Step 06. Scrape all of the batter right into a greased 9×13 baking pan, spreading it into a good layer with a spatula.

Apple filling on top of cake batter.Apple filling on top of cake batter.

Step 07. Unfold the apple filling evenly over the batter.

Streusel on top of apple filling.Streusel on top of apple filling.

Step 08. Cowl the apples with the streusel.

Sourdough coffee cake, baked.Sourdough coffee cake, baked.

Step 09. Bake the cake on the center rack for about 50 to 55 minutes.

Do I need to peel my apples for baking?

Sure, peeling the apples is certainly well worth the effort! The feel of apple peels in a baked cake isn’t as satisfying, so to maintain the filling clean and tender, peel and core the apples earlier than reducing them into small cubes. This gives you the perfect texture to your sourdough apple espresso cake.

Is there espresso in espresso cake?

Nope! Espresso cake doesn’t truly include espresso or caffeine. The title “espresso cake” comes from the custom of having fun with a slice of candy cake with a scorching cup of espresso. It’s a basic pairing with roots in German baking!

What pan ought to I take advantage of for baking this cake?

For this recipe, a 9×13-inch baking pan works greatest. It permits the cake to bake evenly, providing you with that good crumb and apple-to-cake ratio.

Can I freeze this cake?

You possibly can freeze this cake after baked. As soon as baked, let the cake cool fully. Wrap it tightly and freeze for as much as 3 months. Whenever you’re able to serve, simply let it come to room temperature.

Professional Suggestions

This batter is thick, so spreading it within the pan generally is a bit difficult. Take your time urgent it into a good layer.

For the perfect outcomes, cube the apples small in order that they bake by means of evenly. If the items are too giant, they could keep a bit too agency, even after the cake is absolutely baked.

When utilizing melted butter, the batter gained’t maintain as a lot air, so the cake’s rise relies upon completely on the baking powder. This implies it’s additional essential to make use of recent, lively baking powder — don’t skimp on the quantity referred to as for within the recipe!

Begin testing for doneness on the 45-minute mark. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake; if it comes out clear or with only a few crumbs, your cake is prepared.

Professional Tip for a Much less Candy Cake: When you desire a milder sweetness, you’ll be able to scale back the sugar within the apple filling or use solely half the streusel topping. Make simply half the streusel or freeze any leftovers for future use!

Sliced apple cinnamon coffee cake with sourdough coffee cake.
Sliced apple cinnamon coffee cake with sourdough coffee cake.

Extra Sourdough Discard Sweets

Have you ever tried this Sourdough Apple Espresso Cake? Please go away a 🌟 star ranking within the recipe card under, I would like to know the way it went!

📖 Recipe

Sourdough apple coffee cake on a plate.Sourdough apple coffee cake on a plate.

Sourdough Apple Espresso Cake

Tatiana Kamakura

This Sourdough Espresso Cake is moist, flavorful, and encompasses a scrumptious apple filling with a fast streusel topping. Excellent for breakfast, dessert, or as a candy deal with together with your morning espresso!