Sourdough Discard Apple Streusel Coffee Cake (Simple and Delicious!)
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This Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Apple Streusel Coffee Cake is easy to make, and it’s a lovely way to use up extra sourdough starter! This coffee cake has a simple brown sugar crumble on top and is drizzled with a vanilla icing. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee–it’s the BEST fall sourdough discard dessert!
I just love fall. It’s when I turn on “You’ve Got Mail” for the millionth time and bake something that includes apples, pumpkin, cinnamon, maple, or all of the above. 😉
This recipe includes apples and cinnamon, plus my leftover sourdough starter, because why let it go to waste? This sourdough coffee cake has so much flavor thanks to the browned butter (which I highly recommend taking the time to do!), seasonal spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), crisp apples, and a lovely brown sugar crumble.
This apple sourdough coffee cake is perfect for brunch, a cool afternoon, or to share with friends and family–I mean, it’s just such a comforting fall dessert!
And also, I should note, because I always get at least one comment whenever I post a coffee cake recipe–this coffee cake does not have any actual coffee in the cake. It’s called a coffee cake because it is meant to go along with a cup of coffee. 🙂
Looking for more coffee cake recipes? I have a few more to check out!
- sourdough pumpkin coffee cake
- sourdough coffee cake
- sourdough apple walnut coffee cake
- almond coffee cake
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for sourdough discard: A delicious way to use up extra sourdough discard while making something everyone will love.
- Moist and flavorful: Browned butter and full-fat Greek yogurt create an incredibly tender, rich crumb.
- Loaded with apples and streusel: Juicy apples, warm spices, and buttery brown sugar crumble make every bite irresistible.
- Easy and cozy: This simple coffee cake comes together quickly and is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat with coffee.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Grease and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant with brown bits at the bottom. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and flour in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
Toss the chopped apples with the reserved 2 teaspoons of flour.
Whisk together the browned butter and sugar. Add the eggs, Greek yogurt, sourdough discard, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped apples.
Spread the batter evenly into the pan and sprinkle the streusel over the top.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
Let the coffee cake cool for 15–20 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Drizzle with vanilla icing and serve.
Tips for Making the Best Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Let your eggs, Greek yogurt, and sourdough discard come to room temperature before mixing. This helps create a smooth, evenly mixed batter.
- Don’t skip browning the butter. Browning the butter adds a delicious nutty, caramel-like flavor that takes this apple coffee cake to the next level. Watch it closely so the milk solids don’t burn.
- Choose flavorful apples. Tart or slightly sweet baking apples work beautifully in this recipe. You can peel them or leave the skin on, depending on your preference.
- Toss the apples with flour. Coating the chopped apples in a little flour helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined. Overmixing can make the coffee cake dense instead of soft and tender.
- Let the browned butter cool. Make sure the butter is warm but not hot before adding it to the eggs and other wet ingredients.
- Don’t skimp on the streusel. Spread the brown sugar crumble generously over the entire surface for plenty of buttery, crunchy topping in every bite.
- Check for doneness. Because apples add moisture to the cake, baking time can vary slightly. Insert a toothpick into the center—it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool before icing. Let the coffee cake cool for at least 15–20 minutes before drizzling with vanilla icing. If the cake is too hot, the icing will melt into the cake rather than creating a pretty drizzle.
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Small saucepan, for browning the butter
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Small bowl, for making the streusel and vanilla icing
- Wire cooling rack
Storage
Store the cooled coffee cake covered tightly at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Allow refrigerated coffee cake to come to room temperature before serving, or warm individual slices in the microwave for a few seconds to soften the crumb.
More Sourdough Desserts to Try!
- sourdough caramel apple kolaches
- sourdough discard fudgy brownie bread
- sourdough maple glaze twist donuts
Sourdough Discard Apple Streusel Coffee Cake (Simple and Delicious!)
Ingredients
Brown Sugar Streusel
- 1/4 cup butter melted (57 g)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 g
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60 g
Sourdough Discard Apple Steusel Coffee Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 180 g, reserve 2 teaspoons to toss with the apples
- 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 g
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2.5 g
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 5 g
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 g
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 0.5 g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5 g
- 1/2 cup salted browned butter (113 g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt room temperature (240 g)
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard or sourdough starter room temperature (120 g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 g
- 1 1/2 cups chopped apples peeled or unpeeled (about 180 g)
Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar 120 g
- 2 tablespoons milk 30 g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 g
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Place the salted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, it will begin to foam. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling the pan frequently.
- The butter will gradually turn golden brown and develop little brown flecks along the bottom of the pan. Once it smells nutty and the milk solids are a deep golden brown, immediately remove it from the heat.
- Pour the browned butter, including all of the brown bits, into a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool until warm but no longer hot before using.
Preheat Oven & Prepare Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper, then set aside.
Make the Streusel
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar and flour. Mix with a fork until the mixture forms coarse, crumbly pieces. Set aside.
Prepare the Dry Ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (taking out 2 teaspoons to save for mixing in with the chopped apples, by placing it in a medium-sized bowl), baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- Chop the apples and mix them with the 2 teaspoons of flour. Set them aside while you preare the rest of the batter.
Mix the Wet Ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled browned butter and granulated sugar.
- Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.
- Add the Greek yogurt, sourdough discard and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
Combine the Batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fold in the flour-coated chopped apples until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Assemble the Coffee Cake
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar streusel evenly over the top of the batter.
Bake
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 50–55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the coffee cake to cool in the pan for about 15–20 minutes before carefully removing the sides of the springform pan.
Make the Vanilla Icing
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.
- If the icing is too thick, add a tiny splash of milk. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the vanilla icing over the cooled coffee cake before serving.
