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Apple Current Coffee Cake

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Submitted by casamartinez

Whole wheat apple coffee cake with currants, toasted walnuts, apple butter, and warm spices. Made lighter with egg whites and canola oil, topped with a sugar crust.

YIELD

10 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

60 min

READY

70 min

This coffee cake packs in apples two ways: fresh Granny Smith chunks for texture and apple butter for concentrated fruit flavor and moisture. The combination means every bite has apple in it, not just a few scattered pieces in a plain cake.

A blend of all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour gives the crumb a nutty, slightly earthy quality without the heaviness of 100% whole wheat. Wheat germ adds another layer of toasty, grain-forward flavor. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger round out the warm spice profile.

The batter uses one whole egg plus two egg whites and canola oil instead of a full stick of butter, keeping it lighter than most coffee cakes without sacrificing moisture. Apple butter does a lot of the moistening work here, replacing some of the fat you’d normally need.

Kitchen Tips

  • Toast the walnuts before chopping. Eight to ten minutes in the oven at 350°F (175°C) intensifies their flavor and gives them a crunchier texture that holds up in the moist batter.
  • Use Granny Smith apples specifically. Their tartness balances all the sweetness from the sugars and apple butter, and they hold their shape during baking.
  • Mix the batter just until blended. Overmixing develops gluten and turns coffee cake tough and chewy instead of tender.
  • The sugar sprinkled on top before baking creates a thin, sparkly crust that cracks when you cut it.

Variations

  • Swap currants for dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots for a different fruited texture.
  • Replace walnuts with pecans for a sweeter, more Southern-leaning flavor.
  • Add a simple glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice drizzled over the cooled cake for a dressed-up brunch presentation.

Ingredients

¾ 177
½ 118
1 15
TABLESPOON ML WHEAT GERM
toasted
1 5
TEASPOON ML BAKING POWDER
1 5
TEASPOON ML CINNAMON
ground
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML NUTMEG
ground
½ 2.5
TEASPOON ML SALT
0.6
TEASPOON ML GINGER
ground
1 1
LARGE EACH EGG
2 2
LARGE EACH EGG WHITE *
½ 118
CUP ML APPLE BUTTER *
½ 118
CUP ML BROWN SUGAR
packed, dark *
79
CUP ML SUGAR
and 1 1/2 tb
¼ 59
CUP ML VEGETABLE OIL
canola
2 10
TEASPOONS ML VANILLA EXTRACT
2 2
MEDIUM MEDIUM GRANNY SMITH APPLE
peeled, coarsely chopped, 1 1/2 cups
¼ 59
CUP ML CURRANT
dried
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML WALNUTS
toasted

Directions

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Spread nuts in a pie plate and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until fragrant.

Let cool before chopping.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350 deg.

Coat the inside of an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flours, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger.

In a mixing bowl, combine whole egg, egg whites, apple butter, sugars, oil and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until well blended.

Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed just to blend.

With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in apples, currants and walnuts.

Turn the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Sprinkle1½ tablespoons sugar evenly over top.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve warm.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 65g (2.3 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 167 38% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 125mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars g
Protein 5g
Vitamin A 1% Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 2% Iron 7%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Trans-fat Free, Low Sodium
 

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