Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake

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This Sourdough Coffee Cake is moist, flavorful, and features a delicious apple filling with a quick streusel topping. Perfect for breakfast, dessert, or as a sweet treat with your morning coffee!

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

Using sourdough discard in baked goods like this one adds moisture and extends the cake’s shelf life. If you’re looking for more baking discard recipes, try my popular Chocolate Sourdough Cake — it’s always a hit!

Ingredients and Substitutions

For the cake, you’ll need:

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

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

When using sourdough discard, the length of time it’s been in the fridge generally doesn’t impact the outcome — so long as it’s been stored properly and shows no signs of spoilage like bad bacteria or mold. I’ve made this cake with discard that was over two months old, and it came out delicious!

Baking powder. Make sure it’s active. Don’t substitute with baking soda, and use the full amount for the best cake rise.

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

Butter. We’re using melted butter for this recipe. I prefer to bake using unsalted butter, but salted butter also works for this cake. If using salted butter, you can omit the salt.

For the streusel:

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 finally, for the apple filling:

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

Apple. For this cake, I love using Ambrosia apples, as they're my favorite and also hold their shape during baking. Honeycrisp, Gala, and Golden Delicious apples are also great options. If you’re looking for a sweet-tart flavor, Granny Smith apples add a great contrast.

Lemon Juice. Fresh lemon juice is my go-to, but you can substitute with lime juice. White vinegar also works great. Just don’t skip this ingredient, as it brightens up the apple filling.

Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar (this is for both for the streusel and filling).

How to Make It

You can make this cake without a mixer: three bowls, a whisk or spatula, and your hands are all you need! It’s simple and quick to put together.

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F, so it’s ready to go once you’ve assembled everything.

Apples with cinnamon, butter, sugar and vinegar.

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

Step 02. In a medium bowl, add all-purpose flour, chopped almonds, brown and granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix until irregular clumps form. Set the streusel aside.

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

Step 03. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with granulated sugar until combined.

Cake batter with whisk inside metal bowl.

Step 04. Add the sourdough discard, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.

Cake batter ready with whisk, inside metal bowl.

Step 05. Add baking powder, salt, and all-purpose flour, mixing just until the flour is incorporated and a thick batter forms.

Cake bater spreaded into a baking sheet.

Step 06. Scrape all the batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan, spreading it into an even layer with a spatula.

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

Step 08. Cover the apples with the streusel.

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

Do I need to peel my apples for baking?

Yes, peeling the apples is definitely worth the effort! The texture of apple peels in a baked cake isn’t as enjoyable, so to keep the filling smooth and tender, peel and core the apples before cutting them into small cubes. This will give you the best texture for your sourdough apple coffee cake.

Is there coffee in coffee cake?

Nope! Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain coffee or caffeine. The name “coffee cake” comes from the tradition of enjoying a slice of sweet cake with a hot cup of coffee. It’s a classic pairing with roots in German baking!

What pan should I use for baking this cake?

For this recipe, a 9x13-inch baking pan works best. It allows the cake to bake evenly, giving you that perfect crumb and apple-to-cake ratio.

Can I freeze this cake?

You can freeze this cake after baked. Once baked, let the cake cool completely. Wrap it tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, just let it come to room temperature.

Expert Tips

This batter is thick, so spreading it in the pan can be a bit tricky. Take your time pressing it into an even layer.

For the best results, dice the apples small so they bake through evenly. If the pieces are too large, they might stay a bit too firm, even after the cake is fully baked.

When using melted butter, the batter won’t hold as much air, so the cake’s rise depends entirely on the baking powder. This means it’s extra important to use fresh, active baking powder — don’t skimp on the amount called for in the recipe!

Start testing for doneness at the 45-minute mark. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, your cake is ready.

Pro Tip for a Less Sweet Cake: If you prefer a milder sweetness, you can reduce the sugar in the apple filling or use only half the streusel topping. Make just half the streusel or freeze any leftovers for future use!