Coffee Cake Apple

This apple coffee cake takes the shortcut route with a boxed cake mix and still delivers that warm, cinnamon-scented breakfast everyone loves. The real star is the topping: brown sugar and white sugar with butter, cinnamon, chopped apples, and plump raisins.

Here’s the fun part. You get to choose your own adventure. Put the apple mixture on top for a crustier, crumblier finish. Or layer it on the bottom of the pan for a moist, almost upside-down cake texture.

Either way, your kitchen is going to smell like fall morning.

Variations

• On top: Crustier, with a streusel-like crunch and caramelized apple edges
• On bottom: Moister cake with a gooey apple-raisin base, almost like a cobbler
• Split it: Half on bottom, half on top for the best of both worlds

Pro Tips

• Dice the apples small. Fine, uniform pieces distribute evenly and cook through without leaving raw crunchy pockets.
• Cut the butter in cold. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to work cold butter into the dry topping ingredients. This creates the crumbly texture you want.