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Caramel Apple Pecan Coffee Cake — what else is there to say? With fall just around the corner, you need this fruity breakfast cake scented with cinnamon and brown sugar!

Caramel apple pecan coffee cake on a white platter.

Coffee Cake with Apples, Pecans and Caramel

It’s apple picking season and that means it’s time to roll out the apple goodies! And, because fall is right around the corner, you just gotta mix in all those flavors we love in our autumn bakes — cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans…and a caramel drizzle just for good measure!

This coffee cake can be mixed up in no time for a lazy weekend breakfast or brunch. Grab a latte and dig in!

Removing a wedge of coffee cake from a platter sitting on a white table.

Coffee Cake Ingredients

All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Kosher salt
Milk
Egg
Unsalted butter
Apples — I highly recommend honeycrisp! Its sweet-tart flavor is just right. I tested this with Granny Smith’s and that batch just didn’t have the right balance.
Caramel sauce — store-bought or homemade, regular or salted. You can’t go wrong with any of it.
Brown sugar — this is used throughout and adds additional caramel + toffee notes.
Pecans — I like to use shelled pecans and chop them up myself (versus pre-chopped). I think they taste fresher and are more crunchy that way.

Caramel apple pecan coffee cake with a wedge missing.

Steps To Make Caramel Apple Pecan Coffee Cake

Toss chopped apples with brown sugar, caramel sauce + cinnamon and set aside. The apples will start to let go of their moisture and combine with the other ingredients to self-glaze.
Make the cake batter by first combining the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the wet ingredients and mix that into the dry until just combined. Fold the apples into the batter.
Pour the mixture into a prepared 9-inch springform pan. Sprinkle the pecan topping all over and bake for about 35 minutes in a 375°F oven.
Allow the cake to rest for a few minutes, then release the sides of the pan. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top and enjoy warm!

Chopped apples, caramel sauce, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Pouring milk, egg and melted butter into a bowl of flour.

Helpful Recipe Tips

If you’d like to transfer your coffee cake to a platter, line the bottom of the spring form with a piece of parchment that is at least 1 inch larger than the pan. Set the top of the pan over the bottom and clamp it shut as you normally do. You’ll have a little ‘skirt’ of parchment sticking out, but that will help you lift the cake cleanly away. Set on a platter as is or use a large spatula to coax the cake off the parchment.
Ovens vary, so check the doneness of your cake early. For this cake, a regular kitchen butter knife is the best tool for testing. The large surface area will help you get an accurate read…especially since those saucy apples have been mixed into the batter.

A slice of caramel pecan coffee cake on a plate.

What to Sip With Your Coffee Cake

This deliciousness calls for something warm! I think this Easy Caramel Latte (no fancy equipment needed) from Unicorns in the Kitchen would be perfect. As would this Easy Chai Latte from Downshiftology.

If you like prefer cold coffee drinks, try this Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso!

For the uncaffeinated set, try a milk steamer sweetened with maple syrup (or caramel sauce!) and dusted with cinnamon!

Since We’re Talking Apples…

You should definitely check out these recipes, too!