Apple Butter Coffee Cake

There's more to apple butter than spreading it on a warm biscuit! This old-fashioned favorite is just as delicious baked into a tender coffee cake, with ribbons of apple butter and cinnamon sugar running through every slice.

Made with brown sugar and reduced apple cider, then topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble, it's everything we love about fall baking. Pour yourself a cup of coffee, cut a generous slice, and enjoy.

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Apple Butter Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Cake

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups Miller’s Choice Unbleached Flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Old Mill Apple Cider, reduced to ⅓ cup and cooled
• 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and diced small
• ½ cup Old Mill Apple Butter, divided

Cinnamon-Sugar Ribbon

• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Tiny pinch of salt

Cinnamon Crumble Topping

• ½ to ¾ cup Miller’s Choice Unbleached Flour, divided
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Instructions

1. Reduce the cider.
2. Pour 1 cup The Old Mill Apple Cider into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until reduced to ⅓ cup. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
3. Prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. For easy removal, line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
4. Make the cinnamon-sugar ribbon. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt. Set aside.
5. Make the crumble. Combine ½ cup flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork.
6. If the mixture is too wet to form distinct crumbs, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until the mixture forms moist crumbs and small clumps. Use up to the remaining ¼ cup flour as needed.
7. Set aside.
8. Make the cake batter.
9. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla.
10. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
11. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in additions, alternating with the cooled reduced cider, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
12. Gently fold in the diced apple.
13. Build the first layer.
14. Spread half of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Drop ¼ cup The Old Mill Apple Butter over the batter in small spoonfuls. Gently drag a knife through the apple butter once or twice to create ribbons without completely mixing it into the batter. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the layer.
15. Add the second layer.
16. Carefully spread the remaining cake batter over the filling. Dollop the remaining ¼ cup apple butter over the top and lightly swirl it into the surface. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture.
17. Scatter the cinnamon crumble evenly over the top, leaving some larger craggy pieces rather than breaking everything into fine crumbs.
18. Bake for approximately 45–50 minutes, beginning to check around 40 minutes. A tester inserted into the cake portion should come out with moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Avoid testing directly through an apple-butter ribbon.
19. Let cool in the pan before slicing.