Apple Cider Coffee Cake

Here's a fun fall twist on one of my favorite family recipes, my mom's coffee cake.  The way I see it, you can never go wrong with adding apples to any baked good during the fall and winter months. I made this one in honor of the apple trees Michael planted for me as a birthday gift. Starting a home orchard has been a dream of mine for awhile now and I can't wait to use our own apples for fall baking here in a few years! But for now, here's how Mama makes apple cider coffee cake:

Apple Cider Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
- 1 c. sugar
- 5 T. shortening
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. apple cider
- 1/4 c. milk
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 1/2 t. baking powder
for the topping:
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1 T. flour
- 2 T. cold butter
- 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped

 (I actually made 1 and 1/2 times this recipe in a 9x13" pan since my whole family was visiting)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream the sugar and shortening.  Add the salt.
2.  Beat egg well and add with milk, cider, flour, and baking powder.
3.  Beat cake mixture with a mixer. Pour into greased 8x8" pan.
4.  Combine all topping ingredients except the butter and apple.  Cut butter into chunks and using a pastry blender, fork, or two knives (my mom uses knives but I can never get the hang of it - I use my pastry blender), cut butter into the topping ingredients until small clumps form. Add the finely chopped apple and stir.
5.  Sprinkle topping over the cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Serve hot or cold.  Maybe even drizzle with some caramel if you're feeling extra indulgent.  Either way, enjoy every delicious apple-laden bite!

printable recipe

Grow, babies, grow!  Here's our little orchard in the making...

8 apple trees out back (5 varieties!)

And a couple peach trees out front to keep our little weeping willow company...