Fresh Apple Coffee Cake with Bourbon Apple Glaze

If you would have asked me last year if I preferred baking or cooking, I would have absolutely said cooking. Hands down. I can probably count on one hand the things I've baked in the past year, with the exception of the past few weeks. For some reason, this past month has been different. I got bit by the bread bug and oddly enough, by the baked goods bug. There is something comforting about pulling out a delicious baked good out of the oven and sharing it with friends and family. (which is really what needs to happen so my husband and I aren't horfing down an entire apple cake)

Yesterday was a chilly and snowy winter day. I made a delicious warm meal but just felt like I needed something else to round out the day. We've had a ton of apples sitting in the fruit bowl and I knew I wanted to do something before they got all mushy and soft. I did a few searches for a good recipe and then hobbled together this variation.

It's the perfect fall & winter dessert. It's got the lovely fresh apples and the crunchy coffee cake topping, all topped off with a drizzle of bourbon apple glaze. And if you don't want to use bourbon, you can just substitute apple cider instead. No matter how you make it, this is definitely one easy and delicious recipe you'll want to keep on hand.

Fresh Apple Coffee Cake with Bourbon Apple Glaze

Cake:

1 stick of butter
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples

Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Bourbon Apple Glaze
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoon apple cider
1/2 tablespoon bourbon (or just use apple cider for the total amount)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the stick of butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Dough will be very thick. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter, and cut with a pastry blender and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the cake and bake until golden brown and set, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

To make the glaze, in a bowl, combine the sugar, apple cider, and bourbon and mix until smooth. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and let harden slightly. Serve warm.