Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake.

I'm starting to notice fall recipes include many of the same ingredients: apples, pumpkin, spices, oatmeal, etc.  I don't really get sick of the repeat ingredients as long as the final products are different from one another.  This isn't a typical apple cake with tons of oil or butter or nuts - it's very light yet still extremely comforting. 

This is an extremely quick and tasty coffee cake - I think it literally took 5 minutes to put together.  As with most recipes including cinnamon, I increased the amounts of it from the original recipe.  I cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup , used skim milk in place of the 1% called for, and the cake was still incredibly moist and delicious.  I think you can use whatever apple you have lying around, I used a Gala and it was perfect.  If you're looking for a simple and easy cake to throw an apple or two into, I highly recommend this one.

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Adapted from Cooking Light
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 large apple, peeled and coarsely chopped

Streusel:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease an 8x8 baking dish.

Start by making the streusel: in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Add in the pieces of butter and create coarse crumbs. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, butter, vanilla extract and the beaten egg until well combined.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until there are a few lumps left.  Add the chopped apple and stir until just mixed to combine.  Pour the batter into the greased pan and then sprinkle the streusel on top.

Bake the coffee cake for 30 minutes, checking for doneness after about 20 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean when the cake is done.

Serve warm or let cool completely, cover, and store for up to 3 days.