Apple Coffee Cake

"Tastes like really good blueberry buckle...but with apples instead of blueberries."

This quote-worthy moment from Adam neatly sums up today's breakfast.

Although our usual Saturday morning routine involves pancakes (take your pick: banana-blueberry, carrot cake, or apple), I woke up this morning with visions of cinnamon rolls running through my head. Unfortunately, I didn't have the forethought to make the dough last night, nor did I have the patience to wait 2 - 3 hours for the dough to sufficiently rise.

No worries. A solution was found in an apple-licious coffee cake. Or, Apple Buckle as Adam refers to it. Faster to prepare, yet equally satisfying.

I re-worked a coffee cake recipe from Emeril Lagasse, which resulted in a moist, soft coffee cake super-packed with apples. For a girl who doesn't drink coffee, I can sure throw back a piece of coffee cake with the best of 'em :)

Happy Saturday to you!

Apple Coffee Cake

(a recipe inspired by an Emeril Lagasse creation)

This is the perfect fall breakfast treat. It's loaded with apples, slices neatly, and pairs perfectly with your favorite early-morning beverage.

Cake Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of all-purpose, unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda.
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup fat free vanilla yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups chopped apples

Topping ingredients:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 TBSP butter

Glaze ingredients:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray

2) In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in the egg.

3) In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the yogurt and sour cream to the butter mixture. Beat in vanilla. Stir in the chopped apples. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4) In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients, using a fork to "crumble" the butter. Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (I started checking at 30 minutes. Mine was finished at about 37 minutes).

5) Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over coffee cake about 5 minutes after you remove the cake from the oven.

6) Happy Saturday!