We’ve lived in New England for almost 10 years now and I somehow managed to avoid apple picking until this fall. I probably wouldn’t have gone this year either but when you have a toddler and a baby during a pandemic you will try any outdoor activity once. Even picking your own overpriced produce. So we went. It was crowded. 90% of the apples had already been picked. And there were NO signs indicating what variety of apple we were picking. The only redeeming thing about apple picking is that it is inevitable that you will come home with WAY too many apples and you suddenly have a deep obligation to make every apple treat you’ve always claimed to want to make but never got around to. For me that was an apple tarte tatin. It was every bit as delightful as I hoped it would be. I also took a stab at apple sauce, a humble but unbelievably delicious endeavor. Seriously, homemade applesauce is so so good. After all this I still had several pounds of apples. So I moved on to perfecting my dream coffee cake.

I know we all love a dessert that also works for breakfast but there is something to be said for a cake that was designed for afternoons. It practically begs you to eat it at all hours of the day. That is the essence of a coffee cake. It sits on the counter calling out to you as you walk by. And when its a round cake, no one really notices if you keep cutting off a small sliver or two every few hours.

We are deep into fall now and my cravings have shifted. A cake that is heavily spiced is where its at for me. In early testing I had nutmeg in there but found that mixing too many spices together muddled the flavor. Cinnamon, ginger and cardamom is one of my favorite combinations and that is where I landed with this cake as well. It’s the perfect flavor to accompany the brightness of the apples. Be sure arrange the apples in a ring along the edge. This keeps the edges of the cake moist and the apple-free center will produce a more consistent bake throughout. And finally, streusel. I love me some streusel. I want it on all of my muffins, all my cakes and some to keep in a jar for when the toddler tantrums are particularly irksome. Little crispy salty nuggets are always a good thing.

It is chilly and rainy with a side of unexpected snow here so I will be snuggled on my couch eating all the warm apple desserts I can manage to find the time to bake. And I hope you enjoy this cake… at all hours of the day… with a warm cup of coffee.