Caramelized Apple Pecan Coffee Cake

I found a recipe at tastebook.com that had caramelized apples and toasted pecan in it, when I saw this recipe I knew that this was the one that I was going to make. Really, you can’t go wrong with caramelized apples and toasted pecan, now can you? The aroma of the apples and cinnamon filled the house; I couldn’t wait for the coffee cake to come out of the oven so that we could sample it.

I baked the recipe for the time stated on the recipe, did the insert wood pick come out the clean test, and still, the coffee cake was a little under-baked. So make sure when baking this coffee cake that even though the wooden pick comes out clean that the center of the coffee cake is fully set.

I was a little disappointed when cutting into this and finding the center was not quite done. I was contemplating baking it a little longer, but everyone was cutting the coffee cake and taking pieces to eat, so that ended that. With that said even with it being a little under-baked, the coffee cake was amazing. The flavors of the caramelized apples and toasted pecans really put this coffee cake over the top.

Caramelized Apple Pecan Coffee Cake (Adapted from tastebook.com)
Ingredients:
Coffee Cake Batter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Cinnamon Streusel
1/ 4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Apple Filling And Topping
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/8 inch dice
1teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch round springform pan or baking pan and set aside.
2. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan and toast until lightly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool
3. Making the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the butter until well combined and mix in half the pecans. Set aside.
4. Make the apple filling and topping: In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook sugar over moderately low heat. Without stirring, shake the pan to melt sugar evenly until melted and dark golden. Remove saucepan from heat and carefully add apples and vanilla (mixture will vigorously steam and caramel will harden). Cook mixture over moderate heat, shaking pan and stirring occasionally until caramel is dissolved, liquid has evaporated, and apples are tender but still hold their shape, about 10 to 15 minutes. Spread the apples on a sheet pan to cool.
5. Make the coffee cake batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, and butter until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and with a large spatula, mix until well combined. Fold in half the cooled apple filling and the remaining pecans and pour into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel and top with the remaining apple filling. Sprinkle with the remaining streusel. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; about 30 to 35 minutes (make sure that the center of the coffee cake is set as well). Let cool 20 minutes and cut into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.