Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake is soft, delicious and crisp on the outside with plenty of fresh apple chunks in every bite. Slightly caramelized, the sourdough fermentation makes this breakfast or afternoon treat a healthier option!

Growing up, my mom would make one of her best friend’s apple cake on special occasions. It was always so unexpectedly delicious, because it didn’t look particularly special, but the smell and the taste was incredible and stuck in my mind well into my adulthood. When my mom was visiting and made this apple cake again, I instantly remembered the smells and tastes of the apple cake. I made sure to get the recipe and have saved it to make each year when apple season comes around.
We have an apple orchard in a nearby town that we visit every year with our kids. We look forward to these apples every year, and have already been twice now that the apples are in season! As soon as we got our apples, I knew I wanted to make apple cake, but this year I was going to try and make it with sourdough!

Why is sourdough good for you?
Adding sourdough into a recipe like coffee cake is beneficial because the sourdough fermentation process allows the gluten and phytic acid to break down. When consuming breads without sourdough, the gluten content is much higher and the phytic acid present is more difficult for our bodies to break down. Long-fermenting the grains prior to baking makes the flour much easier for our bodies to process. Plus, sourdough has many gut health benefits!
Once I figured out how to adjust the flour and liquid ratios for the recipe to include sourdough, I was so happy I did! The result was just as delicious as the apple cake my mom had made, but I felt a little better about eating it 😉 It is still definitely a treat, but at least it has the added sourdough benefits!
What apples are best for apple cake?
My favorite apples to use for apple cake are Pink Lady, Honeycrisp and Granny Smith. Braeburn, Jonigold, Golden Delicious and Jazz are also great options. Feel free to mix several types of apples for a more flavorful apple cake! Avoid apples such as Red Delicious, Fuji or Gala as they are much sweeter and will not hold up as well in the baking process.
Do I need to peel my apples for baking?
I would recommend peeling the apples before using them to bake. The texture of the peels once baked is not as enjoyable. To keep the consistency smooth, peel and core the apples before slicing them into cubes for the best results for sourdough apple coffee cake!
Is it okay to ferment the dough with raw eggs?
I have not had any issues fermenting sourdough with raw eggs, even at room temperature. Many traditional sourdough doughs, such as brioche doughs, do ferment with eggs. However, for this recipe, I do ferment the dough in the refrigerator. You will want to let the dough come close to room temperature before adding the remaining ingredients, which will take about one hour. As long as you are not consuming raw dough/eggs, it will bake and be ready to eat.

Ingredients for Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
- Sourdough starter, active & bubbly starter fed in the past 4-8 hours
- Unbleached Flour, all-purpose or bread flour
- Avocado Oil – neutral flavor for baking. Melted butter can also be used.
- Eggs – room temperature is best for baking
- Sugar – granulated sugar
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Baking Soda
- Apples, peeled and diced – see above for apple type
Tools you may need:
- Measuring Cups & Spoons
- Mixing Bowl or Stand Mixer
- Peeler
- Knife & Cutting Board
- 2 Loaf Pans – I like these glass pans or these stainless steel pans for non-toxic options! Ceramic or cast iron loaf pans would also work well.
- Parchment Paper
How to make Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
Long-Fermenting Method:
Mix together the sourdough starter, flour, avocado oil (or melted butter) and eggs together with a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) or dough whisk until well combined. Cover and let ferment in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. This is nice because you can do it well beforehand and it will be ready to use when you want to make the apple cake. Fermenting the grains helps to break down the phytic acid and gluten, making this coffee cake easier to digest!
About an hour before you are ready to bake, set the bowl out to come down to room temperature. While it is coming to room temp, peel and cube 3-4 medium sized apples.
Add in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla and baking soda. Combine in stand mixer or with a dough whisk. This is going to be a thick batter.
Fold the apples with a spatula or on the lowest speed on your stand mixer.

Distribute batter equally into two well-greased loaf pans. I like to line the pans with parchment paper for easier clean up and makes removing the loaves much more simple.

Bake in oven at 350℉ for 55 minutes, or until the middle is cooked through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before removing from the loaf pans. Serve on a platter and enjoy with your coffee or tea!

No Wait Method:
Add the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and sourdough starter to mixer. Mix to combine. Add in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda.
Preheat the oven to 350℉. While the oven is heating, peel and cube 3-4 medium apples. Fold into batter.
Distribute batter equally into two well-greased loaf pans, or line with parchment paper for easy clean up and removal.

Bake in oven at 350℉ for 55 minutes, or until the middle is cooked through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before removing from the loaf pans. Serve on a platter and enjoy with your coffee or tea!
PIN IT FOR LATER!

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram @oursimplegraces
Other great recipes to try:
- Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Sourdough Bagels with pumpkin cream cheese
- Easy Berry Crisp
- Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
- Sourdough Fruit Pizza
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Crunch Sourdough Bagels
- Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake is soft, delicious and crisp on the outside with plenty of fresh apple chunks in every bite. Slightly caramelized, the sourdough fermentation makes this breakfast or afternoon treat a healthier option!
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Sourdough Starter, active and bubbly
- 2 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Avocado Oil (or melted butter)
- 1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3 tsp Nutmeg
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 TBS Vanilla
- 4 Cups diced Apples, peeled
- Optional - 1 Cup Pecans, chopped
Instructions
How to make Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
Long-Fermenting Method:
- Mix together the sourdough starter, flour, avocado oil (or melted butter) and eggs together with a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) or dough whisk until well combined. Cover and let ferment in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours.
- About an hour before you are ready to bake, set the bowl out to come down to room temperature.
- While it is coming to room temp, peel and cube 3-4 medium sized apples.
- Add in the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla and baking soda. Combine in stand mixer or with a dough whisk for a thick batter.
- Fold the apples (and pecans if using) with a spatula or on the lowest speed on your stand mixer.
- Distribute batter equally into two well-greased loaf pans. I like to line the pans with parchment paper for easier clean up and makes removing the loaves much more simple.
- Bake in oven at 350℉ for 55 minutes, or until the middle is cooked through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before removing from the loaf pans. Serve on a platter and enjoy with your coffee or tea!
No Wait Method:
- Add the sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and sourdough starter to mixing bowl. Mix together with paddle attachment on stand mixer or whisk.
- Add in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Using a dough whisk or the lowest speed of your stand mixer, mix together for a thick batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ . While the oven is heating, peel and cube 3-4 medium apples. Fold apples into batter (and pecans if using).
- Distribute batter equally into two well-greased loaf pans, or line with parchment paper for easy clean up and removal.
- Bake in oven at 350℉ for 55 minutes, or until the middle is cooked through. Once cooked, allow to cool completely before removing from the loaf pans. Serve on a platter and enjoy with your coffee or tea!
Recommended Products
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TeamFar Loaf Pans for Baking Bread, 9¼" × 5" Bread Loaf Pan Meatloaf Pan Stainless Steel for Home Kitchen, Healthy & Durable, Oven & Dishwasher Safe - Set of 2
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Pyrex 1.5-Quart Clear Basics Glass Loaf Pan (Set of 2)
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Zulay Kitchen 13 Inch Danish Dough Whisk - Large Wooden Danish Whisk For Dough With Stainless Steel Ring - Traditional Dutch Whisk Baking Tool For Bread, Batter, Cake, Pastry
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KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - White
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 273mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 4g
Very delicious bread! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
You’re welcome!! I’m really glad you loved it!
I used the long ferment method & mine ended up being more of a dough consistency instead of a think batter. & I definitely didn’t have enough for two loaves. Wondering what I may have messed up?!
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you this time! I’m not sure what happened, it definitely is a very thick batter, similar to dough. Thank you for giving the recipe a try!
This is absolutely delicious! I’m making it for the second time now and it just makes the house smell amazing! The first time I made it I used freezer apples… I had tried to drain off excess liquid but there was still a lot of moisture left. If I was to use freezer apples again I would dry them out some in the oven first. The first time my batter/dough wasn’t mixed completely either but it still tasted great so I think this recipe has a lot of forgiveness. I also made this recipe with butter and I think it takes a little longer to come to room temp and be pliable after the long ferment, so either be patient or place it in a warmer spot.
Hi Hollyn! I am excited to try this recipe with sourdough starter. This looks like a fresh apple cake I make, minus the starter. Except mine is baked in a 13 x 9 cake pan. Could this be baked in the cake pan instead of 2 loaf pans?
Hey! I’m sure you could bake it in a 9×13 dish. I would possibly reduce the cooking time though, just check on it throughout. Hope you love it!