Apple Pie Sheet Pan Coffee Cake
Have you tried making sheet pan pancakes yet? The idea of spreading pancake batter in a sheet pan to bake all at once has been around for a while – the King Arthur Baking blog, Tips and Techniques section, posted “Turn your pancakes into squares” in June of 2014, and that blog post credits a Pinterest board for the idea – but the concept has definitely gained momentum in the past few years. It is easy to see why, they are perfect for feeding a large crowd quickly and, just like traditional pancakes, they are very versatile, supporting a wide range of flavors, mix-ins and toppings.
Why, you might ask, am I spending time discussing the history of sheet pan pancakes, when this is a recipe for sheet pan coffee cake? Well, because my “Apple Pie Sheet Pan Coffee Cake” is really just one of the innumerable variations on the theme of sheet pan pancakes.
It is not that big of a stretch from pancake batter to coffee cake batter – in fact, there are quite a few recipes out there for pancake mix coffee cakes and coffee cake pancakes. The defining feature of a coffee cake is the buttery, crispy, sweet and warmly spiced streusel, the actual cake is typically very plain, much like a pancake.
For this recipe, we start with a base that is essentially a buttermilk pancake. While I like to use white whole wheat flour and a bit of flaxseed to sneak just a little extra nutrition into what is, more or less, dessert for breakfast, a more traditional buttermilk pancake recipe would work just as well. From there, we swirl in diced apple pie filling. The apple pie filling pairs so well with the cinnamon and lends a bit more sweetness and moisture to the relatively plain base – and that kind of counts as adding fruit to the breakfast, right? (fresh apples would work too, but may release more moisture into the cake requiring a longer cooking time). Finally, top the whole thing off with a generous sprinkle of streusel featuring cinnamon, oats and pecans. Once it is all assembled, it takes only about 10 minutes to bake to perfection.
This version of sheet pan pancakes is my family’s absolute favorite. Because it is such a large batch, there are always leftovers…or maybe that is because I cut them off, telling them to save some for the school week and enjoy some fresh fruit or yogurt with it instead of demolishing the entire batch in one day.
Apple Pie Sheet Pan Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 3/4 sheet pan
- Food processor or mini chopper
- 2 bowls large and medium
- whisk
- kitchen scale or measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
STREUSEL
- 56 g butter chilled and cubed, plus more for preparing the pan
- 55 g brown sugar
- 40 g oats
- 30 g white whole wheat flour
- 30 g pecan pieces toasted
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- Pinch allspice
CAKE
- 400 g white whole wheat flour
- 50 g flaxseed meal
- 80 g powdered sugar
- 150 g cornstarch
- 40 g baking powder
- 15 g baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1000 ml buttermilk
- 15 ml vanilla extract
- 150 g oil
- 325 g
apple pie filling diced
Instructions
- Line a ¾ sheet pan with nonstick foil and brush the bottom with 1 tbsp or more of melted butter.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F / 218 ℃.
To make the streusel:
- In a small food processor/mini chopper, combine all the streusel ingredients.56 g butter, 55 g brown sugar, 40 g oats, 30 g white whole wheat flour, 30 g pecan pieces, ¼ tsp salt, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, Pinch allspice
- Pulse until the mixture comes together and resembles coarse crumbs. Do not overmix, it should be loose and crumbly, not a smooth dough or paste.
- Set aside in the refrigerator until assembly.
To make the cake batter:
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.400 g white whole wheat flour, 50 g flaxseed meal, 80 g powdered sugar, 150 g cornstarch, 40 g baking powder, 15 g baking soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp fine sea salt
- In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and the oil, whisk to mix well.4 large eggs, 1000 ml buttermilk, 15 ml vanilla extract, 150 g oil
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do NOT over-mix. Stop mixing while you can still see some small lumps in the batter.
To assemble for baking:
- Scrape the batter into the prepared sheet pan. Evenly spread the batter using an offset spatula. Gently shake the sheet pan to make sure the batter is evenly spread, but do not shake too hard or knock the pan on your work surface as this may deflate the batter.
- Spoon the apple pie filling over the batter in long even lines. Use a butter knife to swirl the apple filling through the batter.325 g apple pie filling
- Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the entire surface of the cake.
- Place the sheet pan on a rack in the center of your oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Check at 8-10 minutes, initially. The cake is done if the center is springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.
- Cut the cake (while warm) into 12 (large), 24 (medium), or 48 (small) portions.
Nutrition
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