Roman Apple Coffee Cake is just about the yummiest food in the world. The inside is moist and loaded with apples and the topping is sweet and crunchy, a perfect combination in my book. This is my grandmother’s recipe. She serves it for dessert, but we figure that all the apples give us a great excuse to call it coffee cake and eat it for breakfast.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 8-inch

　　

Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 egg

　　1/2 cup milk

　　1 teaspoon vanilla

　　1/2 cup melted butter

　　4 medium apples

　　

Topping

1/4 cup flour

　　1/4 cup butter

　　1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

　　

Step 1

To prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter or spray an 8-inch-square baking pan.

　　

Step 2

Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a spoon, form a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and pour into the well. Add the milk, vanilla, and melted butter to the well and stir until thoroughly combined.

　　

Step 3

Peel, halve, and remove the cores from the apples. Cut the apples into thin wedges and stir into the batter. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread evenly.

　　

Step 4

To prepare the topping: Place the flour, butter, and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed.

　　

Kitchen tip

Step 6

With most muffins or quick bread–type cakes or breads, you have to be careful not to overmix or the batter will become too elastic and result in tough, dry muffins or cakes. For this cake that doesn’t matter. We stir it until it is combined and then stir it again every time we add more apples so they don’t turn brown. Because there are so many apples in the cake, their moisture keeps the cake from drying out. Short of burning it to a crisp, it is almost impossible to ruin this cake.

　　College Cooking