The Secret To Maximizing The Flavor Of Your Apple Cider Coffee Cake

Of all the culinary delights that we love to dig into in the fall — from baked acorn squash to mulled wine to pumpkin spice lattes, of course — there's a special place in our hearts for the plethora of yummy baked goods associated with autumn. There's just something about the season that seems to bring out the best in desserts, with sweet fall treats such as pumpkin banana bread, sweet potato pie, and cranberry muffins showcasing the finest autumn produce.

And, of course, there's no fall fruit more iconic than the apple, which shows up when the weather turns chilly in a plethora of desserts ranging from Dutch apple pie to apple crisp to spiced apple cake. The taste of the crunchy, sweet fruit is more "fall" than almost any other flavor we can think of — especially when concentrated into that magical elixir known as apple cider. Made from freshly pressed, whole apples, cider isn't filtered or pasteurized (via Kitchn) and maintains a dark color and intense flavor that shines either sipped on its own or mixed into delicious autumn desserts such as coffee cake.

Who doesn't love coffee cake? A single-layer bake that sports a crunchy, sugary streusel topping — and often has some streusel layered into it — coffee cake tends to be buttery and moist, loaded with rich ingredients such as eggs and sour cream (via Allrecipes). Frequently featuring both spices and dried or fresh fruit, the unfussy cake style makes a wonderful accompaniment to — you guessed it — a steaming cup of strong coffee.

Coffee cakes often feature apples in some form, whether that's raw chopped apples, applesauce, or apple cider, which is typically boiled down so that the bake doesn't get bogged down with too much liquid. Our apple cider magic cake, for example, calls for reducing 6 cups of cider down to a mere ¾ cup until the liquid takes on the consistency of honey. These types of cakes delight the palate with the flavor and scent of fall apples — and MasterClass's take on an apple cider coffee cake doubles down on the fruit by calling for not just an apple cider reduction but some applesauce, as well. Noting that the sauce intensifies the cake's flavor as well as improves its texture, the outlet adds that some fresh, grated apples can be added to the cake, too. A triple apple coffee cake? We can't think of anything more fall than that.