Apple, Pear, and Cranberry Coffee Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Tender apples and pears layered with buttery dough, topped with a crumbly oat and brown sugar streusel. This coffee cake delivers the comfort of a classic breakfast cake without the refined sugar, keeping things clean while tasting indulgent.

Apple, Pear, and Cranberry Coffee Cake

Layered brioche dough, spiced fruit, and crumbly streusel make this coffee cake a study in texture. The trick is not overworking the dough or the topping, which keeps everything tender and gives you those pockets of butter that practically melt in your mouth. Tart and sweet apples plus pear and orange zest do the heavy lifting on flavor, so pick your fruit with intention.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 cupoats
  • 3/4 cupwhite rice flour
  • 1 cupbrown sugar, well packed
  • 1 cupchopped nuts
  • 1/2 cupmelted unsalted butter
  • 1 pinchground cinnamon
  • 1 lbApple Cider Brioche
  • 1Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan
  • 2 smallapples , thinly sliced
  • 1pear, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbspbrown sugar
  • 1Grated zest of half an orange
  • 1 1/2 cupstreusel topping

Instructions

  1. Combine all the streusel ingredients in a bowl and work them together until the butter is fully incorporated, stopping before the mixture becomes uniform. You want a crumbly, clumping texture, not a paste. Set it aside.

  2. Rub an 8-inch round springform pan generously with butter and set it aside.

  3. In a small bowl, toss the apples, pear, brown sugar, and orange zest together until the fruit is evenly coated. Set aside.

  4. Flour the surface where you're working, then pull the refrigerated dough from the fridge and cut off a 1-pound, grapefruit-size piece. Divide it into 2 equal portions, dust each with a little more flour, and quickly shape them into rough balls.

  5. Press the first dough ball directly into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, spreading it into an even layer.

  6. Scatter half the apple and pear mixture over the dough, then sprinkle half the streusel on top. Layer the second piece of dough over that, followed by the remaining fruit mixture and the rest of the streusel.

  7. Give the cake 60 minutes to rest at room temperature so the dough can relax and begin to rise.

  8. While the cake rests, preheat the oven to 350°F.

  9. Slide the pan onto the middle rack and bake for 55 minutes, until the streusel is golden and the dough is cooked through.

  10. Let the cake sit in the pan for about 15 minutes before unclipping and removing the springform ring.

  11. Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Don't skip the 60-minute rest before baking. It lets the layered dough relax and the flavors meld without needing a second rise.
  • Mix the streusel just until the butter is barely incorporated. You want clumps, not a paste, so they stay crispy and distinct in the final cake.
  • Use a tart apple (like Granny Smith) and a sweet one (like Gala or Honeycrisp) to balance each other, rather than relying on one type to do all the work.

Variations

  • Skip the pear and use all apples if that's what you have on hand, the structure and baking time stay the same.
  • Swap the orange zest for lemon or ginger if you want a sharper, more assertive citrus note.
  • Trade the streusel for a simple cinnamon-sugar sprinkle if you prefer less sweetness or don't have the ingredients mixed.
  • Layer in fresh raspberries or blackberries with the fruit instead of (or alongside) the pear for tartness and a color shift.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap well and freeze for up to a month. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven to avoid drying out the interior.