Glazed Apple Lattice Coffee Cake

A decadent yeasted coffee cake featuring tender spiced apples in a beautiful lattice pattern, finished with an orange glaze. This elegant cake combines warming spices like cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon with fresh citrus notes.

8 servings

6 hr 29 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•2 tablespoons warm water (105°F to 115°F)
•1 package active dry yeast
•½ cup whole milk
•6 tablespoons sugar
•5 tablespoons unsalted butter
•1 teaspoon salt
•2 large egg yolks
•1 teaspoon orange peel
•½ teaspoon ground cardamom
•¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
•2¼ cups all purpose flour
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter
•6 tablespoons brown sugar
•1¼ pounds Golden Delicious apples
•1 teaspoon orange peel
•1 teaspoon lemon peel
•½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
•⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
•1 spray nonstick vegetable oil spray
•⅓ cup vanilla wafer cookies
•1½ cups powdered sugar
•2 tablespoons orange juice

Cooking Instructions

1.
Place 2 tablespoons warm water in small cup. Mix in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 6 minutes.
6 min
2.
Stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt in medium saucepan over medium-low heat just until sugar dissolves and butter melts (mixture should be just warm). Scrape milk mixture into large bowl; cool to lukewarm if necessary. Whisk in yeast mixture, egg yolks, orange peel, and spices. Add 2 cups flour; mix with rubber spatula until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until smooth and silky, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 6 minutes. Place in clean large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and kitchen towel. Place in warm draft-free area; let rise until light and almost doubled in volume, about 2 1/2 hours.
150 min
3.
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar. Cook until thick grainy sauce forms, about 1 minute. Mix in apples. Cook until apples are tender and sauce is reduced to glaze, tossing often, about 7 minutes. Mix in all grated peel and spices. Cool filling at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.
38 min
4.
Place large sheet of foil on work surface; spray with nonstick spray. Turn dough out onto foil. Roll out to 14x12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cookie crumbs in 4-inch-wide strip down center, leaving 1/2-inch border at top and bottom. Arrange apples with any juices atop crumbs. Starting 1/2 inch from each long side of apples, cut straight to edge of dough at 1-inch intervals, making about 13 strips on each side. Fold dough strips alternately and on slight angle over filling, forming lattice. Seal open ends of dough.
15 min
5.
Slide foil with dough onto large rimmed baking sheet; trim foil overhang. Cover cake loosely with plastic and towel. Place cake in warm draft-free area; let dough rise until light and puffy, about 1 3/4 hours.
105 min
6.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cake uncovered until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Gently run spatula under cake to loosen from foil. Cool 30 minutes.
65 min
7.
Mix powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl to blend, adding more juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if too thick. Drizzle glaze over cake. Cut crosswise into slices. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
10 min

Ingredients

•2 tablespoons warm water (105°F to 115°F)

•1 package active dry yeast

•½ cup whole milk

•6 tablespoons sugar

•5 tablespoons unsalted butter

•1 teaspoon salt

•2 large egg yolks

•1 teaspoon orange peel

•½ teaspoon ground cardamom

•¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

•2¼ cups all purpose flour

•2 tablespoons unsalted butter

•6 tablespoons brown sugar

•1¼ pounds Golden Delicious apples

•1 teaspoon orange peel

•1 teaspoon lemon peel

•½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

•⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom

•⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

•1 spray nonstick vegetable oil spray

•⅓ cup vanilla wafer cookies

•1½ cups powdered sugar

•2 tablespoons orange juice

Cooking Instructions

Place 2 tablespoons warm water in small cup. Mix in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 6 minutes.

6 min

Stir milk, sugar, butter, and salt in medium saucepan over medium-low heat just until sugar dissolves and butter melts (mixture should be just warm). Scrape milk mixture into large bowl; cool to lukewarm if necessary. Whisk in yeast mixture, egg yolks, orange peel, and spices. Add 2 cups flour; mix with rubber spatula until dough comes together. Turn dough out onto floured work surface. Knead until smooth and silky, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls as needed, about 6 minutes. Place in clean large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and kitchen towel. Place in warm draft-free area; let rise until light and almost doubled in volume, about 2 1/2 hours.

150 min

Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar. Cook until thick grainy sauce forms, about 1 minute. Mix in apples. Cook until apples are tender and sauce is reduced to glaze, tossing often, about 7 minutes. Mix in all grated peel and spices. Cool filling at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours.

38 min

Place large sheet of foil on work surface; spray with nonstick spray. Turn dough out onto foil. Roll out to 14x12-inch rectangle. Sprinkle cookie crumbs in 4-inch-wide strip down center, leaving 1/2-inch border at top and bottom. Arrange apples with any juices atop crumbs. Starting 1/2 inch from each long side of apples, cut straight to edge of dough at 1-inch intervals, making about 13 strips on each side. Fold dough strips alternately and on slight angle over filling, forming lattice. Seal open ends of dough.

15 min

Slide foil with dough onto large rimmed baking sheet; trim foil overhang. Cover cake loosely with plastic and towel. Place cake in warm draft-free area; let dough rise until light and puffy, about 1 3/4 hours.

105 min

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake cake uncovered until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Gently run spatula under cake to loosen from foil. Cool 30 minutes.

65 min

Mix powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl to blend, adding more juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if too thick. Drizzle glaze over cake. Cut crosswise into slices. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

10 min