Granny Smith Apple Coffee Cake

This apple coffee cake recipe may look intimidating from the list of ingredients, but it's actually simple to prepare and once you taste it, you'll be glad you did. This makes a great hostess gift.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in tiny pieces
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Blend walnuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon in processor until nuts are finely chopped. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until clumps begin to form. (Can be made 1 day ahead) Cover and chill.
Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 12 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and milk to blend. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
Beat in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream mixture in 3 additions each, mixing just until smooth.
Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Spoon apple filling on top of batter. Spread remaining batter over filling. Sprinkle with topping.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean (45 minutes). If the top starts browning too quickly, cover with foil. Cool pan on rack at least 2 hours.