Ingredients:
- 250g All purpose flour
- 245g Unsweetened applesauce
- 120g Full fat sour cream
- 120ml Neutral vegetable oil
- 150g Granulated sugar
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 100g Packed brown sugar
- 60g Cold unsalted butter
- 60g All purpose flour (for streusel)
- 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon (for streusel)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your 9x9 pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. This is a sling that lets you lift the cake out without breaking that delicate streusel crust. I once forgot this and had to eat the cake in chunks straight from the pan — still tasty, but not exactly blog ready.
- In your large bowl, whisk the 2 eggs with the 150g of granulated sugar and 120ml of oil until the mixture looks pale and slightly frothy. This usually takes about 2 minutes of vigorous whisking. You're building the air bubbles that will help the cake rise.
- Stir in the 245g of applesauce, 120g of sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla. In a separate small bowl, whisk the 250g of flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Stop the moment you see no more white streaks. Over mixing is the enemy of a velvety crumb.
- In a small bowl, mix the 100g of brown sugar, 60g of flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 60g of cold cubed butter using a fork or your fingers until it looks like coarse sand. Sprinkle half of this over the batter in the pan.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter in the pan. Pour the remaining batter on top, then finish with the rest of the streusel.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Around the 35 minute mark, your kitchen will smell like a dream. Bake until the top is golden and the center doesn't jiggle when shaken. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Let it cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before lifting it out. This resting period allows the structure to set so it doesn't crumble.