HCB - Apple-Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Wow, it's been a while since I baked along with the Heavenly Cake Bakers, but I'm glad to be back. This week the HCB-ers had Individual Pineapple Upside Down Cake on the menu. I vividly remember these little cakes. Especially the wonderful crumb of the cake. So for this week, I decided to bake something else. With my apples ready for picking (we have a Honeycrisp and a McIntosh tree), the choice was easy: Apple-Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake. The picture in the book has captured my attention since the very first time I browsed through the book at a Barnes and Nobles. I have no idea why it took me so long to bake it :o)

Look at those big chunks of buttery crumb topping. Yum!

Bon appetit!

Final thoughts/tips:

• This cake was a big hit. We ate it at room temperature and slightly warm, and preferred the latter. All it needs is a 10 second zap in the microwave. Hubby gave it a 9 out of 10.
• I loved the different flavors and textures that this cake offers. The cake is buttery, tender and moist. The filling has a great apple and cinnamon flavor and the topping is nutty and crunchy which was a wonderful contrast. Using melted butter definitely makes the crumb topping crispy. I increased the amount of flour in the topping by 25% to ensure a great crunch that lasts for a few days.
• The cake part could have been a little "fluffier" but that might be my own fault. I used Argo's Double Acting Alu Free baking powder because that's all I had. Has anyone had any issues with this baking powder? I might go back to Rumford.