Mulling Spiced Apple Coffee Cake with Spiced Streusel

This cake was almost the death of me.

Actually, that should be cakeS. These cakes were almost the death of me. Sweet, delicious death. 

I got it into my head that I wanted to make a coffee cake. But not just any coffee cake. No, I needed one that was warm and spicy and speckled with apples. One that was so purely autumnal it warmed the tummy and the soul.

Plus, it needed to be covered with streusel because, let’s be real, coffee cake is just a vehicle for streusel at the end of the day.

I made one cake, and it was good. So good I shared majority of it with my neighbors and coworkers because I didn’t want to eat the whole thing. It wasn’t winning any awards in the looks department though. I knew I could do better.

Chai Spiced Apple Cider Cupcakes with Pumpkin Pie Frosting

I have a fear of stopwatches. Severe anxiety might be more accurate. When I see one, my heart starts to pump faster, and faster still. The seconds, as if trying to keep pace with my frantic pulse, seem to tick by at a rapid clip. My hands sweat and my throat dries up.

I felt this way every time I had a cross country race in high school. It made me miserable. I still get anxious thinking about it even. Despite my competitive streak, the idea of trying to beat a clock makes me nauseous.

And that’s how I felt Friday night going into my competition on Saturday. Panicked, freaked, stressed, overwhelmed. I didn’t want to do it anymore. I just didn’t.

But here’s the kicker, I didn’t have to beat the clock on Saturday.