Lightened Up Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour for extra fiber)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of butter)
• ⅓ cup sugar (you can use coconut sugar or a sugar substitute)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup low-fat buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice/vinegar)

For the crumb topping:

• ⅓ cup flour
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil (optional, can reduce for fewer calories)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease or line an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, beat the applesauce and sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with dry. Mix just until combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. For the crumb topping, mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter or oil until crumbly.
7. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.