Name: Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened (113g)); 8 oz cream cheese (softened (225g)); 1 cup light brown sugar tightly packed ((200g)); 1/2 cup granulated sugar ((100g)); 2 large eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ((335g)); 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp cornstarch; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup buttermilk ((120ml)); 1/4 cup sugar ((50g)); 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour - 175; 1 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar (packed (225g)); 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar ((38g)); 4 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted (140g)); 1/2 cup powdered sugar; 2-3 teaspoons milk

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A soft and simple coffee cake with a ripple of cinnamon in the middle and a heavy streusel crumb topping. This cinnamon coffee cake makes enough to feed a crowd (if you’re willing to share). Top everything off with a simple glaze and dig in!

Most mornings I’d gladly pass on breakfast. Despite the fact that I live most of my hours counting down the minutes until my next meal and eternally daydreaming about cookies, breakfast never really seems to excite me.

As with every rule, though, there is at least one exception, and I could eat coffee cake every morning of every day.

Maybe it’s that buttery soft, sweet but not too-sweet crumb, or the ribbon of cinnamon tucked away in the center. Maybe it’s that slightly crisp, heavy blanket of crumbly streusel on the top, or the simple drizzle of glaze. Maybe it’s just because it has the word “cake” right in its name and I’m a sucker for cake any time of the day.

It may not be the healthiest breakfast, but this cinnamon coffee cake is my favorite breakfast (or snack/anytime) cake and I love having a special occasion to make and enjoy it (like, say, Easter brunch).

This coffee cake recipe is similar to my blueberry breakfast cake with a streusel topping instead of the oat one and (obviously) no blueberries.

The batter for this super soft coffee cake includes both cream cheese and buttermilk (you’ll notice it uses much less butter than you would think for such a flavorful, buttery cake). It has a wonderfully moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days (make sure you store in an airtight container, but even three days later I’ve found that it’s just as soft and delectable).

The batter will be thicker than many cakes you may have made in the past, and that’s just fine. Because of this, though, when you layer your cinnamon sugar swirl in the center, the top layer will be a bit tricky to spread so be sure to dollop it over the surface and then use a knife to nudge it evenly over the cinnamon and sugar.

If you do end up disturbing the cinnamon/sugar layer, don’t stress! It will just make for a more interesting, swirled top layer!

The crumb topping on this cinnamon coffee cake is my absolute favorite. It’s buttery and sweet and its crisp texture perfectly complements the soft cake. I like a lot of streusel on my cake, so while I think this is the perfect ratio of crumb to cake, you can certainly cut back a bit.

The glaze over top is completely optional, but with only two ingredients it’s so simple to whip together I recommend it if only for aesthetic reasons (the coffee cake tastes perfectly fine without it!).

Enjoy, and if you make this cinnamon coffee cake for your Easter brunch, make sure to snap a pic and tag it #sugarspunrun on Instagram!

P.S. I sincerely hope that this post came across clearly and coherently this morning and thank you in advance for graciously forgiving me any possible typos, as I’ve been struggling with a pretty obnoxious bout of vertigo all weekend and still can’t seem to think straight.

Any tips on how to keep the room from spinning every time I turn my head would also be appreciated 😉

Full printable recipe is just below the video