Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe
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My cinnamon coffee cake recipe has a velvety soft, melt-in-your mouth crumb, thanks to an unexpected ingredient. It’s an easy coffee cake recipe with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar in the middle and a buttery, no-fuss streusel topping. Just 30 minutes to prep and makes enough to feed a crowd (if you’re willing to share!). Recipe includes a how-to video tutorial!
I’ve been making this cinnamon coffee cake recipe for nearly a decade now and it remains one of my go-to staples. It has a pillowy-soft crumb, a depth of flavor that keeps you going back for more (without being too sweet) a crumbly, buttery blanket of streusel, and a crowning drizzle of vanilla glaze.
4 Things to Know About This Recipe:
- Uses an unexpected ingredient. I swap some of the butter with a brick of full-fat cream cheese. Thanks to the makeup of cream cheese (fat, protein, and slight acidity) the batter does a better job holding on to moisture and bakes up softer and a tad more dense (in a very good way). The end result is a plush, velvety crumb that stays soft.
- Buttermilk without baking soda (on purpose). While you’ll often see the two ingredients paired together for extra lift, for this specific cinnamon coffee cake I wanted the flavor and thickness of buttermilk without the airiness often added by baking soda. By omitting it, we have a slightly more dense, moist crumb that melts in your mouth but doesn’t fall apart (a technique you’ll also find used in my chocolate chip muffins).
- Bakes in a large pan (13×9), so it’s perfect for serving to a crowd (or freezing some for later).
- No pastry cutter needed. The streusel is fuss-free thanks to melted butter. No extra tools required, you only need a fork!
This cinnamon coffee cake deserves a place alongside other indulgent breakfast staples like scones, French toast casserole, or my easy French toast recipe.
Ingredients
Let’s talk about a few of the key ingredients before we jump into the recipe, including one se.
- Cream cheese. I firmly believe this key ingredient is what makes my recipe better than any other out there. The crumb on this cake is so soft, so moist, so melt-in-your-mouth–and the flavor is divine. And in case you’re worried that it makes the cake actually taste like cream cheese, it doesn’t! Stick with a brick of cream cheese for this recipe, as the tub-style cream cheese contains added water and stabilizers that are best left out of this recipe. And if you perhaps live in a country where this (brick-style) cream cheese isn’t available, I recommend you try my sour cream coffee cake, instead.
- Sugar. While granulated sugar is a common cinnamon coffee cake go-to, using a blend introduces added moisture and flavor (thanks to the molasses in the brown sugar) without making things too sweet. I love using brown sugar in classic recipes where just granulated is typically used (like my chocolate cake recipe!) because of this.
- Cornstarch. We’ll add this to encourage a soft, tender, melt-in-your-mouth crumb. Cornstarch is another secret ingredient that I use in many of my recipes, from my cinnamon rolls to my chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Buttermilk. Regular whole milk would “work” here, but buttermilk adds flavor and moisture to the end-result (which is what makes my buttermilk pancakes so special). If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can use my buttermilk substitute instead, but this particular cake is best with real, full-fat buttermilk.
SAM’S TIP: This batter will be thicker than what you’re used to, and that’s intentional. Because of this, when you layer your cinnamon sugar swirl in the center, the top layer can be a bit tricky to spread. You can try to smooth it over the surface like I suggest in the recipe, or you can just use a knife and swirl it into the cinnamon and sugar.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Make the Batter & Cinnamon Ripple
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter, then add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients.
- Pour half the batter into your greased and floured pan, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar layer over the batter.
- Add the remaining batter on top and use a knife to smooth (if it gives you a hard time, don’t stress it and just use a knife to swirl the batter and cinnamon together!).
Make the Streusel & Bake
- Melt your butter, then pour it over the remaining streusel ingredients and toss/claw the ingredients together to combine. You want the mixture to be nice and clumpy, don’t overwork it or it’ll be pasty and difficult to sprinkle!
- Sprinkle streusel over the prepared cake and bake for 40-50 minutes.
SAM’S TIP: While overmixing isn’t as much of a concern with this cinnamon coffee cake recipe, overbaking is definitely possible. If your cake turns out dense or dry, it was probably baked for a few minutes too long. Keep a close eye on your cake to make sure this doesn’t happen to you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Coffee cake (at least in America, though I know this is the case in other countries as well) doesn’t get its name because it contains coffee; rather, the name refers to a cake that is often served with coffee. While technically any cake you serve with coffee could fit the bill, cinnamon coffee cake as I know it should always have a buttery-soft crumb and lots of streusel, and no coffee in the batter, just like today’s recipe.
While I have not personally baked in a bundt pan, readers have reported this cake takes about 55 minutes to bake in a bundt pan. I do also have a classic bundt cake recipe.
Not quite. Crumb cake has a much thicker crumb topping with less cinnamon, and it lacks the cinnamon ripple that I add to the middle of my coffee cake. I also find that’s it’s often a bit more dense (though still soft!). Both are equally delicious and go great with a cup of coffee though!
More Coffee Cake Varieties to Try:
Serve yourself a slice (with or without a cup of coffee on the side!) and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
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Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar,, firmly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
Cinnamon Swirl
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- 1 ⅓ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (225 g) brown sugar, packed
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 Tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, melted
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease and flour a 13×9 baking pan.
- In stand mixer, or using an electric mixer in large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese
- Beat in sugars until light and fluffy.1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar,, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Scrape down sides and bottom of mixing bowl with rubber spatula.2 large eggs
- Stir in vanilla extract.1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cornstarch and salt.2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, until all of the flour mixture and buttermilk have been combined.½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- Spread about half of the batter into prepared pan (batter will be thick).
- Quickly whisk together sugar and cinnamon for cinnamon ripple layer in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the batter.¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Dollop remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer and use a knife to spread evenly overtop. If it gives you a tough time/doesn't want to spread, just try your best but don't stress! If it's easier, just swirl the cinnamon/sugar in with a knife. Set aside and prepare your streusel topping.
Streusel
- Melt butter in a medium-sized bowl on 10 second increments (stirring between) until just melted (you don’t want it to be too hot, if it does get too hot allow to cool.10 Tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter
- Use a fork to stir together your flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Pour melted butter over mixture and use a fork to toss/claw together the ingredients until combined (mixture should be crumbly).1 ⅓ cup (175 g) all-purpose flour, 1 cup + 2 Tbsp (225 g) brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 4 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.
- Bake on 350F for 40-50 minutes (check doneness with a toothpick inserted in center, it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs).
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Glaze (optional)
- If desired, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.2-3 teaspoons milk, ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
Notes
Storing
Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I originally published my cinnamon coffee cake recipe on April 10th, 2017. The post has been updated to include more details and information and a video. Recipe remains the same, it was perfect as-is!
I love this recipe! Just wondering if it could be converted into muffins. I know you have a coffee cake muffin recipe, but I would love for them to include the cream cheese.
Hi Tracy! This recipe should work in a muffin tin; just fill the liners about 2/3 of the way full. They may not be very round on top, but they should still taste great! Enjoy 😊
I brought this coffee cake to Easter brunch this morning and it was a HUGE hit! I’m so glad I came across this recipe because I’ve honestly never had coffee cake this good. I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out amazing. I will definitely be returning here for more great recipes in the future! Thanks!
Loved this coffee cake!! Going in my make again file! Made exactly as written and turned out perfectly.
That’s great, Kelly! We’re so happy you enjoyed it 😊
I have been baking this same cake for 68 years. Definitely a keeper!
I have not tried this recipe yet, but I’m going to. I was actually looking for a chocolate Streusel cake. I wonder how would you make this a chocolate streusel cake? I want the chocolate in the cake and in the streusel. Do you think I could just add Coco to the mix without any extra sugar or anything?
Hi Kathy! Cocoa powder can dry out a cake, so we’d definitely have to do some experimenting to get it just right. If you do try this, please let us know how it turns out for you! 😊
Made this to have with Christmas brunch and it was DELICIOUS! Had a tad too much crumble topping for my taste, and generally I like a lot, so I was surprised at that! Planning to make again for co-workers soon!
I’m so sad! The top half of the cake above the sugar cinnamon swirl is done but the cake below the cinnamon sugar swirl is doughy. Is it suppose to be this way? If not, do you know what possible happened? I’m suppose to take over to a friend but now I’m afraid to.
Hi Joanne! It shouldn’t be doughy, it should be cooked all the way through. It may need more time in the oven or even potentially your oven is heating unevenly. 🙁
This was divine. A perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Great crunch and crumb. Immediately printed and added to the cookbook I’m making for my daughters. This will be my go-to coffee cake from now on.
Absolutely delicious! I have been making this coffee cake for 2 years and it is my favorite by far! Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes for all of us to enjoy!!!
Hi, can you suggest cooking times & temperature if baking this cake in a bundt pan (or other sizes)? Thanks!
Hi Cee! The bake temperature will remain the same. For a bundt pan I believe it would take approximately 55 minutes. 🙂
I made this recipe last year it’s awesome! I was going to make again for Easter brunch, could I prepare this on Friday and bake on Saturday? I’m thinking no problem just wanted your opinion! Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Rose! We haven’t stored the batter that long, so we can’t say for sure if it will work, but we think it will. If you do try it, let us know how it goes. 🙂
Just made this recipe, doubled it to get more portions. It was amazing, soft, sweet, well balanced and extremely moist.
We’re so happy it turned out for you, Landa 😊
I made this by only, following the video twice now and it’s AMAZING! Thank you so much! I made this for friends and family and everyone raves about it! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear this, Steph! Thank you so much for trying my recipe! 🙂
Made this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and it was AWESOME!! A new family favorite, definitely. The cream cheese makes it so moist and flavorful. Looking forward to making it again soon. Thanks, Sam!
Thanks for letting us know how much you loved it, Tracy! The cream cheese really is a game changer. Enjoy! ❤️
I think I followed the recipe exactly. Cake was nice, streusel was like gravel. Sorry, not a fan.
Check out the tips and the video on how to combine it, I think that will help, Jan 🙂
I saw the video. Don’t remember if I read the tips. I really just don’t like the cake. It was a lot of time and a lot of money for ingredients. The cake was soft and tender. As you said it would be. I think I am too uncivilized for soft and tender. And I have not boarded the unsalted butter train. Salt makes food taste better to me. As for the gravelly streusel, idk. Maybe I overbaked. 45 minutes might have been too long.
Salt definitely makes food taste better, I’m with you on that. This recipe doesn’t use less salt and isn’t a low salt recipe, instead we use unsalted butter and account for the salt missing from the butter with the added salt in the recipe, it gives us maximum control so we know we’re using the proper amount of salt (not too much AND not too little) and gives the best possible flavor. I am glad your husband still enjoyed! 🙂
My husband absolutely loves the cake. He says it’s way better than my famous blueberry coffee cake. So maybe it’s just me who found it disappointing.
I never bother with unsalted butter! No one can even begin to tell the difference. I have been a Caterer and a personal chef. NO ONE can tell any difference !! These issues are always up to the individual baker.
I just made this, and WOW! Such an amazing recipe. Very clear & easy to follow instructions, and such great flavor.
Thank you for sharing.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, SJ! Thanks for letting us know how it went.
I sadly do not have a 9×13 baking dish. I absolutely love coffee cake and this recipe sounds perfect for me. Could I substitute two 8×8 pans and just reduce the cooking time and any suggestions on how long will be greatly appreciated. I see a 9×13 being purchased very soon though lol I love cake!
Hi Gwen! Two 8×8 pans should work fine, but we aren’t positive on baking time. Just keep an eye on them and test with a toothpick to be sure they’re done. If you do try this, we’d love for you let us know how long it ends up taking! ❤️
Made this again last night,and this time added blueberries….
Hi, is there a way to make this without the cream cheese? Maybe replacing it with something else?
Thank you!!
Hi Julie! I’ve never had success with a replacement. 🙁
I realize I already commented on this recipe, but had to leave one more comment. I made this coffee cake for my family for my dad’s birthday; it was the first time my family tasted anything I baked. They LOVED it. My dad and sister both expressed it was the best coffee cake they ever tasted (my sister even finished her slice, and she NEVER finishes desserts). My mom and dad went back for seconds as well. I also managed to get the swirl this time (I doubled the amount for the swirl and it was perfection). Thank you again for this incredible recipe–it was a huge hit and I will definitely be making this again.
This was some of the best coffee cake I’ve EVER had!!!! And I loved the aroma of coffee cake in my apartment (I’m sad I can’t bottle that). It was really easy to make (thank you for such clear instructions and video!) and my colleagues have been raving about it all day. I didn’t get the swirl in the middle–I ended up doubling, but as predicted, had trouble spreading it so I think the swirl just spread throughout the cake, which worked out wonderfully! Will definitely make this again–thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Marcy! 🙂
Can this be made the day before, refrigerated overnight and then roughly to room temp and baked?
Hi Dee! I haven’t ever stored the batter that long so I can’t say for sure it will work. I do think it will though. If you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂