My deliriously soft coffee cake has a surprise ripple of cinnamon in the middle and a super simple streusel topping. This recipe takes just 30 minutes to prep and makes enough to feed a crowd (if you’re willing to share!). Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Only Coffee Cake Recipe Worth Making Again
Bold claim up there 👆🏻 I know. But I stand by it 100%. Ever since developing this moist coffee cake recipe almost five years ago, I have yet to find another that measures up.
Maybe it’s that soft, sweet (but not too-sweet) crumb, or the ribbon of cinnamon tucked away in the center. Maybe it’s that buttery blanket of streusel on the top, or the simple drizzle of vanilla glaze. Whatever it is, I’m hooked, and I know you will be too!
Serve this one up at your next special occasion or brunch (scones or French toast casserole are always a hit, too!), and just sit back and watch your guest’s eyes roll to the back of their heads with their first bite. Or just make it for dessert tonight, because Thursday’s are worth celebrating, too!
Why You’ll Love My Recipe:
- Has the softest texture and so much flavor, thanks to my secret ingredient 🤫
- Bakes in a large pan, so it’s perfect for serving to a crowd.
- The streusel topping is incredibly easy to make with NO pastry cutter!
- Takes just half an hour to prep before going in the oven.
What You Need
I’m not going to go over every ingredient on this list, but there are a few important ones worth a mention:
- Cream cheese. This is my secret weapon. I substitute some of the butter for cream cheese, and I believe this 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!
- Sugar. While this probably isn’t an unexpected ingredient, using a blend of granulated and light brown sugar certainly isn’t always the norm. I love using brown sugar in many classic recipes where just granulated is typically used (like my chocolate cake!) because it adds depth of flavor and moisture.
- 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 (remember my cinnamon rolls or chocolate chip cookies!?).
- 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, feel free to use my buttermilk substitute instead.
SAM’S TIP: This batter will be thicker than what you’re used to, and that’s exactly as it should be. 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.
Remember, 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 Coffee Cake
- 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 add the cinnamon sugar layer.
- 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!).
- 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 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, coffee cake as I know it should always have a buttery-soft crumb and lots of streusel, just like today’s recipe.
Yes! Readers have reported this cake takes about 55 minutes to bake in a bundt pan. I do also have a classic vanilla bundt cake recipe.
This recipe yields a wonderfully moist, tender crumb that stays soft for days. To keep it tasting fresh, I recommend you store it in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3 days. While I haven’t frozen this cake, I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t do well in the freezer (do not refrigerate it though, or it will dry out!).
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. Both are equally delicious and go great with a cup of coffee though!
Serve yourself a slice (with or without coffee!) and admire just how beautiful a simple breakfast cake can really be ❤
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese softened
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (335 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon 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
Recommended Equipment
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 tightly packed, 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 (335 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon 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
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Related Recipes
Originally published April 10th, 2017. Post updated to include more details and information and a video February 2020. Recipe remains the same, it was perfect as-is!
Sarah
why is there no coffee in this coffee cake?
Sam
Hi Sarah! Please see the post for an explanation on why coffee cake does not contain coffee ๐
Melissa
I just made this to take to the lake with us for a quick breakfast over the weekend. Of course, I had to taste it, all I can say is WOW!!
This coffee cake is amazing, and so easy to make!!
I will definitely be making this again!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Melissa! ๐
ฮachary Michael
Can you do this in individual bunt sizes? If so temps and recommendations
Sam
Hi Zachary! You could bake these in individual pans. They would bake on the same temperature but unfortunately I don’t know a time for them to bake.
Carmela Kamps
Can this be made ina springform pan? It sounds so delicious!
Sam
Hi Carmela! That should be fine, but dependent on the size of the springform pan you may not be able to use all of the batter. I wouldn’t fill it higher than 3/4 of the way full, then watch the baking time as it will vary.
Anubha
Hey, can you please tell me the substitution for egg??
We are allergic to eggs , though I love coffee but don’t really know what n how to replace an egg in your recipe…. Help plz
Sam
Hi Anubha! Unfortunately I don’t know of a good egg substitute, maybe someone else can chime in with some help here. ๐
Anubha
thanks a ton ! hoping someone would revert … ๐
I made pizza using your recipe, it turned out awesome.. thanks for the recipe.
Tanisha McClain
Hey, a good substitute for egg that doesn’t take away from consistency is Ener-G egg replacer. It’s so good!!
Elizabeth B Nepomuceno
I believe there’s a very standard substitute for egg that you could probably find on Google al I know it is uses ground flaxseed and water, just those 2 ingredients. I don’t know if you need the same amount but I do know that 1 egg is equivalent to 1/4 cup. Good luck.
Ellie
Hi Sam,
My friend made me this cake and it was so delicious I asked for the recipe and found you! Since then, I’ve made it a few times and it is really really delicious! My husband said it’s one of his favourite cake! The taste is nice but the texture of the cake is awesome! Since it’s only the two of us, I bake it in 13×9 baking pan, cut it into square pieces and freeze them separately. When I leave the frozen cakes out in room temperature for 30 minutes, the texture and the taste is still there! We LOVE it! Thanks for the recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Ellie! I love the idea of freezing individual pieces. ๐
diana
BTW, I used two 9″ round cake pans and it came out perfectly. I covered one tightly and sent it to my in-laws and they absolutely raved about it. Best coffeecake ever!
diana
This is truly an amazing coffeecake! I made it exactly as written and I wouldn’t change a thing. Just take note that the cake batter is truly really thick, so take her advice about dolloping it in pieces on top of the cinnamon layer. I dipped a spatula in water, shook it off, and spread the batter gently with that. Made it much easier and didn’t affect the cake at all. My whole family loves this coffeecake, and while I can’t eat it due to diabetes, it’s a labor of love to make it. (and yes, I do sneak a taste, haha)
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Diana! ๐
Word Nerd Jess
I don’t bake often, and – aside from being time-consuming – I found it quiet easy and it was delicious. I made it for my girlfriends when it was my turn to host ladies’ night (coffee cake to accompany the espresso martinis, of course)! At the end of our evening, they all asked to bring some home to their hubbies! We’ve never left anyone’s house with to-go bags, so I’d call it a success. Many thanks!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! Asking to take some home is quite the compliment! ๐
Raqรผel
Hi Sam,
Thanks for sharing your recipe. My husband gave it 3 ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ even if he has 2 thumbs. ๐ He used to buy this in Raritan, NJ back then. He called this crumb cake and not coffee cake. Now that we are in AZ, we can never find the exact same cake he used to get in the Italian Bakery until now. All I can say, this is a hit. ๐โค๐
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! ๐
Cindy
I tried making your recipe as is and it turned out PERFECT! One question though, can I replace the all purpose flour and cornstarch with cake flour instead? If yes, is the measurement the same with the all purpose flour without cornstarch? Thankyou!
Sam
Hi Cindy! I haven’t tried it with cake flour, but I think it will still turn out. Yes I would omit the cornstarch as well because you will have plenty in your cake flour. Let me know how it goes. ๐
scott
Can this recipe be made in a springform and what size would work?
I have a 10 inch and a 9 inch.
Thanks in advance for your help
Scott
Sam
Hi Scott! The 10 inch is going to hold more of the batter, but it still won’t hold all of it. Make sure you don’t overfill the pan before baking. ๐
scott
Thank you. I’ll be making it this Friday night for Saturday.
Sam
That’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. ๐
Victoria
My favorite crumb cake recipe ever
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Victoria! ๐
Gail
Looking forward to using your recipies
Sam
I hope you love them all! ๐
Oyindamola Falokun
Hello Sam,
I love all Your recipes which I’ve tried so far as the cakes turned out well and My Family loved them.
Thank You very much for All You do !
However, I need some clarifications from You :
1. Can I use icing sugar instead of powdered sugar for the glaze ?
2. What is/are the best substitute(s) for the cream cheese ?
I look forward to hearing from You !
Sam
Hi Oyindamola! I am so glad you have enjoyed everything so much! Icing sugar is the same thing as powdered sugar so you are good to go there. Unfortunately I don’t have a good substitution for the cream cheese. It’s really important here. ๐
Jen
If you live somewhere that does not carry cream cheese, you might try mascarpone, ricotta, or s soft farmer’s cheese to replace, but none will be exactly the same. Lovely recipe!