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!
lex
can I make this in a loaf pan?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lex! I think this will definitely fill up more than one loaf pan, but you can certainly discard any extra batter you may have. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Heather Schneider
Any suggestions for a lower sugar option?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Heather! Unfortunately, no. You can experiment with adjusting the amount of sugar or using a sugar substitute, but without trying it, I can not advise.
Lyn Weber
Hi! Do you think blueberries could be added to this recipe? Thanks for the help! Lyn
Sam
Hi Lyn! Yes you can add fresh or frozen blueberries. Stir them in at the end being careful to not smash the berries. I would use about 1 1/2 cups. 🙂
Mathews
No coffee powder need?
Sam
Coffee cake actually has no coffee in it at all. 🙂
Jr
Can I use sour cream instead of cream cheese or will it come out totally different?
Sam
I would not recommend a sour cream substitute for the cream cheese here.
Irene Zamanis
i made this. It was awesome. Everybody went crazy for it. One of my nw staples to bring when I go visiting.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Irene! 🙂
Patti
I made it used a bundt pan cooked it for 45 min and it looks raw in middle. Please help fix it
Sam
Hi Patti! In a bundt pan that’s not nearly long enough. It will probably take at least 55 minutes. 🙂
Adoette Bakersfield
I recently baked this coffee cake, and was pleasantly surprised with the result! The cake is super moist and almost creamy, along with the streusel and cinnamon-y goodness… so DELISH! I noticed that the streusel was a little wet, maybe I accidentally added too much butter, but actually after it finished baking, it turned out wonderful. Next time I’d add more cinnamon swirl, because I really liked that added touch! A total recommendation for all–the instructions are very thorough! 😊
-Adoette
Sam
Thank you so much, Adoette! I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Jan
Do you serve it from the 9 by 13 pan? This is for a party and I’m wondering if I should use parchment paper to make sure it can come out whole and be served from a platter. Or would you not recommend that?
Sam
Hi Jan! I typically serve mine straight from the pan but you can certainly line the pan with parchment paper if you’d like. 🙂
Susan kolsby
When I remove from pan after cooling, will the top crumble all fall off?
Sam
Hi Susan! You will probably lose a little bit, but the majority of it should stay on. 🙂
Priscilla
Would this work in a Bundt shape? Has anyone tried it that way?
Sam
Hi Priscilla! It can be made in a bundt pan. The crumb topping may not work quite as well but it should work. I think it’ll take about 55 minutes @ 350F. 🙂
GT
Has anyone made it ahead and frozen it?
Sam
I have not frozen it myself, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
Jessica
Yes coffee cake can be frozen. Just be sure that you wrap it very well in plastic
Sandy
I cannot understand why my sugar/cinnamon swirl hardend? What causes that??? Otherwise yummy!
Sam
Hi Sandy! That is really really odd. I honestly don’t have an answer as to why the swirl in the center of the cake would harden. I’m sorry. 🙁
Millar
I didn’t add the swirl or glaze but it was perfect!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Carolyn
I made this coffee cake & it was good but missing something, maybe chopped apples.
Don B
Just made this. WOW! Best ever and exactly the type of coffee cake I was hoping for. Reminiscent of a cake I used to get years ago and have been looking for a recipe that was close to it. Plenty of streusel and soft wonderful cake! So happy! And I just took a piece to my wife and said “try this”.
She said “Oh my!” Thankyou so much for this one!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Don! 🙂
Tye
want to try your recipe but for a smaller cake in an 8×8 pan…how do I go about adjusting the amts needed?
Sam
Hi Tye! You will need a little bit more than half the batter to make it in an 8 x 8. I would probably reduce the recipe by 25% to ensure you have enough batter, but take care not to overfill the pan. 🙂
Ruby
What is the substitute of butter milk?
Sam
Hi Ruby! You can make your own buttermilk substitute. 🙂
Rubbina
Thank you so much