Coffee Cake

This is the best coffee cake recipe to have in your back pocket when you’re craving dessert for breakfast. The delicious, fluffy golden cake has a sweet filling with the perfect hint of cinnamon flavor. The addictively crisp cinnamon crumb topping makes this, truly, the perfect coffee cake!

After rigorous retesting, I discovered that sour cream is the secret ingredient for the most tender and moist coffee cake. The acid in the sour cream tenderizes the crumb perfectly! I also tested the recipe in other pan sizes, and I am happy to report that you can make a smaller or bigger batch of this cake depending on how many people you plan to serve.

A reader, Karen, says: “I have tried a million coffee cake recipes and I will never search again. This is without a doubt the best recipe I have ever had, ditto from my husband. I made as written and you can’t go wrong….Very moist and the middle layer of cinnamon and sugar added just the right amount of flavor.” ★★★★★

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I have been making this coffee cake for years now (first published back in 2020!), and it has received rave reviews ever since. Here’s what I love about it:

• Tender and moist: The cake texture is dense but still has a fluffy crumb. And thanks to my must-have ingredient, sour cream, it’s also super moist.
• Flavor-packed: There is a cinnamon-sugar ribbon running through the center and a spiced crumb topping, so the coffee cake is packed with flavor. You will make them separately, but they stir up easily using the same simple ingredients, so it’s quick to make each one!
• Adapt it for other pan sizes or more servings: You can bake it as directed in an 8” square pan for 9 servings, or use a 9-inch round pan for the same yield. Want more? Double it for a 9×13” pan to feed 15 to 18 people! Each pan size bakes for the same time— about 1 hour.

Key Ingredients

These are the main ingredients you need to make this cinnamon coffee cake recipe. You can find the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.

Cinnamon filling — the 3-ingredient cinnamon filling consists of light brown sugar, flour, and ground cinnamon. Once it’s layered in the batter, it melts into a gooey ribbon that runs through every slice of coffee cake.

Streusel topping — this twist on my favorite streusel topping recipe comes together with flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold unsalted butter.

Butter — while you need cold butter for the crumb topping, you need softened butter for the cake itself. Set it out about an hour before you start the recipe. The other can stay in the fridge until you make the streusel.

Sugar — granulated sugar and light brown sugar add sweetness to the cake. To me, a coffee cake is incomplete without the molasses flavor notes brown sugar adds! If you are out, quickly make your own brown sugar with granulated sugar and molasses!

Sour cream — yields a rich, moist cake with a tender crumb, and helps keep the cake moist for days after baking. It also adds the most subtle tang to balance the sweetness of the crumb topping and vanilla glaze. More on this just below!

Vanilla glaze — while optional, I love drizzling a simple glaze made of powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract over the baked coffee cake. If you skip this, dust the top of the cake very lightly with powdered sugar for a bakery-esque finish.

Why Use Sour Cream In Coffee Cake?

Sour cream is the secret to a coffee cake that is beautifully moist and not dry or crumbly. The acid in sour cream helps bake a more tender cake— the lactic acid actually weakens the proteins in the flour, inhibiting gluten formation, which is why the cake is so tender! Plus, the added moisture keeps the cake from drying out quickly. It retains its moisture well even after freezing!

I chose sour cream because it has a higher fat content, so the cake turns out a bit denser (in the best way), which I think is important for a good coffee cake texture. You can use full-fat Greek yogurt if needed, just keep in mind that the texture will be slightly lighter. If possible, use 5% full-fat yogurt for as much richness as possible. (Full-fat can range anywhere from 3.5% to 5%; just don’t use fat-free.)

Flavor and Size Variations

While I adore a classic coffee cake, there are a few ways to change up its flavor as well as its size. Here are a few ideas:

• Add other spices: Add about ½ teaspoon cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, or allspice, or ¼ teaspoon cloves to the topping or cinnamon filling. You can also include 1 teaspoon of different extracts or 1 tablespoon of orange zest in the batter.
• Stir in some flavorful additions: Fresh or frozen cranberries or blueberries, chocolate chips, or chopped toasted nuts can be stirred into the batter or sprinkled on the filling. Use up to 1 cup. If you like, you can also stir ¼ cup of chopped nuts or rolled oats into the crumb topping for added crunch. Oats will also give the topping a slight chewiness. Or try my blueberry coffee cake, which has plump berries mixed right into the batter!
• Bake a smaller batch: Divide the recipe by half and bake in an 8×4-inch loaf pan or 6-inch round cake pan for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Bake a larger batch: Serving a large crowd? Double the recipe and bake in a 9×13-inch pan for about 1 hour. You can see this big batch of coffee cake in the picture below! It’s hefty, so I recommend serving it out of the pan and not trying to remove the whole cake.

Pro Tips For Making The Best Coffee Cake

Ingredient temperature matters for the best coffee cake! For the streusel topping, you need cold butter so you can form crumbles. For the cake batter, you need softened butter to whip up nice and fluffy, as well as room-temperature eggs and sour cream, so they incorporate better into the butter. If you’re short on time, use one of my tricks to soften butter quickly. For the eggs, soak them in a bowl of warm tap water for 10 minutes, and pop the sour cream in the microwave for two 5-second intervals, stirring between them.

Be aware of the consistency of the cake batter. The batter may look thicker than you expect, and that’s normal! This batter needs to be thick and sturdy to hold the filling and topping. A thinner batter would cause the cinnamon-sugar filling and streusel topping to sink into the batter and likely end up on the bottom of the pan.

Use my trick to spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon filling: It can be a little tricky to spread a thick batter over a loose filling. The easiest way is to dollop the batter all over the filling. Then start spreading the batter from the center towards the edges, making sure the batter touches the parchment paper on the sides. Try to avoid back-and-forth motions, as they can cause the batter to peel up and the cinnamon-sugar filling to get mixed into the batter. The cake will still bake up fine if that happens; it will just have a less defined center stripe of filling.

How to keep the crumb topping from sinking: Because the streusel topping weighs the batter down a bit on top, it can rise unevenly or be enveloped by the rising batter if it isn’t sprinkled evenly. This tends to happen more on the edges since the batter rises there first during baking. I recommend starting along the edges when sprinkling on the topping to ensure there is enough crumb topping to cover them.

How To Make Coffee Cake

Below, I’ve highlighted portions of the recipe in step-by-step process images along with instructions for making sour cream coffee cake. You can find the full set of instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Whisk together the fragrant cinnamon filling in a small bowl and set aside.

2. To make the crumb topping, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the cubed cold butter and use your fingers or a fork to press the butter into the flour mixture to create a crumbly mixture. Set this aside as well.

3. To make the cake, start by whisking the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Then, add the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or add them to a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and beat well. Lastly, add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on low. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.

4. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of a bowl and gently mix in any streaks of flour.

5. Add half the coffee cake batter to a greased 8×8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper. After smoothing it into an even layer, sprinkle the cinnamon filling on top. Scoop the rest of the batter in another layer on top of the filling, by dolloping it all throughout the pan. Then carefully spread it to the edges of the pan.

6. Sprinkle the cinnamon streusel topping on top, starting at the edges and working towards the center, then bake your coffee cake at 350°F for 55 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Let the cake cool in the pan for a minimum of 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

7. You can stop there, but if you want to add the vanilla glaze, make it by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

8. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the slightly warm cake before slicing.

4.90 from 882 votes

Coffee Cake Recipe

Homemade Coffee Cake is perfect for breakfast alongside a steaming cup of coffee! Moist and tender thanks to sour cream.

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Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Rest Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 9 servings

Calories 623kcal

Author John Kanell

Video

Equipment

• ▢
  8″ square baking pan
• ▢
  Mixing Bowls
• ▢
  Electric hand mixer or stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Filling:

• ▢ ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar (147g)
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the Streusel Topping:

• ▢ ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90g)
• ▢ ½ cup packed light brown sugar (110g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter diced (85g)

For the Cake:

• ▢ 1¾ cups all-purpose flour (210g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 10 tablespoons unsalted butter softened (142g)
• ▢ ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
• ▢ ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (55g)
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ ⅔ cup sour cream room temperature (160g)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Vanilla Glaze: (optional)

• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons whole milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Cinnamon Filling:

• In a small bowl whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Set aside.

For the Streusel Topping:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the diced butter. Use your clean fingers or the tines of a fork to press and crumble the butter into the dry mixture until the mixture is crumbly and resembles wet sand. For larger crumbles, squeeze a handful of the mixture together and break apart into large pieces. Set aside.

For the Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan and line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Scrape the bowl down, then add the sour cream and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until just combined, then use a spatula to scrape the bowl down and mix any stray bits in.
• Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling on top. Dollop the remaining batter over the cinnamon filling, then spread it out into an even layer by moving from the center to the edges. Sprinkle the streusel over the top, starting at the edges, and working in towards the center. (This helps keep make sure there’s enough topping on the edges to keep the cake from rising unevenly.
• Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before serving.

For the Glaze:

• If making the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the coffee cake before or after slicing.

Notes

• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.
• Bake in a 9” round pan: Follow the recipe as directed, no changes needed!
• Bake in a 9×13” pan: This is a great option for a crowd! Double the recipe and bake for about 1 hour. I recommend serving the cake out of the pan since its size can make it hard to remove! This larger coffee cake will make 15 to 18 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 796IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2mg

*Nutrition Disclaimer

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How To Store and Freeze Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake

Storage: Leftover homemade coffee cake keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 days.

Freezing: Once completely cool, I like freezing individual slices so I can grab only what I need from the freezer. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap, and then a layer of aluminum foil. The slices will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw it on the counter for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Breakfast Recipes To Try

Looking for more “dessert for breakfast” recipes? Try these next!

Moist and tender cinnamon muffins are glorious next to a hot cup of coffee. The no-fuss batter stirs together in no time, and a sweet cinnamon sugar topping is the perfect finishing touch.

Another one for my cinnamon fans, fluffy cinnamon swirl bread is easy to make and turns out so impressive! Plus, it keeps for several days.

My moist, old-fashioned blueberry buckle recipe is bursting with flavor and topped with a buttery streusel topping. It also doubles as a dessert — just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Classic cinnamon rolls are an iconic addition to Christmas brunch or whenever you feel like a special treat. They’re so soft and fluffy, and the velvety cream cheese frosting complements their flavor beautifully.

If you love streusel topping like I do, my crumb cake is a must-try. The crisp but soft crumb topping is simply sublime, and it sits atop a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, vanilla-scented cake.

If you’ve tried this coffee cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!