Nobody can resist this buttery, moist Coffee Cake with a ribbon of cinnamon streusel in the middle and even more on top! It’s just the thing for a weekend brunch or an afternoon treat!
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
We have a serious love of all things topped with streusel around our house. Like Dutch Apple Pie (like regular apple pie except with streusel instead of a top crust!), Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping, or Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins. And our favorite Raspberry Muffins are made even better when blanketed with a generous amount of streusel.
So it’s no surprise that this made-from-scratch cinnamon-streusel coffee cake is something that gets devoured whenever we make it for a special treat.
Does coffee cake have coffee in it?
No, coffee cake doesn’t actually have any coffee in it. At least not any that I have made or tried. The name comes from the tradition of serving this particular type of cake with a cup of coffee, but there is no actual coffee in the batter.
This is one of those snacking-type cakes that you can serve for breakfast just as easily as a dessert. I’m more partial to eating it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for dessert, but no matter when or how you enjoy it, this long-time bakery favorite is sure to please!
This coffee cake has a light, buttery crumb with a thick ribbon of cinnamon-streusel down the middle and lots more streusel on top for good measure.
How to Make Coffee Cake
- Make the streusel. You can do this by hand or using a mixer. Whisk together flour, brown and white sugars, salt and cinnamon, then stir in melted butter until it all clumps together. Leave it lumpy since the larger clumps give an interesting texture to your streusel. You may even want to squeeze a few handfuls of streusel together to get it to clump more!
- Mix the batter. This is pretty straightforward if you have ever baked a cake before. Just cream butter and sugar, then add in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, mixing well until it is all combined. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until combined.
- Layer batter and streusel in a baking pan. Spread about half of the cake batter in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan that has been sprayed with baking spray. Then sprinkle half of the cinnamon-streusel over the batter. Dollop the remaining batter all over the streusel and carefully nudge it around to cover the middle streusel layer. It’s a thick batter and will rise while it cooks, so don’t be overly worried if coverage isn’t perfect. Then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top to finish it off!
- Bake for 50-55 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. You can tell that the coffee cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with only a few crumbs. If the streusel looks like it is browning too much on top, cover the pan with a piece of aluminum foil partway through baking.
Storing Leftovers
Wrap leftover cake in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container on the counter. It will stay moist and delicious for about 3 days before it starts tasting stale.
Freeze individually wrapped slices for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for a warm piece of cinnamon coffee cake whenever you get the craving!
More sweet breakfast treats!
If sweets for breakfast is your thing, then this cinnamon coffee cake is right up your alley! After you try this, be sure to try some of our other favorite breakfast sweets, like Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast, Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Homemade Cinnamon Rolls.
Coffee Cake is just as appropriate for afternoon tea as it is on your brunch table. Serve it alongside our Sausage Egg Casserole and Breakfast Potatoes!
Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
Cake
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and cinnamon for the streusel. Add the melted butter and stir until it clumps together like sand.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and light, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mixing just until combined. The batter will be thick.
- Spread 1/2 of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel, then dollop the remaining cake batter over this, using a knife to nudge the batter together to form a top layer as much as possible. Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top layer of batter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few crumbs. Serve warm.
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