Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

With Cinnamon Streusel Topping

By

Diana Rattray

Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (1)

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

Updated on 11/18/21

Tested by

Tracy Wilk

Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2)

Tested byTracy Wilk

Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.

Learn about The Spruce Eats'Editorial Process

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Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (3)

A classic coffee cake is a fabulous cake to make for a holiday morning, meeting, or social gathering. This coffee cake is easy to prepare and bake, and it's an excellent alternative to donuts or quick breads. Plus, homemade is so much better than store-bought. The ribbon-like swirl of cinnamon gives the cake a unique look, and the crunchy streusel top adds delicious texture.

A coffee cake doesn't contain coffee—it's a moist and tender cake usually served along with coffee or tea or as a breakfast cake or brunch dessert. The American coffee cake may have originated with the German crumb cake that people served with coffee at informal gatherings or kaffeeklatsches.

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients—the cake is really very easy to put together and bake following the concise step-by-step directions, and you can prepare it a day in advance. Cover the prepared, unbaked cake and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, remove the covering and bake the cake as directed. Since the cake will be cold, allow an extra 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.

"Coffee cake is one of the most underrated desserts—it is perfectly sweet, tender, and has all of those extra tasty crumbles you love. I could eat this every morning for breakfast alongside my morning coffee. Plus, this recipe is super easy to follow. It's sure to be a crowd favorite." —Tracy Wilk

Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Layer

  • 3/4 cup (148 grams) packed brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup (33 grams) flour

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Streusel Topping

  • 1 cup (198 grams) packed brown sugar

  • 1 cup (120 grams) flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

For the Coffee Cake

  • Cooking spray, for the pan

  • 3 1/4 cups (396 grams) flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 cups (402 grams) granulated sugar

  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

  • 1/3 cup milk, room temperature

Steps to Make It

For the Cinnamon Layer

  1. Gather the ingredients for the cinnamon layer.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (5)

  2. Combine 3/4 cup of brown sugar with 1/4 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, mix thoroughly, and set aside.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (6)

For the Streusel Topping

  1. Gather the ingredients for the streusel topping.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (7)

  2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of softened butter. Mix with a fork or your fingers to create a crumb mixture. Set aside.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (8)

Prepare and Bake the Cake

  1. Gather the cake ingredients.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (9)

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (10)

  3. Combine the 3 1/4 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (11)

  4. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine 1 cup butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (12)

  5. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue to mix for 1 minute until blended.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (13)

  6. Add about one-third of the flour mixture and half of the sour cream and milk, and beat just until blended with the mixer on low. Add another one-third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk and sour cream, and continue to beat just until blended; blend in the remaining flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (14)

  7. Spread half of the batter in the prepared baking pan and top it evenly with the cinnamon sugar layer mixture.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (15)

  8. Spoon the remaining batter evenly over the cinnamon sugar layer; gently spread to cover and then top with the streusel crumb mixture.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (16)

  9. Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (17)

  10. Remove to a rack to cool before cutting into squares.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (18)

Tip

It may seem like there are a lot of components and steps to this recipe, but you can easily make the cinnamon layer mixture and the streusel topping ahead of time. Refrigerate the raw streusel topping until ready to use—just make sure to store it loosely in a container so that it stays nice and crumbly.

Recipe Variation

  • Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping mixture.
  • Gussy your coffee cake up with a simple glaze. Combine 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar with a few drops of vanilla and about 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk, or enough to drizzle. Drizzle the glaze over the cake just before serving.

How to Store and Freeze

  • The cake will last for 2 to 3 days, tightly covered at room temperature.
  • To freeze the cake, place portions on a baking sheet and place the pan in the freezer. When the cake squares are frozen solid, transfer them to airtight containers or zip-close bags. Defrost in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours.

What is the difference between cake and coffee cake?

A typical cake is frosted or glazed, while a coffee cake is usually topped with a crumb mixture or streusel. The difference between a crumb cake and a coffee cake is the amount of streusel topping. A crumb cake usually has a thicker layer of streusel topping.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
674Calories
29g Fat
98g Carbs
8g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories674
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g37%
Saturated Fat 17g86%
Cholesterol 135mg45%
Sodium 514mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 98g35%
Dietary Fiber 2g6%
Total Sugars 60g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 117mg9%
Iron 3mg16%
Potassium 155mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes a cake moist and fluffy? ›

10 WAYS TO MAKE CAKE MOIST
  1. USE THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE AND BAKING TIME. Consider lowering your oven temperature slightly when baking a cake. ...
  2. USE VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  3. USE BUTTERMILK INSTEAD OF MILK. ...
  4. ADD INSTANT PUDDING MIX. ...
  5. ADD MAYONNAISE. ...
  6. USE SIMPLE SYRUP OR GLAZE. ...
  7. USE CAKE FLOUR. ...
  8. DON'T OVERMIX.

Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

If you're unsure, it's safest to use a 50/50 combination of butter and oil instead of replacing the butter completely. This way you'll get the added moisture from the oil without sacrificing the structural integrity that butter provides.

What makes a cake dense vs fluffy? ›

If a recipe includes a lot of acid such as lemon juice and buttermilk and isn't lifted with enough baking powder, the cake will taste dense. In that case, you may need the addition of baking soda which will react with the acid and create a fluffier crumb.

What makes a cake a coffee cake? ›

Description. American coffee cakes are typically presented in a single layer, flavoured with either fruit or cinnamon, and leavened with either baking soda or baking powder, which results in a more cake-like texture, or with yeast, for a more bread-like texture. They may be loaf-shaped or baked in a Bundt or tube pan.

What makes a cake more moist, oil or butter? ›

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

What does adding applesauce to cake do? ›

Applesauce acts much like the fat. It keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery, dense texture. This is what does applesauce do in baking.

Which oil is best to use in cakes? ›

Best Oils for Baking

Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods. Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake's flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture.

What happens if I use butter instead of oil in cake? ›

Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil. Compared to oil, butter will create a cake with a firmer, cakeier texture.

How to make a cake more moist? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

Why is my coffee cake so dense? ›

One of the key factors that can lead to dense cakes is the incorrect ratio of ingredients. Baking is a science, and even a small deviation from the recipe can have a big impact on the final texture of your cake. Too much flour or not enough leavening agents like baking powder can result in a dense cake.

What happens if you put too many eggs in a cake? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What happens if you add too much flour to a cake? ›

Any baked good — especially cake —with too much flour will be dry, hard, crumbly … take your unhappy pick. For best results, please weigh your flour (and other ingredients).

What is in a Bakers Treat coffee cake? ›

Sugar, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate or reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter (cream, salt), contains 2% or less: modified cornstarch, glycerin, egg, cinnamon, tallow, palm oil, salt, natural ...

What is the real name for coffee cake? ›

It wasn't until 1763 before coffee cake was first mentioned, though technically even then by another name, the German “gugelhupf”.

What makes coffee cake taste like coffee cake? ›

But it turns out that espresso powder alone doesn't give the fullest flavor: you need a little bit of spice to bring out the coffee flavor. Add some cinnamon and a hint of cardamom and you play up the coffee flavor in a wonderful new way.

What substance makes the cake soft and fluffy? ›

Therefore, a powder added while baking bread and cakes to make them fluffy and soft is baking powder.

What substance makes cake Fluffy? ›

It is important to note that baking soda is responsible for making cakes and pastries to be light and fluffy. The chemical name and formula of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate and \[NaHC{{O}_{3}}\]. Baking soda reacts with tartaric acid and generates sodium tartrate, water and carbon dioxide.

Which ingredient should we add to make the cake fluffy give reason? ›

NaHCO3 in the form of baking powder is added to dough for preparing cake or bread. NaHCO3 on heating with food material decomposes to form CO2 due to which cake or bread becomes light, fluffy and big in size.

Which ingredients should be added to make the cake fluffy give reason? ›

  • The most important ingredient that must be added while making a cake is baking soda. It helps to make the cake fluffy by producing carbon dioxide in the cake when it is heated and leaves small holes (bubbles) in it. ...
  • Hence, the ingredient that she has forgotten to add that makes the cake fluffy is Baking soda.
Jul 3, 2022

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