Coffee Cake
This Coffee Cake is simply delicious. A moist and soft texture, with a Cinnamon Swirl Filling, topped with Streusel Crumb and Cream Cheese Glaze. This cake has a very soft and tender crumb, with a delicious crunch on top, and a tangy taste provided by the cream cheese glaze.
Coffee cakes don’t necessarily have coffee in the recipe itself. They are supposed to be served alongside a cup of coffee, for brunch, breakfast, or afternoon tea time.
They can also be served as dessert. They can also be made into different flavors. The flavor of this one is cinnamon. The warm spices and the soft texture of the cake make it perfect to serve to your guests.
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The Recipe
I will show you how to make this recipe step-by-step. We are making a delicious sour cream coffee cake. Sour cream makes the cake so moist, with a very tender crumb.
Start by preparing the baking dish. I like to use a springform pan, it makes it easier to remove it from the pan. I used a 8-inch springform pan that’s 3″ in height. You can also use a 9-inch springform pan if desired, or a 8×8″ pan.
To line the pan with parchment, I cut slits alongside the paper, so I can easily fit it on the bottom and sides of the pan. Make sure to spray the pan and parchment with oil.
Preheat oven to 350ºF while you prepare the elements of the cake: the Cinnamon Sugar Filling, the Crumb Topping, and the batter.
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
In a small bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. You can use light or dark brown sugar.
Set the bowl aside.
Streusel Topping
To make the crumble topping, add the flour, three tablespoons each of brown and white sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the butter, and use a fork to incorporate the ingredients together.
Put the crumb topping in the fridge while you make the batter.
Cake Batter
Mix the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Set it aside.
Beat the butter with a mixer. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment, or you can use a hand mixer.
Add the sugars to the butter, and beat again until the mixture is fluffy and light.
Follow with the eggs, adding them one at a time. Wait for one egg to be incorporated before adding the next egg.
Add the vanilla and the sour cream. Mix to combine.
Pour half of the dry ingredient mixture in the bowl, and stir on low.
Add the milk and mix.
Finish by adding the remaining flour mixture. Stir on low, or using a spatula, to avoid over mixing the batter. If you over mix the batter, the cake will turn out dry.
Assemble the cake
To assemble the cake, pour half of the batter on the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread it with a spatula. Then, spread the Cinnamon Sugar Mixture on top of the batter on an even layer. Top with the remaining batter followed by the Streusel Topping.
Bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. Estimate baking time is around 50 to 60 minutes.
Don’t over bake the cake, or it will become dry.
Let the cake cool down completely before drizzling the glaze on top and serving.
Cream Cheese Glaze
To make the glaze, beat together the butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, and milk. Mix to combine. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk to thin it out. You can use a piping bag, or a spoon, or even a spouted cup to drizzle the glaze over the cake.
Storage
Store any cake leftovers in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. You can also freeze any leftover cake, by wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap, or foil. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
Variations
I have made this type of coffee cake in some different flavors, such as apples and blueberries. Here is the Apple Crumb Cake Recipe, and the Blueberry Coffee Cake.
You can also add chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans to the crumb topping.
Other ingredients you can add to the batter are: chopped peaches, chopped apples, blueberries, or chopped strawberries.
Different pans
You can make this cake in a 8×8″ pan. Make the recipe the same exact way you would, but when it comes time to assemble the cake, use a square pan.
Spread half of the batter on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with the remaining batter.
Sprinkle the crumb over the batter.
Bake the cake in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
I used a 8×8″ pan from USA Pan brand.
Tips for making this recipe
- Don’t over mix the batter. If you over mix the batter, the cake will turn out dry.
- When beating the sugar and butter, make sure to not over beat either, because that can make the cake dry too.
- Another thing that can make the cake dry is over baking it, so make sure to start checking the cake and seeing if it’s done baking at the 50 minute mark or so.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool down completely before cutting. While the cake cools down, it will continue to hydrate and cook.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like these cozy desserts: Apple Crumb Cake, a tender cake topped with a buttery, cinnamon-scented crumble; Apple Upside Down Cake, featuring caramelized apples layered over a soft, moist base; and Blueberry Coffee Cake, a fluffy, berry-studded cake finished with a sweet crumb topping.
If you make this recipe, leave a comment below or tag me on instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Streusel Crumb
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 76 grams
- 3 tbsp white sugar 42 grams
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar 42 grams
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature 75 grams
Cinnamon Filling
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 23 grams
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar 42 grams
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 191 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature 170 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 1/4 cup brown sugar 55 grams
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams
- 3 tbsp milk 45 ml
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 1/4 cup cream cheese at room temperature 56 grams
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter 14 grams
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar 31 grams
- 1-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
Streusel Crumb
- Add the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg to a bowl. Add the butter in. Use a fork to mix the butter and the flour/sugar until a crumbly mixture forms. All the butter should be incorporated with the dry ingredients.
- Place it in the fridge while you make the cake batter.
Cinnamon Filling
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set it aside.
Cake Batter
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line a 8” or 9” springform pan cake pan with parchment paper and spray it with oil. If using a 8″ pan, make sure it’s deep. Mine is 3” in height.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon powder. Set it aside.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter at medium speed for 1 minute. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
- Add the granulated sugar, and brown sugar, and beat together with the butter for another 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Scrape the bowl every so often to ensure everything is getting nicely incorporated together.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg.
- Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Pour the sour cream in and mix.
- Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and mix on low to combine.
- Add the milk and mix.
- Finish by adding the last half of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
- You can also use the spatula instead of the mixer to fold the batter during this final stage. Avoid over mixing, to prevent the cake from turning out dry.
To assemble
- Spread 1/2 of the batter on the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the Cinnamon Filling on top of the batter on an even layer.
- Top with the remaining batter. Smooth it out gently.
- Sprinkle the crumb all over the top of the cake, on an even layer.
Baking
- Bake the cake in pre-heated oven for 50 to 60 minutes. If the crumble is browning too much towards the end, and the center is not yet cooked, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
- You will know the cake is done baking when you touch the top of the cake and doesn’t feel too jiggly in the center underneath the crumble layer. Also insert a toothpick in the cake, and should come out clean, without any gooey batter attached.
- Let the cake cool down before slicing.
- About baking: if using a convection oven bake at 325ºF. Baking time will vary depending on cake pan size and on your oven. Make sure to start checking at around 50 minutes, so you don’t end up over baking the cake.
Cream Cheese Glaze
- To make the glaze, beat the cream cheese and butter for 30 seconds using a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low to combine. Add 1 tbsp of milk and mix to combine. You can also use a whisk as long as you can vigorously whisk the mixture.
- Add more milk as needed to thin out the glaze. Or more powdered sugar in case it becomes too runny.
- Once the glaze is smooth, it’s ready.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake before serving, once the cake has cooled down.
Storage
- Store the cake in a sealed container without the glaze at room temperature for up to 2 days, or up to 5 days in the fridge. If you drizzle the glaze over the cake, it has to be stored in the fridge, because of the cream cheese.
- Once the cake has been stored in the fridge, it has to come to room temperature before being served.
- The cake can also be stored in the freezer. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and place it in an air-tight container. Store in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and let it come to room temperature before serving it.
Do you think the cake can be out of the refrigerator for about half a day if I bring it to an event? Should I leave out the cream cheese glaze? It’s not very warm outside anyway (around 56°F/13°C) but I’d love to take this to my evening class on the day we celebrate our test results. This one AND your Almond Cake too, so there’s enough for everybody!
Love this recipe – it was an absolute hit 😋. Family loved it and finished it within minutes.
I tried doubling the mixture this weekend and the cake was dense and the cinnamon layer sunk to the bottom. What could be the problem?
I’m so glad your family loved the original recipe! 😍 When doubling cake recipes, a few things can go sideways if adjustments aren’t made beyond just the ingredient quantities.
Here are a couple of things that may have caused the dense texture and sinking cinnamon layer:
Overmixing: When scaling up, it’s easy to overmix the batter—especially with more volume. Overmixing can develop extra gluten, leading to a denser cake.
Pan size and bake time: If the batter was baked in the same pan (or too small a pan), it may have been too thick in the center. This can prevent even rising and cause heavier ingredients (like the cinnamon layer) to sink. There’s also a chance the second cake needed longer baking time.
Leavening: Double the batter doesn’t always mean you need exactly double the baking powder/soda. Sometimes, you need slightly less than double to prevent a collapse or dense texture.
Just made it. Everyone loved it! My husband had 3 slices. Cake was moist. Love the addition of sour cream. I didn’t have regular milk so I used buttermilk instead since I had bought it for the scones I’m making.
Thank you for sharing.
Can you make the night before and bake next day
once you make the batter it’s best to bake it immediately.
Love this recipe. Made it twice now. My husband loves it. I’d love it a lot more if it didn’t fall every time I made it. My elevation is 4577 feet. Do I need to add more flour? If so how much would you recommend?
Thank you
a few things to consider. The fact it’s falling could be because the pan you’re using is too small, so the batter doesn’t fit properly. But, in this article it’s pointed out the importance of raising the oven temperature when baking at high altitudes, by 15 or 25 degrees because leavening and evaporation happen faster, so using a higher temperature will help the structure of the cake set before they overexpand and dry out. And with that in mind, you’d need lower baking time, since the cake would be done sooner due to the higher temperature.
Thank you Camilla. Looks like I need to read everything when it comes to this recipe. I’ve used both a 8” and 9” pan. I like a thicker coffee cake which is why I tried the 8 inch the last time. I will try your suggestions. Thank you Thank you Thank you
Hi could we make a raspberry puree for the middle instead to create a raspberry layer? I’ve been searching for the perfect raspberry coffee cake recipe for hours and mostly all use whole berries but I want a puree or jam layer that’s not to thin but any recipes I’ve found with jam the cake just falls short. Your coffee cake is beautiful so I’m wondering if I can swap the middle out. Also I don’t have a snap pan..would this work in a 9×13? Or should I use a 9×9? Thank you sorry for all the questions.
The cake is absolutely incredible – huge hit in our house. Thank you!
Thank you so much!!
I like having the pictures for each step. Its very helpful. 🙂
Delicioso! Adorei essa receita! 😋😋😋