Do you love Starbucks coffee cakes? This version is even better! Tender buttery cake topped with crunchy crumbles and a cinnamon-sugar ribbon running down the center. Pour yourself a cup of coffee and dig in!
In this recipe
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Save and Freeze
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Ways to customize this recipe
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recipe tips
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ingredient swap
Coffee cake is one of those magical cakes that is acceptable any time of the day.
Oddly enough, coffee cake itself does not contain coffee. I think (and I’m totally speculating here) that it’s meant to be served with Coffee, in the tradition of tea, so to speak. My research on the internet points to German yeast cakes, but it’s not entirely clear.
Video: How to make a classic coffee cake
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Classic coffee cake
Better-than-Starbucks coffee cake
My inspiration for this classic crumb coffee cake is the picture perfect slices you find behind the glass at Starbucks – but bigger, better and with more crumbs!
The cake batter contains sour cream, which is not only richer but also helps maintain a tender crumb. There is a cinnamon stick through the center of the cake and a sprinkle topping on top.
To ensure that distinctive stripe, we layer about half of the batter on the bottom of the pan, sprinkle the cinnamon layer on top, then the remaining batter, and finally a thick layer of streusel topping.
How to store and freeze coffee cake
This is one of those cakes that just gets better after a day or two on the counter. The texture improves and the moisture stays. It also freezes well!
To freeze the cake, allow to cool completely, then wrap in a layer of plastic followed by foil. The double layer prevents drying out in the freezer. To thaw the cake, set it out on the counter until it reaches room temperature – if you have that much patience! The cake is still delicious even half frozen.
How to customize this coffee cake recipe
This recipe is easy to adapt to add other spices.
- Add cardamom and a little zest for an interesting twist.
- Replace cinnamon and sugar with pumpkin pie spice.
- Add 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans to the topping or batter.
This cake is great just the way it is. The sprinkles and rich cake batter are perfectly satisfying without embellishments, but a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream is always welcome!
More cakes to serve with coffee!
- Bright and flavorful Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake for the win!
- Keep things old school with this Vanilla Pound Cake!
- Apples are a great addition to cakes. Try this apple coffee cake!
- Plum Walnut Skillet Cake is gorgeous and delicious!
- Chocolate Bourbon Cake would pair beautifully with a cup of joe!
Tips for this coffee cake
- Be careful not to over-stir the batter. It should be thick and relatively smooth, but a few small chunks are okay. The batter is thicker than regular cake batter.
- To spread the top layer of batter without lifting it from the cinnamon-sugar center, grease a silicone or metal offset spatula.
- Do not substitute margarine or anything else for the butter in the crumb topping. Butter gives the best results.
- If your crumble topping is browning too quickly, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil and place the cake in the lower third of the oven for the remainder of the baking time.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake ingredient swap
- Replace the sour cream with whole milk or Greek yogurt.
- You can use either dark or light brown sugar in this recipe.
- No brown sugar? No problem! Simply combine 1 cup white sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses to make 1 cup brown sugar.
- Instead of whole milk, feel free to substitute whipped cream for a richer cake, or 2% milk for a lighter texture.
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Classic coffee cake
You can cut this recipe in half and bake in an 8″ x 8″ pan. Check after 40 minutes to see if it’s done, but it’ll probably take closer to 50 minutes to bake.
ingredients
For the Streusel Topping:
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1 cup (180G) Brown sugarpacked up
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1 cup (125G) all purpose flour
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1 teaspoon Cinammon
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prize kosher salt
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1/2 cup (113G) unsalted buttersoftened
For the cinnamon layer:
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1/4 cup (50G) sugar
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1 tablespoon all purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon Cinammon
For the cake batter:
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3 cups (375G) all purpose flour
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2 1/4 cups (450G) sugar
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3/4 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 cup (226G) unsalted buttersoftened
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1 cup (230G) sour cream
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1/4 Cup whole milk
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4 big eggs
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1 tablespoon vanilla extract
method
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Preheat oven and prepare pan:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter or spray a 9 x 13 inch skillet.
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Prepare crumble layer:
In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Use a fork to mash the butter into the mixture until fully blended and crumbly. Put aside.
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Make the cinnamon layer:
In another small bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. set page, too.
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Start by making the dough:
In the bowl of your blender, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer and beat on low to combine.
Add the softened butter and beat on medium-low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all of the butter is incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.
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Combine the wet ingredients and complete the dough:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Beat the batter on medium speed until you get a smooth batter. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
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Prepare cake:
Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar layer over the dough in an even layer. Spread the rest of the batter on top (you need a little patience for this, as the batter tends to stand out from the cinnamon-sugar layer). Top with the crumble mixture.
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Bake the cake:
Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour (or until cake has reached room temperature) before serving.
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Storing the cake:
You can make this cake a day or two in advance. Remove the cake from the pan and cover with plastic wrap. Keep it on the counter at room temperature.
To freeze the cake, wrap it in plastic followed by foil.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 430 | calories |
| 19g | Fat |
| 60g | carbohydrates |
| 5g | protein |
