The VERY Best Coffee Cake Recipe ever is moist and buttery, with a cinnamon sugar layer in the middle topped with crumb topping and a sweet glaze icing. Perfect for breakfast or brunch with a hot cup of coffee!
Make sure to try my Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake too!
The VERY Best Coffee Cake Recipe Ever EVER!
Is there anything better than cake for breakfast? Of course it’s not an indulgence I afford myself on the regular, but the day after my birthday is the best because I know there is leftover cake waiting for me to have with my cup of coffee, which leads me to today’s long overdue post. I’m not sure of the genius who coined the term “coffee cake”, but I would like to extend a firm handshake. Well done, sir or ma’am. Well. done.
What To Expect:
- A dense, but moist, buttery easy coffee cake recipe. I like my crumb cake to be sturdy, but NOT DRY. Think of it like a fluffier version of a pound cake. This stands up to the sweet cinnamon filling and the crumb layer, matching textures.
- The crumb topping is next level delicious, and of course I top mine with a sweet glaze icing.
- This “from scratch” coffee cake is an absolute old-fashioned favorite.
- The recipe has a few simple steps, but my teenage sons have baked this with great results!
- Baking time: Common feedback I have received on this recipe is that it needed more time in the oven. I have made this recipe time and time again and the time written is what works for me. But as always, add more time if necessary. Home ovens can vary, and this is a thick cake. If you need to add more time, and notice the top getting a little too brow simply tent it with aluminum foil and continue baking until the center is set.
Why Isn’t There Coffee IN This Cake?
There are a few defining characteristics of a coffee cake. And nope there is no ACTUAL coffee in this recipe. This cake is meant to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
- No Frosting – OR a light drizzle of an icing glaze. A lot of the time coffee cake is just dusted with powdered sugar, which you could absolutely do on this recipe!
- Cinnamon. Coffee Cakes are generally spiced with cinnamon. I don’t make the rules.
- Crumb Topping – This is not a must, but it’s very common. A lot of coffee cakes include nuts in the crumb topping as well, which you could do here if you like that! I’ll hit on that in a minute.
- Vanilla Cake – It’s very typical for a coffee cake base to be a vanilla cake as opposed to chocolate.
- A Single Layer Cake – Whether it be a 9×13, or a round cake, coffee cake is generally a single layer cake!
Looking for more Coffee-Cake Recipes? Try These:
What Makes This Coffee Cake The BEST?
Well, I am sure this could be up for debate. I know after almost 11 years here on the internet that it’s impossible to make all y’all happy. I’ve tried. But I will say, that I have eaten my fair share of cake since the inception of this website (and for years before that), so I think I can call myself an expert in cake eating. And this coffee cake is the best I’ve ever had. Hands down.
- The cake itself is a dense, yet still fluffy texture with a buttery, vanilla flavor.
- The whole cake has a thick layer of cinnamon sugar filling baked in the middle, which, with the addition of flour, stays thick and doesn’t melt into the cake, which is amazing. I prefer this cinnamon filling instead of a cinnamon swirl because you get a little more buttery cinnamon bang for your buck!
- And of course I ALWAYS prefer a crumb/streusel topping on my coffee cake, and this one has the perfect amount, without being too much!
- You could even sub in pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon in this recipe to give it a real fall vibe!
Ingredients:
The full recipe with measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of this post! This is just a quick guideline to make sure you have all the ingredients in your kitchen!
Cinnamon Filling
- Light brown sugar
- All purpose flour
- Ground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- Melted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- All purpose flour
Cake
- Room temperature butter
- Light brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream. You can also use full fat Greek Yogurt if you prefer.
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Milk
- All purpose flour
Icing
- Confectioners/Powdered sugar
- Milk
How Do You Make Coffee Cake?
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- For the Cinnamon Filling: In a medium bowl prepare the cinnamon filling by whisking together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- For the Crumb Topping: mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl until it resembles coarse crumbs. Use your hands to mix to form larger crumb pieces. Set aside.
- For the Cake: mix the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. You can also use a hand mixer.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, salt, and baking powder and mix for 1 minute until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour and milk in alternating portions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix/stir until just combined and smooth, again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Assemble: Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly on top of the batter. Carefully spread the remaining cake batter on top of the cinnamon layer. Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the Icing: Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle on top of the cooled cake. Or alternately sprinkle with powdered sugar instead of making the icing.
Are the Steps Easy?
Yes! You most likely have all the ingredients to make this cake in your kitchen now! There are a few steps, but they all come together with minimal effort.
- The cake is a butter/sour cream cake. The addition of sour cream makes it extra moist and the batter comes together very quickly and easily.
- The filling is simply a mixture of cinnamon, sugar, and flour that you spread over half of the batter. Spread the remaining cake batter carefully overtop!
- The crumb topping is quick to prepare, using melted butter, which makes it very easy to mix!
I LOVE to enjoy this cake while its still warm, but it’s also delicious at room temperature!
PRO TIP: Make sure that once this cake is cut you cover it AIRTIGHT immediately, as it can dry out quickly. I like to use Press and Seal plastic wrap, and press it down directly over the cake, and then covering the entire pan again with foil!
STILL looking for more Coffee Cake Recipes? Here You Go!
- Banana Bread Crumb Cake
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Crumb Cake
The Best Coffee Cake Recipe Ever
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Breakfast
Description
Grab a cup of coffee and get ready for the best coffee cake ever! Soft vanilla cake with a sweet cinnamon layer inside, topped with buttery crumb topping!
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crumb Topping
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Cake
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 3 2/3 cup all purpose flour
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl prepare the cinnamon filling by whisking together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- To prepare the crumb topping, mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a medium bowl until it resembles coarse crumbs. Use your hands to mix to form larger crumb pieces. Set aside.
- For the cake, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, salt, and baking powder and mix for 1 minute until combined and smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour and milk in alternating portions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined and smooth, again, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly on top of the batter. Carefully spread the remaining cake batter on top of the cinnamon layer. Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and place pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle on top of the cooled cake. Or alternately sprinkle with powdered sugar instead of making the icing.
Notes
Store airtight for up to 3 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 660
- Sugar: 55 g
- Sodium: 248.4 mg
- Fat: 24.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 101.1 g
- Protein: 9.6 g
- Cholesterol: 108 mg
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45 minutes was not long enough. I tested the cake after 40 minutes and it was not done. I left it in for 5 more minutes and the toothpick came out clean. It was golden brown on the top. However, when I went to cut it the next morning, it was obviously underbaked. The bottom was a thick, sticky mess. Such a disappointment since I was supposed to take it for Easter brunch.
My baking powder was fresh, the oven was at the correct temperature so I am not sure what went wrong. The entire 9×13 pan went into the trash.
My daughter has recently opened a coffee shop and I had the idea that a good coffee cake would help draw customers !! WELL, was I right !! I have been using your recipe and we can’t keep it in stock !! Our customers absolutely LOVE it !! Thank you for sharing it!
Good luck to your daughter!
This coffee cake looks amazing. Can this cake be frozen to eat at a later date?
absolutely!
Amazing Cake! We love it! Thank you for sharing!! I have made it three times already and it’s been amazing every time.
Love hearing this!! Thank you so much for your review!
I made this and with all the comments on cooking time, I almost over cooked it! Went for 50 min, would’ve been better at 43 or 45 min. It’s good, but INCREDIBLY dense! The top layer rose well, but the bottom not so much. I used a glass pan at 350. Maybe I’m a sweet treat freak, but a lot of comments say it was too sweet… didn’t think so. I didn’t do the glaze, tho. The only “problem” for me is that I didn’t check the pan size and this is A LOT of coffee cake!! If I had paid attention, I would’ve halved the recipe. Decent cake… may do again halved.
Dry coffee cake icing helps
Absolutely delicious!! Great recipe!! My family loves the cinnamon and sweetness of this coffee cake! My 15-yr old son helped me make it and he’s dancing as he eats it.
This coffee cake is very sweet and took really long to cook I poked it all over the cake and it came out clean so I took it out of the oven.but when I was cutting it after it cooled the top layer of the cake was still doughy in some spots.It’s not the best coffee cake ever and it’s not the worse either. It’s not bad enough to throw in the trash that is just a rude comment from someone who is not very nice don’t try recipes if you are going to be rude about it. Every time you use someone else’s recipes there is always that chance you will fail or not like it .Be kind not rude just don’t use the recipe again or say this didn’t just work for me.I will say the bottom layer was sweet enough moist and tasty.
Baking is like a science, there are so many different factors that can cause the cake to fail. I completely agree with you on the rude comments, I think it’s just best to tell the author what your issues are and leave out negativity like it’s not the best it’s not the worst comment. it’s insulting and honestly since you did this in your kitchen who knows exactly what you did that might have causes the issues you had.
Where is the coffee???
My Jamaican Blend coffee is in my cup right next to this delicious coffee cake 🙂
I’m not sure what all the negative reviews are talking about. My guess is they either didn’t follow the recipe as written (any time you make substitutions in a baking recipe you risk a fail) or perhaps their ovens are off (an oven thermometer is useful) I followed this recipe exactly, used an old non stick metal 9×13 baking pan, and it rose just fine and came out perfectly done at 43 minutes.
So definitely does not cook in 45 minutes. Takes over an hour most times. This time I switch from a Lecreuset thick heavy 9×13 casserole dish to a LeCreuset non stick metal pan. I’m hoping it’ll cook quicker this way! Last time I cooked it for an hour in the thicker pan and I didn’t realize it was still much in the center. 20 minutes after having an hour realized it was mush so I covered the sides in tin foil and put it back in for about another 25 minutes. Best cake ever. But…. Last week I forgot the sour cream lol So talk about dense. This week in the metal pan I have all the ingredients correct we’ll see how it turns out!!