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!
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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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Very delicious, moist coffee cake. I followed the directions exactly. I do agree with others, as 45 minutes was not long enough. It took a little over an hour for mine to be completely cooked. I left the icing off and it was a huge hit.
Hi Shellie,
Is the pan the same size for single, 12 and double, 22?
Hi! I’m sorry I am not sure I understand the question. If you double the recipe I would bake this in 2 pans.
Look so forward to making this! Can I make it in a 9″ springform pan?
I made this last night and it was so delicious!! Very moist and had wonderful flavor. Will definitely make again! Thanks Shelly!
Hands down the best I’ve ever made or eaten. I made this for a family brunch and it was the first thing to go. DELICIOUS
Thank you so much! Love hearing this!!
Hi!! So this coffee cake is awesome, but I was wondering if there was anything else I could substitute for sour cream?
Sure! Yogurt is a great substitute!
The best I’ve ever made. Family loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe before and loooved it. This time I would like to make it GF so I can share with loved ones. What GF flour will work best? Would anything else in the recipe need to be adjusted? Thanks!
Usually bobs red 1:1 flour or bobs red baking flour works great!
Any tips for making this ahead?
Is 9 eggs and 11 cups of flour correct for the cake recipe? I’m not much of a baker but that seems like a lot of eggs and flour
The recipe calls for 3 eggs. I think you might have accidentally clicked on the “3X” button in the recipe card, which is meant to be helpful for those who are doubling or tripling the recipe 🙂
This cake was delicious. I’m currently baking it for the 2nd time. Both times the cake is still uncooked at 45 min. It’s been in the oven for 60 min and is still not cooked in the middle. Is there a typo in the baking time?
I’ve tested this recipe so many times and my cake is done in 45 minutes. Ovens do vary, but continue baking until the center is set. If you notice the top getting too brown loosely tent it with foil.