This is my all-time favorite coffee cake. It’s super soft, buttery, and loaded with a thick cinnamon-sugar layer right through the middle. Perfect for breakfast or brunch with a hot cup of coffee!
Is there anything better than calling cake breakfast and getting away with it? This recipe is exactly what I want next to my coffee—soft, buttery cake, a cinnamon-sugar swirl in the middle, a crumb topping that means business, and a sweet glaze to finish it all off. If you’ve been looking for a go-to coffee cake that feels bakery-level but still comes together with minimal effort, this is it.
Why You’ll Love This Coffee Cake Recipe
- Tender cake that’s packed with flavor. This cake has that buttery, sturdy texture I love. It’s like a fluffier pound cake. It can hold its own under all that cinnamon-sugar goodness and crumb topping.
- The crumb is everything. Thick, sweet, and next-level delicious. If you’re here for the crumb, you’re in the right place.
- That glaze on top? Not optional. I always finish mine with a quick icing drizzle because… well, why wouldn’t you?
- It’s from-scratch and totally doable. No mixes here, but don’t stress! My teenage sons have made this one on their own, and it turned out great.
Heads up on the bake time: This is a thick cake, so depending on your oven, it might need a few extra minutes. If the top starts browning too fast, just tent it with foil and keep going until the center is set. Trust me, it’s worth it.
How To Make Coffee Cake
- Prep your tools. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Make the cinnamon filling. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until combined. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping. In another medium bowl, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Use your hands to form some larger pieces. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer), beat the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, salt, and baking powder. Mix for 1 minute until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Finish the batter. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and milk in alternating portions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined, scraping the bowl again if necessary.
- Assemble the cake. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly on top. Gently spread the remaining batter over the filling, then sprinkle the crumb topping evenly across the top.
- Bake. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Add the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake, or dust with powdered sugar instead.
I LOVE to enjoy this cake while it’s still warm, but it’s also delicious at room temperature!
What Is Coffee Cake? Why Isn’t There Coffee in It?
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!
Simple Variation Ideas
- Add chopped nuts to the crumb topping. About ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts mixed into the crumb gives it a nice crunch without affecting the bake.
- Swirl in some fruit. A layer of thinly sliced apples or a handful of fresh blueberries over the cinnamon filling works great. Just don’t overdo it—too much moisture can weigh the cake down.
- Switch up the spice. Try adding a little ground nutmeg or cardamom to the cinnamon filling for a subtle twist.
- Use a flavored glaze. Swap the milk in the icing for maple syrup or a splash of orange juice to add something a little extra on top.
- Make it mini. Bake the batter in two 8×8 pans instead of one 9×13 if you want one to keep and one to gift (or freeze). Just start checking for doneness a little earlier.
How to Store
- Room temp: Keep it tightly covered on the counter for up to 3 days. It stays soft and amazing—no need to refrigerate.
- Fridge: If your kitchen runs warm or you just want to stretch it a bit longer, you can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Just bring it to room temp before serving so it’s not cold and dense.
- Freezer: Yep, it freezes great! Wrap slices individually or the whole (cooled) cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter and warm it up a little if you like it cozy.
More Coffee Cake Recipes
The Best Coffee Cake Recipe
- 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
Scale
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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I had a coffee cake recipe I always used, but it called for pecans and just didnt taste right without them. I’m trying to limit my trips to the store because of the current situation (we’re in NY), and I had everything in the house this recipe called for, and OMG, this came out great!!! The crumb topping was so super easy and what a beautiful cake this made.. soft, and fluffy, and the contrasting crunch, so delish! Our new favorite, and lifted everyone’s spirits I think! I did skip the glaze because I thought it would be sweet enough without it and wasnt too sure how my sensitive teeth would handle the sugary glaze, it came out perfectly! Such an excellent companion to my morning coffee… thank you so much for sharing!
Omg I was looking for a recipe using ingredients I have (with currant situation I’m keeping put). So happy to find your recipe for a fav of mine. I have all ingredients except powdered sugar (drats!). Will make today. Thank you!!!!
This isn’t a “coffee” cake at all. Coffee cakes are flavoured with…..drum roll….. COFFEE. Dumb dumb dumb. I like a glass of milk when I eat a slice of pie but I don’t call it a milk pie because of that. Change the title to “Vanilla cake” and that’ll improve things. SMH
Yikes! Not sure where you get your info, but Coffee Cakes rarely contain coffee in America 🙂 Calling someone dumb isn’t a very nice way to get your point across. Probably could have left this comment in a far more pleasant fashion. We should all be kind to each other, don’t you think? Especially when there’s cake involved 🙂
It is called coffee cake because it is usual paired with a cup of coffee. Not because there is coffee in it. It is served at breakfast or brunch. You probably need to do a little research before they go and attack someone. SMH. By the way, This recipe is amazing!!??
No, coffee cake isn’t flavored with coffee. It’s meant to be enjoyed with coffee:)
Whoa… I have to echo the fact that coffee cake is called coffee cake because it is meant to be paired with coffee, especially here in the states. I’ve never had a coffee cake flavored with coffee, this isn’t a red velvet cake where you would actually use coffee. I can’t believe the nasty tone of your message when you are so clearly the one in the wrong here. Check your information, please.
Frustrated Baker – You’re an ass.
I’ve never, not socially, nor in any restaurant in the U.S., had coffee cake with actual coffee in it. “Coffee Cake” is typically enjoyed with breakfast and… drum roll… a cup of coffee.
Take your frustrated, attention-seeking self elsewhere and grow some class while you’re there. SMH.
As for my review: This recipe is delicious, a lot like my grandmother used to make!
With all that’s going on you’re really bent outta shape over the name…for over 50 years it’s been called a coffee cake because ITS GOOD WITH A CUP OF COFFEE!! get over yourself.
I was freaking out (just a little) because I could not spread the top layer over the filling, so I swirled it hoping for the best and it turned out fabulously! I added just a touch of vanilla to the drizzle. Best coffee cake I have ever made!
Yay!! Love hearing that! And I bet swirling it in worked great!
Would I be able to sub the milk with oat, cashew or almond milk? How big of a change in taste will it have? Thanks!
It’ll work! It shouldn’t affect the taste at all!
Just baked this cake and it tastes so good! In your recipe you used a baking dish. I used a pan and baked for 40min. I will have to bake it less than 40min if I use a pan and it should be perfect!!! Thank you very much! Oh and I used cashew milk!
So happy you liked it!! Thank you for the note on how how it worked using cashew milk 🙂
description is bit off as its not a coffee cake but a cake to have with coffee, disapoiinting
That’s what we call a coffee cake here in the States
Such a great recipe. So easy to make even for beginners.
So so happy you enjoyed!
I am planning on making this in the am but I was wondering what would happen if I added a teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe? I am trying to make it a bit less dense?
This was a delicious, moist cake. The recipe is definitely a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed!!
Not bad, but the bake time was way off for me. Toothpick didn’t come out clean until 60 minutes. This is a very full 9×13 so 60 minutes makes sense to me. I was thinking 40-45 wouldn’t be enough. I think it also will depend on the thickness of the bottom layer.