Classic Coffee Cake

With Cinnamon Streusel Topping

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/18/21
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Classic Coffee Cake slice on a plate with a fork

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack
Prep: 35 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 90 mins
Servings: 12 servings
Yield: 12 squares
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
674 Calories
29g Fat
98g Carbs
8g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 674
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 17g 86%
Cholesterol 135mg 45%
Sodium 514mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 98g 35%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 60g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 117mg 9%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 155mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A classic coffee cake is a fabulous cake to make for a holiday morning, meeting, or social gathering. This coffee cake is easy to prepare and bake, and it's an excellent alternative to donuts or quick breads. Plus, homemade is so much better than store-bought. The ribbon-like swirl of cinnamon gives the cake a unique look, and the crunchy streusel top adds delicious texture.

A coffee cake doesn't contain coffee—it's a moist and tender cake usually served along with coffee or tea or as a breakfast cake or brunch dessert. The American coffee cake may have originated with the German crumb cake that people served with coffee at informal gatherings or kaffeeklatsches.

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients—the cake is really very easy to put together and bake following the concise step-by-step directions, and you can prepare it a day in advance. Cover the prepared, unbaked cake and refrigerate it overnight. The next morning, remove the covering and bake the cake as directed. Since the cake will be cold, allow an extra 5 to 10 minutes of baking time.

"Coffee cake is one of the most underrated desserts—it is perfectly sweet, tender, and has all of those extra tasty crumbles you love. I could eat this every morning for breakfast alongside my morning coffee. Plus, this recipe is super easy to follow. It's sure to be a crowd favorite." —Tracy Wilk

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Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Layer

  • 3/4 cup (148 grams) packed brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup (33 grams) flour

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Streusel Topping

  • 1 cup (198 grams) packed brown sugar

  • 1 cup (120 grams) flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

For the Coffee Cake

  • Cooking spray, for the pan

  • 3 1/4 cups (396 grams) flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 cups (402 grams) granulated sugar

  • 4 large eggs, room temperature

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

  • 1/3 cup milk, room temperature

Steps to Make It

For the Cinnamon Layer

  1. Gather the ingredients for the cinnamon layer.

    Cinnamon Layer ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Combine 3/4 cup of brown sugar with 1/4 cup of flour and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, mix thoroughly, and set aside.

    Cinnamon Layer mixture in a bowl with a spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

For the Streusel Topping

  1. Gather the ingredients for the streusel topping.

    Streusel Topping ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of softened butter. Mix with a fork or your fingers to create a crumb mixture. Set aside.

    Streusel Topping in a glass bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prepare and Bake the Cake

  1. Gather the cake ingredients.

    Classic Coffee Cake ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

    Greased baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Combine the 3 1/4 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

    Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium glass bowl with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine 1 cup butter and 2 cups of granulated sugar; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

    Butter and sugar mixture in a bowl, next to a hand mixer

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Add the eggs and vanilla, and continue to mix for 1 minute until blended.

    Cake batter in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Add about one-third of the flour mixture and half of the sour cream and milk, and beat just until blended with the mixer on low. Add another one-third of the flour mixture and the remaining milk and sour cream, and continue to beat just until blended; blend in the remaining flour mixture. Do not overbeat.

    Cake batter in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Spread half of the batter in the prepared baking pan and top it evenly with the cinnamon sugar layer mixture.

    Cake batter and with cinnamon mixture in a baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Spoon the remaining batter evenly over the cinnamon sugar layer; gently spread to cover and then top with the streusel crumb mixture.

    Cake batter with cinnamon mixture and streusel crumb mixture on top in a baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  9. Bake the cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.

    Classic Coffee Cake in a baking pan

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  10. Remove to a rack to cool before cutting into squares.

    Classic Coffee Cake in a baking pan, on a cooling rack

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Tip

It may seem like there are a lot of components and steps to this recipe, but you can easily make the cinnamon layer mixture and the streusel topping ahead of time. Refrigerate the raw streusel topping until ready to use—just make sure to store it loosely in a container so that it stays nice and crumbly.

Recipe Variation

  • Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping mixture.
  • Gussy your coffee cake up with a simple glaze. Combine 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar with a few drops of vanilla and about 2 to 3 teaspoons of milk, or enough to drizzle. Drizzle the glaze over the cake just before serving.

How to Store and Freeze

  • The cake will last for 2 to 3 days, tightly covered at room temperature.
  • To freeze the cake, place portions on a baking sheet and place the pan in the freezer. When the cake squares are frozen solid, transfer them to airtight containers or zip-close bags. Defrost in the fridge or on the counter for a few hours.

What is the difference between cake and coffee cake?

A typical cake is frosted or glazed, while a coffee cake is usually topped with a crumb mixture or streusel. The difference between a crumb cake and a coffee cake is the amount of streusel topping. A crumb cake usually has a thicker layer of streusel topping.

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