This is the best coffee cake recipe that you will come by! And you will love the cinnamon streusel topping!!
My mornings start at 5:30 a.m. and are usually pretty rushed… and zombie like. I try to get everything I need for the next day ready the night before so I can literally just jump into my clothes and make it into the office on time.
Do you know what the first thing I think of when my alarm clock goes off is? My first sip of coffee.
And do you know what pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee on a busy work morning? A slice of warm cinnamon coffee cake of course.
So instead of running through the drive thru for a quick breakfast sandwich, prep this coffee cake on Sunday and enjoy it all week long.
Switch your routine for one week and then come back and tell me how it went. I can’t wait to hear from you! I also hope you enjoy my Cinnamon Coffee Cake, which complements a cup of Joe perfectly.
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Coffee Cake
An easy cake with moist crumbs and full of cinnamon flavor- what’s not to love!
- Family favorite – From kids to adults, this great recipe is a hit with family members of all ages.
- Versatile – You can serve this cake as an afternoon snack, a dessert after dinner or even with your morning coffee for breakfast.
- Common ingredient list – You will have almost all of these simple ingredients already in your kitchen.
Ingredients
I bet you already have most if not all ingredients needed to make this homemade coffee cake recipe.
- Brown sugar – We use both dark brown sugar and regular brown sugar for this recipe. Dark brown for the filling and regular for the cake mix.
- Ground cinnamon – Because this is a cinnamon coffee cake, we use it in all three aspects- the filling, cake mix and crumb topping.
- Unsalted butter – Unsalted butter is always better to bake with because it allows you to control the amount of salt. Room temperature butter is easier to work with.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar provides the perfect amount of sweet to both the cake mix and the sweet cinnamon streusel on top.
- Salt – If using salted butter, you can omit this ingredient altogether.
- Baking powder – We need a leavening agent to this cake, and baking powder does just that.
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract adds such a warmth to baked goods like this homemade cinnamon coffee cake recipe.
- Eggs – Eggs add a richness to a delicious cake like this. It also helps to create a tender crumb.
- Plain yogurt – You can use Greek yogurt for more of a tang, but plain yogurt with no flavor or added sugar works as well.
- Skim milk – I usually use full fat milk, but because we’re using yogurt, skim milk works just fine here.
- Flour – All purpose flour is perfect for making this flavorful cake. I’ve never tried cake flour or gluten free flour but would love to hear in the comments if you do!
How to Make Cinnamon Coffee Cake
You are going to love how easy it is to make this cinnamon crumb coffee cake.
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat oven and coat or grease a baking pan.
- Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, whip butter until light and fluffy. Add both sugars and continue to blend well.
- Salt, baking powder, vanilla and yogurt. Add salt, baking powder and vanilla, mixing well. Add yogurt and continue to blend.
- Eggs. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing completely between additions.
- Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Alternate adding milk and flour until fully incorporated. Set aside.
- Make filling. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for cinnamon layer. Mix will be dry and crumbly.
- Add to pan. Pour half of cake batter into prepared pan, spread evenly. Top with filling. Spoon remaining batter on top of filling. Gently spread out over filling.
- Streusel topping. In a separate bowl, combine all ingredients for cinnamon streusel topping, blend well until all dry ingredients have been moistened. Mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Sprinkle streusel over top of the batter. Evenly sprinkle over cake batter, patting down lightly.
- Bake. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly on wire rack before serving.
Variations
Unfortunately with baking there aren’t many substitutes, but here are a few ways to make this coffee crumb cake your own.
- Cream cheese glaze – In addition to the crumb topping you add to the top of the cake, you could make a simple cream cheese glaze to drizzle on top.
- Coffee cake muffins – Instead of baking this perfect treat in a rectangular or square pan, try making muffins. Be sure to adjust your baking time accordingly.
- Cinnamon swirl – Instead of just a layer of cinnamon in the middle, you can take a knife and swirl it around a bit to make more of a cinnamon roll coffee cake.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Leftover Coffee Cake
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s a good idea to wrap in plastic wrap to ensure the cake stays moist. I also give mine a quick 10-15 second zap in the microwave to heat it up.
Can You Freeze Coffee Cake?
You can also freeze this cake. Wrap individual slices tightly with plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although they are very similar, a cinnamon crumb cake has a thicker streusel layer.
In most of the world, coffee cake means it’s made with coffee. However in the United States, it’s just a dessert cake intended to be eaten with coffee.
The only real difference is that coffee cake isn’t topped with frosting or icing like regular cake is.
More Coffee Cake Recipes
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Cake Mix
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 6 ounces plain yogurt
- 1 1/4 cups skim milk
- 3 3/4 cups flour
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
Coffee Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat or grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or large mixing bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add both of the sugars and continue to cream until light and fluffy.
- Add the salt, baking powder and vanilla, mixing well. Add the yogurt and continue to blend.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely between additions.
- Alternate adding the milk and the flour until fully incorporated. Set aside.
Cinnamon Streusel Topping:
- Using two forks or a pastry cutter, blend together the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt. Mix will be dry and crumbly.
Assembly:
- Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the prepared 9×13 baking dish, spread evenly. Top with half of the cinnamon streusel. Spoon the remaining batter on top of streusel. It might not be totally covered, this is fine. Top with the remaining streusel topping.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until cake passes toothpick test. Allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing completely between additions. HOW MANY???
Auntie Patch, my oversight, thank you for pointing that out! 3 eggs and it has now been added. Have a lovely day!