This Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe is moist, buttery, and full of cinnamon flavor. It’s perfect as an afternoon snack, a breakfast pastry or an after dinner dessert!
A homemade cinnamon coffee cake recipe doesn’t get much better than this Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Streusel Crumb Topping!
While I am generally happy to share every recipe that I post, there are some that I am REALLY excited to share- and this is one of them. I’m not a huge breakfast eater, but one thing that I can never resist is coffee cake. Take a look at Coffee Works website where you can learn more ideas of how to enjoy even more your daily coffee.
This is also why I rarely ever buy or make it- I can’t stay out of it.
I love the general idea behind a coffee cake recipe. Someone clearly really wanted to eat some sort of spice or fruit laden cake at 7 AM, but could still hear their mother’s voice wheedling at them, “You don’t eat cake for breakfast!”
“Hush Mom, this is COFFEE cake. Its totally different. You eat it in the morning with coffee! It’s breakfast! Its practically health food.”
I’m not going to sit here and lie to anyone and tell you that this moist coffee cake is health food. It is most definitely not. I WILL tell you that this is the best cinnamon coffee cake and came out exactly the way that I had hoped. It has a light, buttery crumb, but yet is still somehow just a little dense.
There is a ribbon of cinnamon filling through the middle and it is piled with a cinnamon streusel on top. It DOES go perfectly with coffee… and ice cream too. Don’t worry- I won’t tell Mom.
What is Coffee Cake, exactly?
Coffee cake is a butter-based cake that, contrary to what the name implies, does NOT contain coffee. Its somewhere between a regular cake and a pound cake in terms of weight and texture. It’s not supposed to be over-the-top sweet, and is meant to be paired with a cup of coffee- hence the name!
What you’ll need for this breakfast coffee cake recipe:
- Hand mixer – Having a hand mixer really comes in handy for making your recipes. Be sure to grab this [easyazon_link identifier=”B001CH0ZLE” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]Hand Mixer[/easyazon_link] to get your recipes made right!
- Mixing bowl – These bowls are perfect for mixing up any recipe and even come in three different sizes. Get your [easyazon_link identifier=”B00LGLHUA0″ locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowl Set[/easyazon_link] here.
- Food processor – I recommend using a food processor to make your toppings required in this recipe. This [easyazon_link identifier=”B00755KNCS” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]Food Processor[/easyazon_link] should do the trick and even has dishwasher safe parts!
- Baking pan – This [easyazon_link identifier=”B001PKUXN8″ locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]9 by 9 Inch Covered Pan[/easyazon_link] is great for any kind of baking. You’ll get some great use out of it!
If you Like This homemade Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe, you’ll also like easy dessert recipes:
NOTE: after multiple readers telling me that they find the topping to be too heavy on the flour, I am amending the topping to reduce the flour by 1/4 cup and increasing the butter by one tablespoon.
Update (5/6/2016): Alright. As I keep getting comments that say that the batter is too thick and the cake is too dry and the topping has too much flour and its too sweet (and yet simultaneously not sweet enough!), I decided to remake this and test the recipe for the third time. It came out just like it did the first and second times I made it.
This recipe is based off my Blueberry Buckle with Streusel Topping, which is always a major success and I have never faced any complaints. The only thing that I changed was using softened butter in the topping, rather than cold butter, which I have now amended in the recipe ingredients. I’m sitting here and eating a piece of it and wondering why anyone would want this either more or less sweet.
I don’t think its dry in any way- in fact the cake is quite moist. Its a butter based cake batter, so its not going to be runny like a boxed cake mix would be. As I state in the instructions, using an offset spatula makes spreading the batter over the filling much easier. I also took pictures at each step, so you can see what everything should look like along the way. These are below the instructions.
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Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 stick butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3/4 cup milk
Filling
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Topping
- 5 tablespoon butter softened
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides occasionally. Add the vanilla and egg, mix in.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add one half of it to the mixer, and when mostly combined, add the milk. Once the milk is mostly incorporated, add the rest of the flour.
- To make filling: in a small bowl, pinch together the softened butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon until soft crumbs form.
- To make topping: add the butter, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to a food processor and pulse until coarse crumbs form (You can cut in with forks or a pastry cutter, but I am not patient enough for that!).
- Grease a 9x9 baking pan. Pour in ½ of cake batter, and spread to all four corners. Sprinkle the filling over top, then pour in remaining cake batter, and spread carefully across the top, disturbing the filling layer as little as possible (an offset spatula works well for this).
- Sprinkle the topping over the top and press lightly so it adheres.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool to warm on wire rack before serving.
Notes
Nancy says
I don’t very often have much luck with Internet recipes, but this turned out wonderful I did follow your exact recipe only thing I did different was after baking I added sifted confectioners sugar on top like NY crumb/Coffee cake. This is an easy delicious recipe, thank you for sharing it.
Jacqueline says
Thank you Nancy for the fabulous compliment. I have experienced the same thing with Internet recipes, that is part of why I started the site. I hope you look around and find something else that strikes your fancy! And I love your confectioners sugar idea 🙂
Rosalba says
I agree with Kathy, it was so doughy. I had to be very careful not to disturb the filling. I made it for my daughter.
She still liked it, but did say the topping wasn’t as crumbly as she would have liked it. Still, thank you for taking time to create recipes.
Gabriela Peterson says
Hi!
This is the most delicious coffee cake I have ever made in my life! I am not exaggerating! I am a pastry chef and I know what I am telling you.
I do not know why everybody is complaining so much! I have made it several times and it is instantly devoured!!! Just follow the instructions and there is no problem!
My family and I thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Blessings!
William says
I made this recipe to the “T”. The cake part came out ok, but the topping just melted into the cake mixture while baking. Your instructions are to top it after the remaining cake batter is in place, which I did. After 15mins into its baking cycle, I took a peek and wala, no crumble left. It all soaked/melted into the cake batter. Please let me know what happened (Reminder: I followed your topping recipe to the “T”.
William
Jacqueline says
Hard to say, did your crumble look like in the pictures? Normally if that happens, its because there’s too little flour and then the butter just melts away, but since you followed it exactly, I’m not sure.
Courtney says
Your open disdain for the feedback you got came off as incredibly rude and like you do this in spite of readers. If you get themes of feedback, consider listening rather than defending your original stance and calling everyone idiots.
Jacqueline says
Its not open disdain, but it IS open frustration. If you read through the comments, they are all over the place- too much flour, too little flour, too sweet, not sweet enough, the batter is too thick (which, by the way, I address in the post and say that that’s why I recommend the offset spatula for spreading). The “themes of feedback” are all over the place- what do you suggest I do about that then? The vast majority of comments are people saying that they love it and that its perfect. I have had many other people who are baking experts try this recipe and love it, which suggests to me that the recipe is correct.
And by the way- these recipes are free for people to try and use. It costs a reader nothing to be here, but no one seems to have ANY problem being rude to ME (including you)- some of the comments that don’t get approved are absolutely appalling. I have never called anyone an idiot, so please don’t say otherwise. I took their feedback, made it several more times, shot step by step pictures and made a video. I don’t know where you think I didn’t care or listen. And I DO defend my original stance.
Karen K says
While I haven’t had a chance to make this yet (btw it’s my favorite cake) because my daughter is getting married in 2 weeks, I have some thoughts as to why your responses are all over the place.First off you can’t please everyone, so don’t try. Next people are comparing your cake to what they are used to eating. And there are no two recipes the same.
Now my question, can I use a square spring form pan? If so do I need to change anything?
Jacqueline says
Thanks Karen. I hope the wedding goes off great! You can definitely use a square springform. Just test it at the end. I have baked this in tons of different pans!
Kathi says
I just have to say that all my recipes turn out but often when I give the recipe to someone else (and it says in big letters DON’T OVERBAKE) they still do. My cinnamon coffee cake gets removed from the oven when the toothpick has a little cake sticking to it. Baked good retain their heat after they’re out of the oven causing dryness. My motto is When In Doubt, Take it Out (of the oven)!
Sabrina says
Courtney what on earth makes you think it is okay to be so incredibly rude? I’m shocked her response was as kind as it was. No one is forcing you to be here, I haven’t seen a single response from her showing any hint of disdain.
Perhaps a different website is better suited for you. I’m sure she’d offer you a refund but since you haven’t paid anything for the site or the recipes…
PS this recipe is fantastic Jacqueline. My only suggest is trash any more comments from Courtney, your lovely site doesn’t need them.
Carol says
Wow, Courtney. Someone here IS being very rude but it’s not Jacqueline.
Chris says
Have you tried doubling the recipe for a 9×13 pan? I have a crowd to feed
Jacqueline says
I would do 1.5x the recipe for a 9×13 pan. If you double it, it may be too much batter and/or take too long to bake.
Vicky says
I just whipped this recipe up and it’s in the oven baking and making my home smell amazing! I added a layer of organic raspberries from my garden on top of the filling and can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Kanzaki says
So I just made this pretty much exactly as written, but baked in an 8×8 as I don’t have a 9×9. It took the full 50 (rather than 45) minutes, but came out perfectly. I love the recipe and will definitely use it again.
Laura says
I just made this recipe. It was the first time I’ve ever made coffee cake. It turned out fine! I also had to use an 8×8 pan and bake it for the full 50 minutes. I was afraid I would have problems with the topping because it wasn’t very coarse when I pulsed it a few times in my food processor…however it was still crunchy and crumbly on top! I personally would prefer it to be slightly sweeter (I have a major sweet tooth), but by no means is it not sweet enough. Thanks!!
Angela Garcia says
I increased the liquid by 1/3 cup, the sugar to 1 cup and decreased the cinnamon by half. These are just personal preferences, this is a very good coffee cake, moist, buttery and cinnamony, just the way it should be. I will be putting this recipe in my recipe box. Thank you.
Kayla lively says
I just now have had my first piece of the coffee cake..this recipe is beyond worth it. I’m very grateful this is the recipe I had choose, because I was search for a while this morning checking out the reviews from other recipe sites. Could now thank you enough. The only thing I had done differently, which wasn’t intended till last minute when I had realized I didn’t have enough butter. For the cake, I replaced the butter with crisco shortening-followed the instructions on how to convert it into corect amout squeal to butter (which is on the crisco shortening tin). Also I added a tad bit of coconut oil to the batter to add more “give” for spreading. Everything else I followed to a tee. Moist, fluffy, beautiful.
I am literally not going to search for another coffee cake recipe..for this, right here…is bomb.
Kayla lively says
Also, I had read the rest of the reviews on here…
There is nothing that should be changed with this recipe. As a baker…literally, a baker, as in a baker in a bakery baker..tad bit of advice..this recipe is a medium challenge level for someone who doesn’t bake what so ever, or very little. Take your time, and follow the steps. It’s simple, and worth it. Baking is an art, and doesn’t need to be complicated as some of these reviews come accross to be. If the baker baking the cake was as negitive as the comments came accross to be, I can’t see why your attempt came out..well..shitty.
Plus, there’s pictures…pictures. 🤦🏻♀️😩
Much luck to anyone who makes this, follow the recipe, not the reviews. This is an outstanding coffee cake! Much luck & thanks again to the mrs, who took the time to post/share this recipe. Also, the pictures are thoughtful, and helpful to those who are making this who have never made coffee cake before.
Jacqueline says
Thank you so, so, so much for this comment. It brightened my day so much! I brace myself every time I get a comment notification on this post, it’s either going to be mean or really complimentary. Yours made me feel so great. Check out the pumpkin version!
Karen says
I followed your recipe and the cake turned out wonderful!! I’ve been wanting to make a coffee cake but could not find a recipe that grabbed me or where I had all the ingredients on hand. When I want to bake I want to do it right then and there so pre-planning is not my forte. I always have these ingredients in my cupboard so I gave it a shot. Your recipe was easy to follow. I’ve received nothing but positive feedback on this delicious cake. Thank you!!!!
Marlene says
Hi
Wanted to tell you this is an amazing coffee cake. I have made it 3 times.
this cake is wonderful.
I was wondering if you 1.5 the recipe how would you address the eggs?
Thank you
Mary R says
Made this Coffee Cake today and it was delicious! I made no adjustments to this recipe and it came out perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Amanda says
Making this cake for the second and third time. My daughter requested it for her birthday breakfast and I thought since I was already making one I would send one to work with my husband. I followed the directions exactly the first time and it turned out perfectly. The only thing I changed in baking was to add a bit more time as it wasn’t done in the time suggested (but this obviously can be different depending on a person’s oven). This time around the only thing I changed was to make only half of the topping but that was only at my kids’ request (I liked it fine the way it was). I hate that people can’t comment in a constructive way – you have handled the negative comments quite gracefully. Thanks for posting this – best coffee cake recipe I’ve had in a long time and I plan to continue making it.
Beth says
Hi Jacqueline,
I don’t usually post on recipe sites, but I felt bad that there were so many critical comments and wanted to tell you, I’ve been searching FOREVER for a coffee cake that had the “Yummyness” (my word) in the middle and on top, and I found it with your recipe!!!! This is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! I, like other posters, was afraid to try it because I’ve never made coffee cake from scratch before, but this sounded kind of simple, so I took my time and It came out wonderful! I had to bake it a little longer than was listed, but I let it sit for a 1/2 hour and tried a piece with a little cool whip, and LOVED it!!! Don’t pay attention to the people who criticize it, you can’t make everyone happy all the time, as everyone has their own taste. I think next time I won’t make the top with so much flour, but otherwise it’s great, thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us, I will be trying others soon…
Nikki says
Thank you for this recipe! I doubled it to make a 9×13 pan. When I make this again (definitely making for the next holiday with family) I would probably combine the filling and topping in food processor and then half it during the layering process (half for filling, half for topping).
Thais Crespo says
Hey Jacqueline! It looks amazing!! I’m gonna try it!! I’m from Barcelona but I stayed in the US for a year, and I miss the treats so much haha I remember coffee cake had a glaze, don’t you recomend to add it at the end??
Thank you so much! I will tell you how it comes out! 🙂
Erin says
This cake is amazing!!!! 😋!!! I think I’ll have this cake as my birthday cake from now on!!!! Thank you!!!