Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

ByKrystle Smith Posted on

Save For Later

Jump to Recipe Add Me as a Google Trusted Source

This cinnamon streusel coffee cake has moist vanilla cake, a rich cinnamon swirl, and an irresistible crumb topping. This recipe is heavy on the crumb topping, so you'll get some in every single bite. 

a slice of cinnamon streusel coffee cake.

If you know me, you know I love sweet breakfasts, like Funfetti pancakes or DIY Krispy Kreme Donuts. This cinnamon streusel coffee cake recipe is a new family favorite because it comes out perfectly every time. When I'm craving something sweet in the morning, this is what I reach for. We also love making it for holiday brunch for Easter and Christmas.

Unlike a typical crumb cake which has more flour,my streusel is heavy on the caramelized brown sugar. It's very similar to what I use in my Blueberry Bundt Cake streusel layer. My version also has this brown sugar cinnamon mixture swirled inside AND on top!It goes great with a cup of hot coffee, tea, or an icy cold glass of milk.

🤎Why I Love This Recipe🤎

  1. Common Ingredients: Don't be intimidated by the long ingredient list. To make preparing this recipe easier, I listed each ingredient in each section of the recipe. For example, flour is listed 3 times since it is used in all 3 layers.
  2. No Fancy Equipment: No electric mixer or food process is needed.
  3. Mile High Crumb Topping: Let's be honest the crumbs are the best part. I may or may not have shoveled them in my mouth while making this. This coffee cake is generous on the crumb topping, so you'll be sure to get some in every bite.

🧈Ingredient Notes🧈

For the Coffee Cake

ingredients in clear bowls including flour, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and baking powder.
  1. Butter: For this recipe, use softened butter.
  2. Milk: For best results use whole milk. Low fat or plant-based milks are not recommended.
  3. Flour: Measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it with a knife. Do not scoop your cup into your flour container, you may overmeasure.
  4. Baking Powder: Replace every 6-12 months for the best rise.
flour, sugar, butter, and cinnamon in clear bowls on a burlap placemat.

Quickly Soften Butter

To quickly soften butter, cut it into smaller pieces or grate it using a cheese grater.

For the Filling and Topping

  1. Butter: Be sure to use cold butter for the topping. This will ensure you get those perfect crumbs.
  2. Cinnamon: Make this recipe shine for any season by substituting apple pie, pumpkin, or gingerbread spice blends for the cinnamon.

How To Make Cinnamon Coffee Cake

4 photos showing creaming butter and sugar, and then adding milk and flour.
  1. Cream butter and white sugar.
  2. Stir in egg, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Alternate adding flour and milk.

For the Cinnamon Swirl and Topping

4 images showing coffee cake batter, and mixing up the cinnamon filling.
  1. Combine butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  2. Pour onto batter and swirl. Top with remaining batter.
4 images showing coffee cake batter and topping assembly in a glass pan.
  1. Cut butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon with 2 forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. Sprinkle on top of batter.
  3. Bake for 40-45 minutes.

🧺Leftovers🧺

  • Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months. I like freezing individual slices so I can pull it out when I'm craving a breakfast treat.

❓Frequently Asked Questions❓

Does It Contain Coffee?

This cake does not contain coffee. Coffee cake got its name because it is usually served alongside a good cup of coffee in the morning.

Can I Make This Ahead?

Yes, bake up to 2 days in advance.

🗂️Tips and Tricks🗂️

  1. Do not overmix: Mix your ingredients until the flour is just combined. Over-mixing can lead to a tough dense cake.
  2. Pan Prep: Line your pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper to make removing the cake and cleanup a breeze.
  3. Don't Overbake: To tell if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, it is done. Do not overbake, as that will lead to a dry cake.

Picture-Perfect Swirl Everytime

For the perfect cinnamon swirl, drop the streusel ingredients using a teaspoon from your silverware drawer. Then, swirl with a butter knife.

⚠️Troubleshooting⚠️

  1. Dry and Crumbly Cake
    • Problem #1 Too Much Flour: Spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
    • Problem #2 Overbaked: Check on it a few minutes before the timer goes off.
  2. Soggy Crumbs
    • Problem #1 Underdone: Try baking for a few more minutes.
    • Problem #2 Using Melted Butter: Cut in cold butter using 2 forks; do not use melted butter.
  3. Dense Cake
    • Problem #1: Old Leavening Agent: Use fresh baking baking powder.
    • Problem #2: Do not overmix; mix until the flour is just combined.
a close of shot of a whole coffee cake with crumb topping.

🧇More Breakfast Recipes To Try🧇

cinnamon roll pancakes

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

cinnamon french toast casserole

Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Zepoole Recipe

Zeppole

📖 Recipe

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

What's not to like about this cake with a rich cinnamon swirl, and an irresistible crumb topping. Best brunch idea ever!
4.97 from 113 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 12 Slices
Calories: 396kcal
Author: Krystle Smith

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

Save Post

Ingredients

For the Coffee Cake

  • ½ Cup Butter Softened
  • ¾ Cup White Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Pinch Salt
  • ¾ Cup Whole Milk

For the Cinnamon Swirl

  • 3 Tablespoons Butter Softened
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
  • ½ Cup All Purpose Flour
  • ½ Cup Brown Sugar Packed

For the Crumb Topping

  • 5 Tablespoons Butter
  • ¾ Cup All Purpose Flour
  • ½ Cup Brown Sugar Packed
  • 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Don't lose this recipe. Pin for later!

Instructions

For the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9 pan with non stick baking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter and white sugar. Stir in vanilla, egg, baking powder, and salt.
  • Alternate stirring in flour and milk until just combined. Do not over mix.
  • Pour half of batter into prepared pan.

For the Cinnamon Swirl

  • In a small bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  • Pour into the batter in pan, and swirl with a knife. Pour remaining batter on top.

For the Crumb Topping

  • In the same small bowl using 2 forks, butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle topping on top of batter, and press in lightly.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
    1. Butter #1: For the cake portion, use softened butter. To quickly soften butter, cut it into smaller pieces or grate it using a cheese grater.
    1. Milk: For best results, use whole milk. Low-fat or plant-based milks are not recommended.
    1. Flour: Measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it with a knife. Do not scoop your cup into your flour container, you may overmeasure.
    1. Baking Powder: Replace every 6-12 months for the best rise.
    2. Butter #2: For the filling and topping, be sure to use cold butter, not melted butter. 
Tips and Tricks
    1. Do not overmix: Mix your ingredients until the flour is just combined. 
    1. Pan Prep: Line your pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper to make removing the cake and cleanup a breeze.
    1. Picture-Perfect Swirl Every Time: For the perfect cinnamon swirl, drop the streusel ingredients using a teaspoon from your silverware drawer. Then, swirl with a butter knife.
    1. Don't Overbake: To tell if the cake is done, insert a toothpick in the center.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 156mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe? I want to see!Mention @BakingBeautyBlog or tag #BakingBeauty!

More Recipes

4.97 from 113 votes (94 ratings without comment)

Let know what you think

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




73 Comments

  1. Hi Krystle, how do you sign up to receive recipes to my email address, I like a lot of your recipes.

    Can you tell me what I need to do.

    Sandra

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Sandra! I'd be happy to sign you up for our email list. Thanks for your interest 🙂

      Reply

  2. I’m going to make this cake for my Senior Bible group, I’m celiac disease and dairy free, I’m going to put gluten free flour and dairy free goat butter and goat milk , hopefully it will turn out good. Thanks oh love your Bible verse

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Cindy,

      I hope it turned out well, god bless!

      Reply
  3. Heather Ratcliffe says:

    can I use a loaf pan? If so what would be the cook time? Thank you

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Heather,

      We've only tested the recipe as written. Please let us know how it goes if you try to use a different pan.

      Reply

  4. My coffee cake turned out great!!! Moist and tasty!

    Reply
  5. Noelle Figueroa says:

    Can this be made in a Bundt pan?

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Noelle,

      This recipe was only tested using a square pan. If you try it in a Bundt pan please be sure to report back.

      Reply

  6. 5 stars
    I should have trusted your recipe more. When assembling the layers I thought it looked like way too much swirl mix, so I reduced it by 25%. The cake rose to a beatify fluffy height, and i now wish I used the full amount of cinnamon swirl. Lesson learned. I’ll trust you completely next time!

    Reply

  7. 5 stars
    I loved it! I added 3 honeycrip apples to the batter and baked fof 50 minutes.

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Maria,

      Yum! Apple sounds like such a tasty addition.

      Reply

  8. This is delicious! Make it! You won't regret it!

    Reply
  9. Earin Martin says:

    If I want to double this and make it in a 9x13 pan, do I double the ingredients, or are the proportion different?

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Earin,

      We have only tested the recipe as written. If you double it, please do let us know how it turns out.

      Reply

  10. Trying this tonight! Any thoughts on increasing the ingredients in order to fit in a 9x13?

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Adam! Hope you enjoyed! I am generally cautious about increasing ingredients when baking, but let us know if you tried it.

      Reply
  11. Earin Martin says:

    How do I add to this recipe to make it big enough for a 9x13 pan? I'm assuming you don't just double the recipe.

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Earin,

      We've only made the recipe as written. If you're looking for a 9x13 coffee cake I strongly suggest following a recipe made for that pan.

      Reply

  12. Havent tried yet, but plan to tomorrow. Wondering if I can pre-make this and then keep in fridge overnight, then cook the following morning. Do you know if this would work?

    Reply
  13. Breeana Brooke Cortez says:

    5 stars
    Tried different recipes but this one was it

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Yay glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by Breeana!

      Reply
      1. Ben Bernstein says:

        5 stars
        Is there a substitute for butter to be more healthy? I read that you can use applesauce or an oil instead. If so how should I do anything differently

      2. Krystle Smith says:

        Hi Ben,

        We focus on comfort food made with ingredients like butter and sugar here. If you're looking for a healthy recipe I suggest googling something like healthy or oil-free coffee cake. Wishing you all the best in your search! 🙂

  14. Angelic Almarez says:

    Loved the website. Thank you for sharing. You've got a new fan.

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      You're so sweet, thank you Angelic!

      Reply
  15. Gayle Rasar says:

    When the recipe calls for white sugar, does it mean granulated sugar or confectioners sugar? I am never quite sure, for both sugars are white!

    Reply
    1. Krystle Smith says:

      Hi Gayle,

      Sorry for any confusion. White sugar=granulated sugar to me.

      Reply