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This is one of the best Coffee Cake Recipes I’ve ever had! With a cinnamon filling, delicious streusel crumb topping, it has the softest and most tender crumb. You will love this easy recipe – it’s perfect for breakfast or brunch!

One piece of streusel coffee cake on a plate


Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

This is a version of my mom’s crumb cake recipeit has a fluffy tender moist cake filled with cinnamon swirl and topped with cinnamon streusel. We can never stop eating this every time I make it – I usually make it for holidays but often just on a random day because…who doesn’t love it?

The type of coffee cake popular in the US (like what I’m sharing today) is not made with coffee. Instead, the name refers to the fact that a slice of this sweet cake goes perfectly with a cup of coffee.

This coffee cake recipe is really easy and only has three parts: the a delicious cinnamon filling, a moist vanilla cake, and the favorite crumble topping. It’s soft and moist with a little crunch from that streusel – I’m getting hungry just thinking about it!

Best Coffee Cake Recipe Ingredients

  • Sugar: Granulated Sugar is needed in the cake and brown sugar in the streusel
  • All-purpose Flour: Be sure to measure it correctly
  • Ground Cinnamon: Necessary!!
  • Butter: I use unsalted butter and I start with it melted to keep the cake moist
  • Baking Powder: For that fluffy cake texture
  • Salt: Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if using salted butter
  • Large Eggs: The fat from the yolk keeps the cake moist and the whites add structure
  • Vanilla Extract: For flavor
  • Milk: You can use nonfat, 2%, whole or nondairy

How to Make Coffee Cake

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or parchment paper.
  • Whisk cinnamon filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Place streusel ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until it looks like wet sand.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Mix melted butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer at medium speed. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or stir by hand. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in milk, then stir in dry ingredients until just moistened.
  • Spread half of cake batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon filling. Top with remaining cake batter. Sprinkle with streusel topping.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I don’t add a drizzle to this but you could make a simple powdered sugar icing with milk if you want to!
Side view of streusel coffee cake in a clear baking dish
One piece of streusel coffee cake on a plate with corner piece missing

Expert Tips

  • For the best crumb, it’s important to measure the flour accurately. Ideally, you should measure it with a kitchen scale, but I have also included the cup measurements.
  • I also recommend using room-temperature eggs because cold eggs are harder to mix into the batter.
  • You can also make this with nonfat, 2% or nondairy milk. I recommend whole milk.
  • Don’t over bake the cake – it’s done when a toothpick comes out clean.
  • If you like nuts you can add 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds to the streusel or filling.
  • Store leftover cake covered with plastic wrap or store in the freezer for up to a month.
Overhead shot of streusel coffee cake in baking pan with corner piece missing

FAQs

How do you keep coffee cake moist? 

The best way to make a moist coffee cake is to accurately measure the flour, use butter in the batter, use regular milk instead of nonfat, and not overbake the cake.

Can you freeze it cinnamon sugar coffee cake?

Yes, you can freeze it. First, cool the cake completely and then slice and freeze the slices for up to one month.

Close up shot of one piece of streusel coffee cake on a white plate

Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe

4.96 from 21 votes
This Streusel Coffee Cake is the best coffee cake recipe with a cinnamon filling, delicious streusel topping, and the cake has the softest and most tender crumb.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield 16 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

Cinnamon Filling:

  • cup (134g) packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup (31g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cake:

  • 3 cups (372g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (237ml) milk
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking.
  • Whisk cinnamon filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Place streusel ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a fork until combined (will look like wet sand). Set aside.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Mix melted butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer at medium speed. Mixture will be grainy. Mix in egg and vanilla. Stir in milk, then stir in flour mixture until just mixed.
  • Spread half of cake batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon filling. Top with remaining cake batter. Sprinkle with streusel topping.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It cuts best when completely cooled, but you can serve it warm. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cooled cake can be sliced and placed in an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

  • You can substitute vegetable oil for the butter in the cake batter but I do not recommend it in the topping.
  • You can also mix the cake by hand with a whisk.
  • I recommend using room temperature eggs if you remember to take them out of the refrigerator.
  • You can also make this with nonfat, 2% or nondairy milk. I recommend whole milk. If you’re using nondairy milk use a higher fat one. More fat in the milk makes a more moist cake.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 169mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.96 from 21 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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18 Comments

  1. Hi I would love to try this recipe but only want to make a small batch in a 8×8 square bake dish, would it work if I just halved all the ingredients