Coffee Cake

Super moist coffee cake filled with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, topped with a sweet, crunchy crumble topping, and drizzled with a creamy cream cheese frosting.

Coffee Cake

Whoever decided that cake should be disguised as a breakfast food and then eaten at 9am in the morning is someone I’d like to be friends with. Absolutely genuis. This coffee cake was birthed from my love of sweet breakfast treats. I’ve always loved a good brunch food, and this one takes the cake. Like literally lol.

What is Coffee Cake?

In college I would go just about everyday, without fail, and spend my dining dollars at the Starbucks on campus. What did I get? A grande white chocolate mocha and a giant slice of their coffee cake. This was usually after a long practice (I was on the cross country team), so I felt like it was justified lol. But I think we can all agree that the Starbucks coffee cake is actually so good. I’ve always wanted to recreate it, so this is one of my better attempts.

Coffee cake may be one of my favorite desserts (but is it reeeeeally a dessert, though? asking for a friend lol), mostly because it’s everything I love combined into one bake. It has a perfectly moist crumb cake, and a cinnamon-sugar filling, and a crunchy crumble topping, AND it’s drizzled with a creamy cream cheese frosting… like WHAT?! I can’t name many desserts that have more decadence than this one, and I am so here for it.

Also, if you love cakes, be sure to check out some of my other cakes and cupcake recipes here.

Equipment for Coffee Cake

It’s important to have the right equipment for any baking project you embark on, but this one doesn’t require too much.

• 8-inch square pan – this is a staple in my book! I find myself reaching for my 8-inch pan way more often than my 9-inch pan. I also love that these from USA pan have sharp corners which gives a really professional look.
• Mixing bowls: I love these glass mixing bowls from Amazon. They’re especially perfect for food photography.
• Offset spatula: This is the most helpful little tool that every baker needs. You can use it to spread the batter flat in the pan, and it’s perfect for spreading the frosting over the cake.
• Measuring cups/spoons: I’ve been linking these in all of my posts because I love them SO much! They are beautiful and look just like some other expensive ones on the market (but wayyy cheaper).
• Hand mixer: not a necessity, but definitely convenient to have for this cake!
• Pastry cutter: again, this isn’t a necessity, but it does make life much easier when making the crumb topping. It’s also just a great thing for every baker to have in their arsenal of equipment.

Ingredients you’ll need

• All-purpose flour – All of my recipes are tested using King Arthur flours, so I recommend you use the same!
• Granulated sugar
• Baking powder
• Kosher salt – I always use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but you can use any brand of kosher salt.
• Baking soda
• Unsalted butter – if you’d like to use salted butter, feel free. Just decrease the kosher salt by 1/2 tsp.
• Vanilla bean paste – you’re welcome to substitute the paste with pure vanilla extract, it’s a 1:1 ratio! I do love the way the vanilla bean specks look in this cake though 🙂
• Large eggs – make sure they’re room temp!
• Sour cream – also make sure this is room temp!
• Powdered sugar 
• Ground cinnamon – any brand will do 🙂
• Cream cheese

Tips for this cake

1. Make sure your butter is cold (for the crumb topping). Take it from me: if your butter is anything but cold for the crumb topping, you won’t end up with crumbs – you’ll just end up with a mixture that looks like wet sand. I don’t know about you but I love those giant pea-sized crumbs, so make sure your butter is cold!
2. Line your pan reeeeeally well. Because of the cinnamon-sugar filling, it’s important that we line our pan really well. This means both greasing it and lining it with parchment paper. Doing so will ensure you can remove it from the pan without too much fuss! You can check out this reel I posted on my Instagram for a visual! In the words of my queen, Ina Garten, there’s no point in making a cake if you can’t get it out of the pan!!!
3. Check to see if the cake is done frequently. This is a THICK coffee cake, which means that it’ll take some time to bake. I’d recommend starting to check the cake every 5 minutes or so for doneness starting at the 45 minute mark. Again, we’re looking for the center of the cake to be firm to the touch, and it should spring back just a bit when you press down on the top. A toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cake should also come out clean with only a few large crumbs – that’s when you know it’s done!

Y’all know I had to include Louie lol. I hope you all love this recipe and I’m so excited to see all of your beautiful bakes! Be sure to tag me @sarahsdayoff so I can see all of them!

Love,

Sarah

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.” -Jeremiah 17:7-

Print Recipe

Coffee Cake

Super moist coffee cake filled with a buttery cinnamon-sugar filling, topped with a sweet, crunchy crumble topping, and drizzled with a creamy cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword: breakfast, brown sugar cupcakes, coffee cake

Servings: 9 servings

Author: Sarah Crawford

Ingredients

For the Crumb Topping

• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (See note)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 Tbsp cold unsalted buter cubed

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or use pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup sour cream at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

• 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsalted buter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Crumb Topping

• Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a pastry cutter, 2 forks, or your fingers, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs. Chill until ready to use.

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

• Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed to combine.
• Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Beat in vanilla; beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add sour cream, and mix on low speed until fully combined and batter is thick, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• Transfer half of the cake batter to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-sugar filling; top with remaining batter, spreading into an even layer.
• Evenly sprinkle crumbs over batter, pressing gently to adhere. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool cake completely in pan; top with glaze, slice, and serve.

For the Cream Cheese Glaze

• Beat cream cheese and butter in a microwave-safe bowl until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Heat glaze in 15-second intervals in the microwave until it reaches a pourable consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.