Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

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This Classic Coffee Cake Recipe is soft and tender with a ribbon of cinnamon in the middle and a crumbly buttery brown sugar topping!

Coffee Cake is one of our FAVORITE weekend breakfasts, served with fruit salad or a side of Fluffy Scrambled Eggs.

Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (1)

This recipe for coffee cake is tried and true, best eaten nice and warm with a tall glass of milk, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Classic Coffee Cake

My favorite thing about coffee cake is that it can be enjoyed for dessert, breakfast, or an afternoon snack! Coffee cake does not have coffee in it, but is meant to be eaten with tea or coffee.

I made this coffee cake recipe without sour cream and it is one of my favorites because of the lovely crumbly topping with brown sugar and the nice cinnamon sugar filling going right through the center of the cake. So delicious!

Ingredients Needed

Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need in order to make this Classic Coffee Cake. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.

  • Eggs
  • Sugar – brown and white granulated for the topping and cake
  • Flour – all-purpose
  • Vegetable Oil – or canola oil
  • Baking Powder – rising agent for the cake
  • Cinnamon – the star of the show, adds so much flavor!
  • Butter – for the topping
Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2)

How To Make Coffee Cake

It’s easy to make the coffee cake batter and simple four-ingredient filling/topping. Don’t forget to preheat the oven to 350℉ before you start.

Mix Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk vegetable oil, and vanilla extra and mix until combined and smooth.

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Mix Dry Ingredients

Add into the wet ingredients the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.

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Make Topping

In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, cold butter, and flour.

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Use clean hands to pinch the butter into the brown sugar and flour, creating a crumbly and coarse topping.

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Assemble the Cake

Pour half of the cake batter into a greased 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish.

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Sprinkle 1/3 of the brown sugar topping over the batter. Pour the remaining cake batter over the top, then sprinkle the remaining brown sugar topping over the batter.

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Bake Coffee Cake

Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool slightly before serving. You may serve the cake warm or let it cool completely, but I believe coffee cake is best when served warm.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

  • Once you add in the dry ingredients, mix the batter until combined and no flour pockets are left but don’t mix it too much. Overmixing can cause it to have a rubbery texture when baked.
  • The vegetable oil can be swapped for melted butter if you want an even more rich taste.
  • Switch out a teaspoon of vanilla for almond or rum extract for a different but delicious flavor profile!
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Make Ahead and Storage

It’s really easy to make this coffee cake ahead of time!

Make Ahead: You can make it the night before and bake it or simply refrigerate it before baking and bake it in the morning.

To Store: Cover with plastic wrap once cooled and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To Freeze:Once cooled, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Common Questions

What makes a coffee cake a coffee cake?

It’s a single-layer cake meant to be enjoyed with coffee. Common variations include a cinnamon flavor and sugary streusel topping, or a fruit-filled center.

Can you bake it with sour cream?

Some variations call for sour cream, but this recipe does not have sour cream in it.

Does Coffee Cake have coffee in it?

Not necessarily. While some versions do, most versions don’t!

What is the difference between coffee cake and cinnamon streusel cake?

While both versions are similar, the coffee cake has a thinner layer of streusel on top or no streusel at all and sometimes has a filling in the middle, while streusel cakes have a nice thick layer on top.

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More Delicious Breakfast Cake Recipes

Sometimes cake for breakfast is the thing to do, especially for holidays or weekends! Here are some of our favorites. Make sure to try at least one!

  • Cinnamon Roll Sheet Cake
  • Cream Cheese Raspberry Coffee Cake
  • Super Easy Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe
  • Buttermilk Cranberry Cake

This is a much loved coffee cake recipe in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (11)

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Classic Coffee Cake Recipe

This Classic Coffee Cake Recipe is fluffy with a ribbon of cinnamon in the middle and a crumbly buttery brown sugar topping!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 431 kcal

Author: Shawn

Ingredients

For The Topping

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13" baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

  • In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until combined.

  • Add in 3 cups all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until combined. Set aside.

  • Combine the ingredients for the topping (brown sugar, cinnamon, cold butter and flour) in a medium bowl and use clean hands to pinch the butter into the brown sugar and flour, creating a crumbly and coarse topping.

  • Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and then sprinkle 1/3 of the topping over the batter. Pour the remaining cake batter over the top, then sprinkle the remaining brown sugar topping over the batter.

  • Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool slightly before serving. You may serve the cake warm or let cool completely. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 2mg

Keywords: coffee cake

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?don’t forget to share a picture and mention @iwashyoudry on Instagram or tag #iwashyoudry!

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Classic Coffee Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you increase the flavor of coffee in a cake? ›

Bakers know that that the easiest way to get coffee flavor into a baked good is to add instant espresso powder to the batter.

What makes coffee cake coffee cake? ›

Coffee cake or coffeecake is a sweet bread common in the United States, so called because it is typically served with coffee. Leavenings can include yeast, baking soda, or baking powder. The modern dish typically contains no coffee.

How to keep coffee cake moist? ›

Melted butter is key for moist coffee cake, but this dessert tends to get drier over time. If you want to prevent coffee cake from getting stale for as long as possible, storing it in an airtight Tupperware is your best bet.

What is the coffee cake capital of the world? ›

I was reading chef Paul Fehribach's new book, "Midwestern Food," when I first learned that Cincinnati is the coffeecake capital of the world. I was probably late to the party on this one since it seems everyone else in town was already aware of that.

What enhances coffee flavor? ›

9 Things to Put in Your Coffee to Up the Ante
  • Cinnamon. If you find yourself ordering autumnal drinks at your closest coffee chain, this powder should be your new at-home staple. ...
  • Cardamom. This Turkish tradition adds an earthy, almost floral taste to your brew. ...
  • Mint. ...
  • Cocoa Powder. ...
  • Salt. ...
  • Vanilla Extract. ...
  • Ginger. ...
  • Espresso.
Aug 17, 2023

What is in a Bakers Treat coffee cake? ›

Sugar, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate or reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter (cream, salt), contains 2% or less: modified cornstarch, glycerin, egg, cinnamon, tallow, palm oil, salt, natural ...

What makes a coffee cake dry? ›

A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.

What is the difference between a regular cake and a coffee cake? ›

The difference between coffee cake and regular cake is the topping. Coffee cake and regular cake are made with the same ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and a leavening agent like baking powder. The difference is that instead of frosting on top, coffee cakes have crumble or streusel.

Is oil or butter better for coffee cake? ›

Which tastes better in baking: Butter vs. Oil. There are no surprises here: butter tastes better than oil in baking recipes. However, in recipes with other bold flavors – such as chocolate, coffee, or citrus – butter can sometimes compete with the other flavors and this is normally when a recipe calls for oil instead.

Is it better to store coffee cake in the fridge or on the counter? ›

You can store coffee cake at room temperature for up to three or four days, but to ensure the best texture and flavor, storing it in the fridge is the way to go! Kept in the fridge, your coffee cake can last up to 2 weeks. But if it's extra tasty, it probably will get eaten first!

Why is my coffee cake so dense? ›

Incorrect Baking Temperature and Time

The temperature of your oven and the baking time can also affect the texture of your cake. Baking at too high a temperature can cause the cake to set too quickly on the outside, trapping steam inside and resulting in a dense crumb.

What is the real name for coffee cake? ›

It wasn't until 1763 before coffee cake was first mentioned, though technically even then by another name, the German “gugelhupf”.

What nationality is coffee cake? ›

The first coffee cake likely originated in Germany, specifically in Dresden. However, the Danish came up with the earliest version of eating a type of sweet bread while drinking coffee, so coffee cakes really evolved from many different cultural traditions. We do know that coffee was introduced to Europe in the 1600s.

Which country has the best cake in the world? ›

Scotland is widely known as the land of cakes which is originally one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom. It is one of the islands of Great Britain whose capital is Edinburgh, and Glasglow takes the 'cake' for being the largest city.

How to add coffee flavor to baked goods? ›

How to use ground coffee. Whether you grind your own beans or buy them already ground, just a small amount of coffee in this form adds a bold flavour hit to recipes. It works best in batters, doughs, and thick sauces, and it's super convenient, since no brewing is required—just spoon it right in.

How do you extract more flavor from coffee? ›

Under- extracted coffee can taste sour, salty, or lack sweetness, and the finish or mouthfeel doesn't linger. Over-extracted coffee can taste bitter, dry or empty, lacking body. Under-extracted coffee can be fixed by using more water or hotter water, brewing longer, using finer coffee grounds or more coffee grounds.

How do you make coffee more tastier? ›

Today, if you are looking for things to put in your coffee to reduce the bitterness, salt is a top ingredient. Lightly salted coffee is a big minerals boost and a tasty coffee break option. Studies have showed that the sodium ions in salt suppress the bitterness in coffee and enhances its taste.

How do I add more Flavour to my coffee? ›

10 Ways to Add Flavour to Your Coffee
  1. Vanilla. The easiest way to infuse your coffee with vanilla flavouring is through the use of a vanilla pod. ...
  2. Cocoa Nibs. Cocoa nibs are what chocolate is before it's processed into bars. ...
  3. Ginger. ...
  4. Peppermint Oil. ...
  5. Butter. ...
  6. Cardamom. ...
  7. Nutmeg. ...
  8. Lavender.
Mar 31, 2022

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