This coffee cake recipe has a soft buttery crumb, a warm cinnamon swirl, and a crunchy streusel topping that makes every slice irresistible. It is easy to make with simple ingredients and perfect for brunch or a cozy weekend treat.

Slice of coffee cake on a plate showing the buttery crumb and warm cinnamon streusel center.

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Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

This coffee cake recipe is a classic made with a moist buttery cake that has a tender crumb and contains a ribbon of streusel in the middle and plenty more on top. It’s easy to make, better than Starbucks and never fails to bring a smile whenever I serve it.

You can never have too many variations when it comes to the best homemade coffee cake for breakfast or brunch. I make this blueberry coffee cake in the summer, pumpkin coffee cake in the fall and these Gilmore Girls coffee cake cookies year-round!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Bakery-style crumb. The soft buttery base and tender crumb taste just like a classic bakery coffee cake, but made with simple pantry ingredients.
  • Cinnamon swirl in every bite. A warm cinnamon sugar ribbon runs through the center and a crisp, sweet crumble topping adds the perfect crunch.

Ingredients Needed

Ingredient for coffee cake recipe including butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, flour, white granulated sugar, egg, milk and vanilla.

Find the full printable recipe below.

  • All-purpose flour: This recipe is pretty straightforward. It’s all about achieving the perfect textures in each of the layers and knowing how to measure flour is part of that. 
  • Milk: The higher the fat content the more moisture the cake will retain, so I use whole milk or at least 2%.
  • Baking powder: Check to see that yours has not expired. Otherwise, it won’t give it the lift it needs for a light and airy texture.
  • Crumb topping: Easily made with flour, sugar, and butter.
  • Butter: I prefer to use salted rather than unsalted butter because there is no added salt anywhere else and quite a bit of sugar. If you only have unsalted butter, add a teaspoon of salt to the mixture.

How to Make Coffee Cake

With only 10 minutes of prep time, you’ll soon understand why this easy coffee cake is a recipe I reach for again and again!

Showing how to make coffee cake in four easy pictures.
  1. Prepare batter. Whisk together wet ingredients in a bowl then add in the dry ingredients including flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour half of the cake batter into a prepared 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper. 
  2. Make filling. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle it over the bottom portion of the batter. Drizzle with melted butter and then add remaining batter on top. 
  3. Add crumb topping. In another small bowl, combine flour sugar, and softened butter. Use your hands to crumble it until coarse pea-sized crumbs appear. Sprinkle over top the batter and cover the dish loosely with foil.
  4. Bake, cool, and slice. Transfer dish to a preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes more. A toothpick inserted into the center of the coffee cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before slicing it into 9 squares.
Top down photo of sliced coffee cake on parchment paper showing buttery streusel topping.

Recipe Tips

  • Pan size. Instead of an 8-inch pan, you could use a 9-inch round cake pan with no changes needed. You could also use a 9×5 inch loaf pan and increase baking time to around 40 minutes.
  • No mixer is required. This easy coffee cake recipe can be made just by mixing by hand. However, if you do prefer to use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, go right ahead. I prefer just a medium bowl or large bowl, a whisk, and a wooden spoon.
  • Double the recipe. To feed a large crowd, double the recipe and use a 9×13″ baking pan. Add an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time.
  • Add-ins. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips or 1/2 cup blueberries, sliced apples or peaches. Sometimes I add chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel.
  • Top with a glaze. Sometimes I’ll drizzle it with powdered sugar icing or cream cheese glaze for a little something extra.
A slice of the best coffee cake on a plate with one bite removed to show cinnamon sugar filling, moist crumb and streusel topping.

For weekend or holiday breakfast recipes, you can’t go wrong with one hour cinnamon rolls, cinnamon roll casserole or cinnamon roll pancakes, too!

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Slice of coffee cake on a plate showing buttery crumb, cinnamon sugar filling and streusel topping.

Coffee Cake Recipe

5 from 43 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 9
This coffee cake recipe has a soft buttery crumb, a warm cinnamon swirl, and a crunchy streusel topping everyone loves. Easy to make for breakfast or brunch!
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Video

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt

Filling

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter , melted

Topping

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons salted butter , slightly melted

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, if desired.
  • Wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  • Dry ingredients. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon. Pour half the batter into the baking dish.

Filling

  • In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon melted butter evenly over the top. Pour the remaining batter over the filling.

Topping

  • In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 3 Tablespoons butter. Crumble evenly over the batter.
  • Cover dish loosely with foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 9 squares and serve.

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Crumb topping: If you’d prefer more of a crumb mixture on top, feel free to make half a batch of this crumble topping to add to the top. You’ll only need half of the topping listed above for the middle. 
Doubling: You can double the recipe for a crowd. Bake in a 9×13-inch baking dish for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. 
Storage: Store leftover cake in a covered container for up to 3 days. Freeze up to 3 months. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 411kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 185mg, Potassium: 173mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 212IU, Vitamin C: 0.004mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

FAQs

Why is my coffee cake dry?

Dry coffee cake is usually caused by overmixing, too much flour, or baking it a few minutes too long. Measure the flour correctly, cream the butter and sugar well, and bake just until a toothpick comes out clean.

Can I make coffee cake ahead of time?

Yes, coffee cake is great to make ahead. Let it cool completely, then cover tightly. It stays moist for up to 3 days and tastes even better the next day.

Can I freeze coffee cake?

Yes. Freeze individual slices wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.

Why did my streusel sink?

If the batter is too thin or the streusel layer is pressed down too firmly, it can sink while baking. Gently sprinkle the streusel on top and avoid overmixing the batter to keep the crumb light.