Recipe

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Tender sour cream cake with a thick cinnamon streusel ribbon and a buttery crumb topping that bakes up crisp at the edges.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A square cinnamon coffee cake in a baking pan with a thick crumb topping and a few slices cut out, on a warm wooden kitchen counter in natural morning light

Jump to Recipe

If you want your kitchen to smell like you have your life together, bake this cinnamon coffee cake. It is buttery and soft in the middle, a little crisp on top, and loaded with that brown sugar cinnamon situation that makes you hover near the oven like a cartoon character.

This is the kind of bake that feels fancy but behaves like an any-day recipe. The ingredients are easy to find, the steps are straightforward, and the payoff is huge: a thick streusel ribbon in the middle plus a generous crumb on top. Pour coffee, cut a warm square, and try not to “just even out the edges” three more times.

Flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, eggs, sour cream, baking powder, and vanilla laid out on a tidy kitchen counter with measuring cups nearby

Why It Works

Moist, tender crumb: Sour cream keeps the cake plush without tasting tangy.
Big cinnamon flavor: A streusel layer in the middle means every bite hits, not just the top.
Crumb topping that stays crisp: Cold butter plus a quick mix gives you chunky crumbs that bake up golden.
Low drama: No mixer required if you do not want one, and the batter is forgiving.

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

How to Store Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Room temperature: Store tightly covered for up to 3 days. If your kitchen runs humid, a paper towel under the lid can help absorb excess moisture and keep the crumb top from going soft.
Refrigerator: Up to 5 days in an airtight container. Let slices sit at room temp for 15 minutes, or warm gently before serving.
Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 1 to 2 hours.
Reheat tip: 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave for soft, or 5 minutes in a 300°F oven to bring back a little top crunch.

Common Questions

Why is it called coffee cake if there is no coffee in it?

Because it is meant to be eaten with coffee, not necessarily made from coffee. Although I fully support adding espresso powder to the streusel if you want a mocha moment.

Can I make this without sour cream?

Yes. Use full-fat plain Greek yogurt 1:1. In a pinch, you can use buttermilk, but the batter will be looser and the crumb slightly less rich.

How do I keep the streusel from sinking?

Two things help: make the streusel chunky and keep the middle layer as a sprinkle, not a solid packed blanket. Also, spread a thin layer of batter under it and a thicker layer on top so it is “suspended” rather than dropped in. For the top, you can very lightly pat the streusel just so it sticks, but do not compact it.

Can I bake this in a Bundt pan?

You can, but it is trickier to keep the streusel in a clean ribbon. If you try it, use a well-greased 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan and plan on roughly 45 to 60 minutes, checking early and often. Bake times vary a lot by pan shape and color, so use the doneness cues below. I prefer a 9x9 for predictable slices and maximum crumb topping coverage.

How do I know it is done?

Go by the look and the toothpick first: the top should be golden and a toothpick inserted in the cake portion (not straight through the streusel) should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. If you like an extra check, many cakes land around 195°F to 205°F in the center, but consider that range a helpful guideline, not a rule.

A glass mixing bowl with pale coffee cake batter being stirred with a spatula on a kitchen counter, with cinnamon and brown sugar nearby

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

9x9-inch baking pan (metal or glass)
Parchment paper (optional but helpful for lifting)
2 mixing bowls (one for batter, one for streusel)
Whisk and rubber spatula
Measuring cups and spoons
Wire rack for cooling

I love cooking complicated things, but baking is where I go when I want the house to feel calm. This coffee cake is my go-to when I am hosting and I do not want to overthink breakfast. I can make it with what is already in the fridge, it forgives my slightly chaotic measuring style, and it always earns that first bite pause. You know the one. The “okay wow” bite, followed immediately by “should we warm another slice?”

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 9 squares

Ingredients

For the streusel (middle + topping)

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/4 cup milk (any kind), plus more as needed

Optional quick glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
Pinch of cinnamon or a tiny splash of vanilla (optional)

Instructions

Prep the pan and oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan. For easy lifting, line with parchment with a little overhang on two sides, then grease the parchment too. Pan note: Glass pans can bake a little slower and brown the edges more, so start checking a few minutes later and expect you might need a couple extra minutes.
Make the streusel. In a bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes and work in with your fingers or a fork until you get chunky crumbs, some pea-sized and some a bit bigger. Stir in nuts if using. Pop in the fridge while you make the batter. (You will use about 1/3 of this streusel for the middle and the rest for the top.)
Mix dry ingredients. In a second bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Whisk in sour cream and milk until smooth.
Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold with a spatula just until you do not see dry flour. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. If it seems extremely thick and hard to spread, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk to loosen it.
Layer. Spread about half the batter into the pan. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the streusel evenly over the batter as the middle layer. Spoon the remaining batter over top and gently spread. Finish with the rest of the streusel all over the top. Lightly pat the topping just so it adheres, but keep it loose so it bakes up crisp.
Bake. Bake 32 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning fast around minute 25 to 30, loosely tent with foil.
Cool. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then lift out (if parchment-lined) and cool at least another 20 minutes before slicing. Warm is great. Fully cooled slices are cleaner.
Optional glaze. Whisk powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon milk, adding more milk a teaspoon at a time until it drizzles. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Serve. Slice into 9 squares and serve with coffee, fruit, or just your best morning attitude.