Coffee Cake

With 5 minutes of prep, this crowd favorite homemade Coffee Cake is a delicious go-to for any breakfast, brunch, or celebration!

Along with our One Hour Cinnamon Rolls and Cinnamon Roll Cake, this Coffee Cake is always on our holiday must-make list. Be sure to try our Coffee Cake Muffins too! Can you tell we love our cinnamon cakes?!

Easy Coffee Cake

One of my FAVORITE things to make for a breakfast get-together is Coffee Cake! This next recipe is quick and it is so buttery and cinnamon-y that everyone loves it.

My mom first made it for me when I left for a summer camp as a teenager and I remember thinking, “I need to have this recipe in my life!” It is packed with flavor!

I’ve tried a few coffee cake recipes before, but this is by far the best Coffee Cake recipe.

It’s simple and has become a staple for many holiday morning celebrations, especially Christmas and Thanksgiving. This Easy Coffee Cake is moist, soft, warm and full of cinnamon and sugar goodness.

Why is it called coffee cake?

This type of cake has been around for centuries with each country having their own variation.

The American versions have a delicious streusel topping and seem to have mainly originated from Germany. No matter the recipe what they all had in common was being served alongside warm cup of coffee. Hence the name Coffee Cake!

Coffee Cake vs Crumb Cake: These cakes are very similar and are often served in the morning or as a snack alongside a cup of coffee. The batter of both cakes are the same, the difference lies in the cinnamon sugar topping. Coffee cake is topped with a thin streusel layer. Crumb cake has a much thicker and chunkier crumb topping. 

How to Make Coffee Cake

As we mentioned, this coffee cake recipe is very simple. It takes us about 10 minutes to make before throwing it in the oven. After 30 minutes or so, you end up with the most delicious coffee cake you’ll ever try. 😉

WET INGREDIENTS. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, large eggs, vanilla and milk together.

DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour half the batter into a lightly greased 9×13 pan.

CRUMB TOPPING. In a medium bowl, prepare streusel by combining brown sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle half of streusel on top of the batter. Top with remaining half of the batter and then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.

Drizzle with melted butter (you can do less and use ¼ cup butter or up to ⅓ cup butter melted).

BAKE + SERVE. Bake at 350 (no need to cover) for 35-40 minutes.

Recipe tips

Dense batter: Don’t be alarmed when your batter seems thicker than you’re expecting. Using a spoon or spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients can help with the density. If you’re really worried you can add an extra egg or a little bit more milk to thin it out and make it easier to pour. 

Muffin method: This cake utilized the muffin method. This just means that the wet ingredients are mixed in one bowl and then you whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

The purpose for this is to thoroughly mix the baking soda and salt with the flour so that when it is added to the wet ingredients you can rest assured that everything is equally distributed and you won’t over-mix the batter. 

Variations

• Adding fruit can be a delicious variation. Try blueberries, sliced peaches or sliced apples. The liquid from the fruit may cause the cake to be baked longer.
• Use applesauce or coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
• Add sliced almonds or chopped pecans or walnuts to the top of the cake to give it a delightful crunch
• Drizzle a glaze over the top: Make a glaze by mixing ½ c confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake.
• Lining the pan with parchment paper can help remove the cake more easily.

Storing tips

Here are our top tips for storing coffee cake:

• STORE in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
• FREEZE. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

We like our coffee cake warm. To reheat: Warm in microwave for 10 second increments until warm. To heat in the oven remove any plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.

Serving suggestions

This cake is often served with a cup of coffee or tea, but it’s great with other warm drinks as well: 

• Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa
• Apple Cider
• Mexican Hot Chocolate 
• White Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa
• Caramel Apple Cider
• Wassail
• Hot Chocolate Recipe

You can also serve it with some of our favorite savory breakfast casseroles like: Biscuit Egg Casserole, Potato Egg Casserole or Sausage Breakfast Casserole.

If you’re looking for a  quick and easy treat you can make for a breakfast get together, shower or meeting, then you should try this cake. It always gets two big thumbs up from anyone who tries it. 😀

For more coffee cake recipes, check out:

• Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
• Coffee Cake Muffins
• Bisquick Coffee Cake
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake