One of our FAVORITE things to make for a breakfast or brunch get-together is this coffee cake recipe! It’s quick, buttery, and so cinnamon-y that everyone loves it.
This was my favorite recipe when I was younger and I’d ask my mom to make it for my birthday because it was that good. Since then, we have made a few modifications but it is now a family favorite that gets made every month. It’s simple, it’s delicious, and it’s perfect for any occasion (even Khloe Kardashian agrees!)
We love to serve it with other breakfast casseroles and bakes like our Sausage Breakfast Casserole or Breakfast Potato Casserole.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Simple. The recipe comes together in 15 minutes and uses simple ingredients that most people usually have on hand.
- Event Perfection. Whether it’s for an Easter Brunch, Christmas Breakfast, baby shower, or bridal shower, this coffee cake recipe is perfect for any occasion.
- Delicious. This tender and sweet cake has the perfect butter, cinnamon, and sugar crumb topping, making it so tasty.
Coffee Cake Ingredients and Substitutions
- 2 large eggs – We find that eggs at room temperature and lightly beaten will help them incorporate best with the other ingredients
- 1 cup vegetable oil – or an equal amount of applesauce or melted coconut oil
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour – Measure the flour correctly for the best texture. Gluten-free baking flour also works well in this recipe.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar – This adds a deeper sweetness and a hint of caramel to the cinnamon mixture; dark brown sugar can also be used.
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon – easily adjust the flavor by adding spices like nutmeg, allspice, or Pumpkin Pie Spice to the cinnamon sugar streusel
- ¼-⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted – Adds flavor and moisture and helps bind the cinnamon mixture to the cake.
- optional fruit – fold about 1½ cups of blueberries or chopped apples into the batter; increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes if needed.
- optional crunchy topping – We sometimes like to add sliced almonds, chopped pecans, or walnuts to the top of the cake to give it a delightful crunch.
How to Make Coffee Cake
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- BATTER. In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour half the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
- STREUSEL. In a medium bowl, combine packed brown sugar and cinnamon and mix.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the batter in the pan. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
- Drizzle ¼-⅓ cup melted butter over the top, using more or less as desired.
- BAKE. Bake for 35–40 minutes and serve warm.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- While this cake is often served alongside coffee or tea, hence its name, we like to serve it with other favorite warm drinks like hot chocolate & apple cider.
- Our favorite way to more easily spread the thick batter over the cinnamon sugar layer is to first drop dollops evenly across the surface, then gently spread each dollop using a silicone spatula.
- For an easy variation, we fold about 1½ cups of blueberries, chopped strabwerries or chopped apples into the batter. Depending on your oven, you may need to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- If you want to double or triple the recipe, we recommend baking each batch in its own 9×13 pan.
Coffee Cake Recipe
With a quick prep, this crowd-favorite homemade coffee cake recipe is a delicious go-to for any breakfast, brunch, or celebration!
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼-⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, blend flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the flour ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar on top of the batter. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon-sugar layer. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the top, using more or less as desired.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, and serve warm.
Notes
Recipe Tips.
- While this cake is often served alongside coffee or tea, hence its name, I like to serve it with other favorite warm drinks like hot chocolate & apple cider.
- To more easily spread the thick batter over the cinnamon sugar layer, first drop dollops evenly across the surface, then gently spread each dollop using a silicone spatula.
- For an easy variation, fold about 1½ cups of blueberries or chopped apples into the batter. Depending on your oven, you may need to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
- If you want to double or triple the recipe, we recommend baking each batch in its own 9×13 pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 264kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 101mg, Potassium: 175mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 161IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 88mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to store coffee cake?
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for up to a week, or wrapped with plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat coffee cake?
Small portions can be heated in the microwave for 10-second increments until warm. To heat in the oven, remove any plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 350°F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.
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This recipe was originally published September 2011.
Wow this is yummy! We all loved it!
Oh how i wish i had a slice of this coffee cake! Looks so good.
Coffee Cake is one of my favorite desserts/breakfast!!! Can’t wait to make this one!
One of mine too!! I sure hope you like it!
The way to my heart is breakfast pastries. This was one of the best coffee cakes I’ve had!
I love this coffee cake!! We made it over the holidays & it turned out so soft & had the perfect amount of cinnamon flavor..it was a hit!
This didnt really work out for me and i dont know why! I followed everything to a T but the margerine pooled in the center while bakIng and it took over an hour to get it baked enough to consume:( you bet i Ate it anyways and it tasted amazing, ill have to try this one again with less margerine i think.
You could definitely try less & see. I am glad you still liked it!
My favorite coffee cake recipe! I love the buttery, brown sugar taSte of this cake. Its just one of the best.
Very easy to make, impressed my in-laws, one of whom has a sweet tooth while the other prefers less sugar. This cake was/is perfect and so simple to make. I didn’t have margarine so used butter instead.
Oh, that makes me happy to hear..that is please everyone 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Made This coffeecake over the holidays and everyone loved it, even people who need chocolate chips in everthing said this was a keeper!
LOL.. I love to hear that!! Thank you so much!
Hi, thanks for the recipe. 🙂 It turned out pretty nice. I halved it and used a 9×9 pan at 350F. cake is nice and moist but baked after 27 mins.
I just wanted to write in for others to know that an alternate way to make the streusel is to add in some flour to the dry mix. and then mix in softened butter until it is coarsely mixed (but not dough). my streusel topping is too crunchy/flat for me and a bit too sweet. You can also add a little salt. i think i will use this recipe but try the streusel that way next time to try to get it more crumbly. Using melted butter this way might work better if you put it into the streusel mix before topping? not sure.
I am glad it turned out 🙂 Thank you for sharing that!