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With a quick prep, this crowd-favorite coffee cake recipe is a delicious go-to for any breakfast, brunch, or celebration!

Slice of coffee cake on 4 white stacked plates.

How to Make Coffee Cake

One of our FAVORITE things to make for a breakfast or brunch get-together is coffee cake! It’s quick, buttery, and so cinnamon-y that everyone loves it.

We first had this recipe when we were younger, but it was so good, we knew it had to become a go-to and it has. 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, Breakfast Potato Casserole and Cinnamon Roll Cake.

Why We Love IT!

  • Simple. The recipe comes together in no time and uses simple ingredients that most 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 moist and sweet cake has the perfect flavors of butter, cinnamon and sugar make it so tasty.
Coffee cake brown sugar topping mixed together in bowl.
  • PREP TIME: 15 MINS
  • COOK TIME: 45 MINS

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs – room temperature and lightly beaten will help bind them together best with the other ingredients
  • 1 cup vegetable oil or use an equal amount of applesauce or coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
  • cups milk adds moisture and helps to activate the baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract – rounds out the overall flavor
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour provides the structure for the cake, measure the flour correctly for the best texture. 
  • 1 cup granulated sugar – adds sweetness and tenderness to the crumb
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder – helps the cake rise to a fluffy texture
  • ½ teaspoon salt balances out the sweetness of the cake
  • 1¼ cups light brown sugar adds a deeper sweetness and a hint of caramel to the cinnamon mixture
  • 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 – adds flavor and moisture and helps bind the cinnamon mixture to the cake
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How to Make Coffee Cake

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
  2. BATTER. In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1 cup oil, 1¼ cups milk, and 1 tablespoon vanilla.
    • In a medium bowl, blend 3 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
    • Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Pour half the batter into the prepared baking dish.
  3. STREUSEL. In a medium bowl, combine 1¼ cups packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon and mix well.
    • Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar on 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.
  4. BAKE. Bake for 35–40 minutes and serve warm.
4.99 from 2538 votes

Coffee Cake Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
With a quick prep, this crowd-favorite homemade coffee cake is a delicious go-to for any breakfast, brunch, or celebration!
Servings: 15
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼-⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla together.
  • In a medium bowl, blend flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add dry 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 pour 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 and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Make ahead of time. This cake can be baked several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

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

  • Using a spoon or spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients can help with the density. If you’re really worried, add an extra egg or a little bit more milk to thin it out and make it easier to pour. 
  • Fruit. Fold blueberries, diced peaches, or chopped apples into the batter. Note the liquid from the fruit may cause the cake to have a more moist texture and need to be baked longer.
  • Chips + nuts. Fold some mini chocolate chips or cinnamon chips into the batter. Add sliced almonds, 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 cup confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake.
  • Store this easy coffee cake recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.
  • Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
  • 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°F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.

MORE COFFEE CAKES TO TRY:

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.99 from 2538 votes (1,783 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




1,761 Comments

  1. Zeeshan says:

    5 stars
    Hi Kristen,

    Thanks for sharing the recipe. I tried it today with a little variation. Added chopped walnuts & a tsp of flour to the streusel mixture. I reduced the brown sugar to 1/2 a cup. I used 4 tsp of melted butter instead of margerine. The cake was too good. Hubby liked it too. Must admit that this is one of my best bakes. Thank you so much.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Thank you!! So happy to hear you tried and liked the recipe. Love what you did!! It’s definitely a keeper:)

  2. T says:

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday for Christmas using 1 cup apple sauce instead of oil & extra cinnamon in the streusel. It took maybe 5 mins longer to cook, but was excellent without the oil! Will become a regular at our house. Thank you!

  3. Jennifer B says:

    5 stars
    This was the best coffee cake I ever made! I made it for Christmas breakfast and everyone went back for seconds. The only change I made was reduced the melted butter on top to 1/4 cup since it seemed like a lot to me and it was still delicious. 5 star!

  4. sheena says:

    5 stars
    Quick question, could I put in pumpkin puree in place of eggs to make it a pumpkin coffee cake?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure you can. In fact, I already wrote down on my list for 2016 to do a Pumpkin Coffee Cake version so let me know how it goes. 😉

  5. Amanda says:

    5 stars
    Made this tonight for bible study in the morning. Hope it makes it til then! 😉 This is an awesome coffee cake…some can get dry on you, not this one! Delish! Thanks for sharing.

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      YAY, Amanda! I’m SO glad you like it. It’s definitely a favorite around here too. 😉

  6. deana says:

    5 stars
    I just made this coffee cake and it is amazing, for the people who do not want a dense cake you have to mix the flour mixture and the egg mixture with a spatula and not an electric mixer. I only used 1 tablespoon of margarine to drizzle on top and it turned out just as great.

    1. Bev says:

      do you use an electric mixer or just a spatula? just wondering…

    2. Row says:

      5 stars
      Thank you, I mixed with a spatula but drizzled all the butter, I will not use all of it next time.

  7. Cyreise Highfill says:

    5 stars
    Do you prep the 9×13 pan with anything for the Quick Coffee Cake recipe?

    1. Lil' Luna says:

      Yes! I’m so sorry! Make sure you grease your pan before you pour in the batter. 😉 I hope you LOVE it!! 😀

      1. Rachael says:

        Could you alter the recipe to state that? I’m just reading the comments while my cake is in the oven (not greased). Are used to Greece everything but I learned my lesson when something didn’t turn out so I always do exactly as the recipes written. It smells great though!

      2. Kristyn Merkley says:

        Yes, I will 🙂 Hope it came out ok. Thank you!

  8. Cynthia says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for your wonderful recipe! We tried it tonight and it was a HIT! One question, was I supposed to grease the baking dish? The edges were a little crispy. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes! 🙂