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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!
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.
- 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
- 1¼ 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
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 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.
- 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.
- BAKE. Bake for 35–40 minutes and serve warm.
Complete the Meal
- SIDES. Yogurt Parfaits, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Breakfast Charcuterie Board
- MORE BREAKFAST CAKES. New York Crumb Cake, Cinnamon Roll Cake, Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Bisquick Coffee Cake
- SERVE THIS WITH: Apple Cider, Wassail, Hot Chocolate Recipe, Breakfast Casserole, Bacon and Cheese Quiche, Cinnamon Rolls
MORE COLLECTIONS. Breakfast Casserole Recipes, Breakfast Pastry Recipes, Easy Breakfast Ideas
Coffee Cake Recipe
With a quick prep, this crowd-favorite homemade coffee cake is a delicious go-to for any breakfast, brunch, or celebration!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 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 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
Why is it Called Coffee Cake?
- 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.
What are the best variations?
- 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.
How to Store Coffee 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.
How to Freeze?
- Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter.
Ways 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°F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
I am happy to hear that! Thank you!
lovely cake but I will use a smaller pan if I make it again.
I just made it and boy you were right about the batter being thick. I had to sadly make it a single layer coffee cake because I’m just bad and couldn’t figure out half the batter so I put too much batter on the bottom because it didn’t look like enough to me. At 350 degrees 30 mins definitely was not enough. I saw in other reviews they had the same problem. I am also using a glass baking dish. But overall totally delicious!
Delicious coffee cake, but holy sugar batman! This is extremely sweet. It’s as sweet as frosted birthday cake.
Others noted the baking time, but mine baked up perfect as directed, and in a glass pan.
I prefer coffee cakes where the cake part is not sweet (or minimally so, like a pancake) and the streusel is where the sweet comes in. Have you ever cut the sugar in this? If I reduced to 1/4 cup from 1 cup, what else might I add to make up for that volume/texture? Thanks!
Glad you like the cake. I personally have not cut the sugar. You could also try using stevia or something like that.
I make this all the time and I love how easy it is to change the flavor, such as adding apples or switching out half the cinnamon with pumpkin spice seasoning. This is such a delicious recipe I will use it forever!
That makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you for sharing that!!
This is the second time I’ve made this and it is fantastic! It is also so very easy to make! Definitely would recommend to others…
Thanks for saying that!! I am so happy you like it!
Has this been tried with gluten free flour?
I personally have not tried, I’m sorry.
I lost the recipe I had for coffee cake. Looked on internet and found yours. It was great. Thanks
Glad you found this recipe 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Wonderful taste and big size for family. Cool time is definitely an issue with me as well. Took over an hour to bake. I thought I maybe messed up the recipe so I made a second batch and same issue -long cook time.
Thank you for trying this recipe!!
I made a vegan version of this cake.I substituted ground flax seed for egg (1T flax seed + 3 T water per egg) and used vegan margarine instead of butter. It came out great. I think that using real eggs would have made a lighter cake, but it was still delicious. Next time I will follow your suggestion of less sugar. Also, I think apple on top would be outstanding.
Sounds perfect!! Thank you so much for sharing that!!