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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.
It’s not the best coffee cake recipe, but it’s still tasty! I ended up with a pool of butter in the middle of my cake, so my suggestion is to mix the brown sugar and cinnamon with a little flour and half the butter recommended and then lay it on top. I would also add some cinnamon and brown sugar to the dough. I did add pecans for extra crunch, just because I had a lot extra from baking over the holidays.
It’s sweet and moist, and good for a quick treat!
Thank you for sharing your suggestions!!
Absolutely delicious! Such a simple recipe
I am so happy you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
The best recipe ever.
Awe, thank you so much for saying that!
Just made this this morning. The recipe turned out fine, cooked a little longer than specified but ovens/pan are different and vary. Added frozen mango chunks to bottom of pan and put 3/4 of sugar to make less sweet. Gonna file this one, delish and simple. Thank you Kristyn, beautiful family, God bless.
You are welcome! That sounds great! Thank you for sharing what you did!
Made this twice. The flavor is amazing. Everyone in the house loves it. Only marking this down because it states 30 minutes total, however, on the recipe card it calls for up to 40 minutes in the oven. Both times this has taken closer to 50 minutes + in my Bosch oven. I do live at elevation so that usually adds a few minutes, may try it on convection bake next time.
Thank you for trying it!
This batter did not pour into the pan. It was not that consistency at all. I had to spread it in the pan so I hope I did it right. I made sure I followed the recipe correctly but we will see how it turns out.
It is a thicker batter. I hope it turned out!
I love this recipe even though I feel like it is too much sugar. I made it ended up setting my oven on fire (literally) because the brown sugar and butter spilled in the oven. I use C temperature and I have no idea why I thought the recipe would be in C not in F. Thus the chaos haha I managed to save the cake comewhat I love it but too sweet. So I would suggest maybe less sugar in the batter if you don’t like really sweet flavours.
Thank you for the recipe 💞
Oh, no!! Glad you caught it! Thank you for trying it!
It’s in the oven and smells wonderful. So easy
Yay!! Happy to hear that! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know!
This is delicious.
Please note: I put the butter into the microwave to melt it. Forgot it there.
So not a drop of butter went into it and EVERYONE, myself included, went back for seconds.
Good to know! Glad you all liked it! Thank you!!
This is my FAVORITE coffee cake recipe! Read some of the other reviews that theirs didn’t set up, and I’ve cooked this 5+ times and never had that experience. I make the recipe exactly as written, except I don’t use foil during the baking process—I haven’t found that it overcooks the edges at all. I cook in a 9×13 glass pan that works great. The batter is definitely dense which I wasn’t sure about at first, but it bakes up great. Since it’s so dense, need to be careful when measuring out the bottom layer to make sure you’re using pretty close to half the batter. Some coffee cakes are handheld and I have not found that to be the case with this cake since it’s so moist and luscious, but it’s just as good with plate and fork!
I am so glad to hear this! I have never had issues either. Thank you so much for saying that!