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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.
I removed the foil and turned the temp to 400 degrees for the last ten minutes and it came out perfect! My husband won’t let me take any of it to share with the people I work with! Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Haha! That’s awesome. I’m glad that you (and it sounds like your husband especially) love the cake recipe!
It is the best! I added chopped walnuts to the brown sugar mixture. but only used 1/4 cup of melted butter. both my grown sons thought it was awesome.
Oh I bet the walnuts were a delicious addition! So glad you all enjoy the cake!
hi, i made this and I haven’t eaten it yet. It smells delicious but I got little pools of oil in the sides. Ive never made coffee cake before so I don’t know whats normal and whats not. Also my cake batter was super dense, like a dough, I am not sure if I did it right. I added some milk to it to thin it and it became a little more manageable. I was wondering what the after care of the cake should be. Like how should it look coming out of the oven? How do I know when its done? Can I eat it straight away or do I have to wait? Thanks for the recipe, I’m very excited to try it!
Hi! Yes, the batter is supposed to be dense. So you did it right if the batter was dense. Adding a bit more milk is the perfect remedy if it was too dense to work with. After the cake comes out of the oven, you can let it cool a bit and then dig in. I like to eat the cake warm. But I know some people enjoy letting it completely cool off and eating it cold too. Either way! Hope you enjoyed the cake. 🙂
This was a really good coffee cake – we had to call it breakfast cake or the grandkids wouldn’t even try it they don’t like coffee. Nice and moist. It was a great size for a family of 6. Enough for 2nds for everyone. I made sure to save it in Pinterest so I could find it easily again. It’ll go in my breakfast rotation!
I wonder if cutting the butter into the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture would even out the puddling spots. I might try that next time.
So glad to hear you all enjoyed the cake. And I love the name change! 😉 Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is super delicious!! I’m soooo glad I found it! My husband and son finish this in a blink and then ask me to bake another so I almost always end up making back to back. Lately I’ve substituted half of the oil for apple sauce and added chopped pecans on top. Still amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome! The substitutions/additions sound tasty. I’m so glad that this recipe is a hit with your family!!
Wow! This recipe is amazing! I am always looking for an easy Sunday morning breakfast bread that I can make the night before. I’m happy to have found this one! I followed the recipe exactly as far as ingredients are concerned. I used a silicone spatula to spr ad each layer out. After I cooked it covered and then uncovered it, I cooked it the ten minutes stated and then let it cook another ten minutes. It was still moist on top but was cooked through. It is amazing how much this tastes like a much more complicated treat but it really is so easy! This will be in our regular special breakfasts rotation. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do! It’s on our special breakfasts rotation at my house too. Thanks for sharing what you did!
Really quick and easy to make. Added diced (canned) apples to base layer with chopped pecans on top. Soooo good! Thanks for sharing
The apples and pecans sounds like delicious additions! Thanks so much for sharing!
I thought the recipe read fine. Very good coffee cake, my family loved it. Tom as far as the aluminum foil goes just re-use it then recycle.
I’m glad to hear your family enjoyed the cake! Good suggestion with the tin foil. Thanks for sharing!
Best recipe ever!! Easy and SO GOOD!!!! Highly recommend everyone tries this recipe
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Light and delicious. Loved it.
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!