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.
More Like This
Breakfast Cakes
New York Crumb Cake
45 mins
Cinnamon Roll Cake
40 mins
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
45 mins
Bisquick Coffee Cake
45 mins
Collections
This recipe was originally published September 2011.
I made this today and it was gobbled down, this is a sure keeper, Thanks all the way from Israel.
I am so glad to hear that!! Thank you so much for trying it & for letting me know!
I just made this!
I pretty much followed the recipe and it turned out great. I didn’t have trouble with the batter being too thick since I just made sure I “poured” it evenly so I didn’t have to even it out much.
I didn’t use all of the brown-sugar-cinnamon mixture because I was afraid it might turn out too sweet, but next time I will use all of it, so the listed amount seems just right!
I also didn’t pour any margarine on top and it still turned out great.
Yay!! Glad you liked it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
We live in Canada. I would love to make the cinnamon roll bake but I’ve never even heard of frozen pre-made cin buns. We only really have the Pillsbury ones that come in 8’s or 5’s and it says right on the package not to freeze them. Can you tell me or post a picture of the ones you use please?
Are you talking for this recipe or a different one? This specific recipe is from scratch, so there isn’t pre-made cinnamon buns in it. I’d love to help you out, so just let me know which recipe. 🙂
Just made my second one. What I like about this is it doesn’t require sour cream. Not that I have anything against sour cream, but I never seem to have it on hand when I crave coffee cake, and in fact baked this because it was the only recipe the didn’t require it when I went looking. Two notes: Yeah, the batter is thick. I just slurped in more milk until it looked right. Worked for me. And 2: the filling/topping allows for a lot of variation. For instance, I divided it this last time and added a big pinch of cocoa powder and some chopped pecans to the filling, and some shredded coconut to the topping. All stuff I had in the freezer and fancies it up a bit and makes it that much better.
Thank you so much for sharing that! I am so glad you came across this recipe, as well!!
This is perfect and my new go-to recipe. So easy to make with ingredients I always have on hand. Thank you!
That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for letting me know!
This cake batter gave me some issues at first. The cake had to much butter floating on the top. when i took it out of the pan, it was so soggy it fell apart. I tried again and it worked! i have no idea what went wrong the first time!
Well, I am glad it did the 2nd time!! Thank you for trying it again 🙂
Do you grease and flour the pan?
Yes, sorry. I do lightly grease the pan. You don’t have to flour it, but you could 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Made this for Sunday brunch with friends and everyone raved about it… it was quick and easy and delicious. I added chopped walnuts to my filling just because I like nuts in coffee cake, but it would have been great without too! thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that it was a hit!! Adding nuts is a great option. Thank you for letting me know!
5 stars for sure. Follow the recipe and you will not be disappointed
Only thing I liked was putting the brown sugar batter on top
Not in between layer
Awesome recipe love it
I am so glad you liked it!! Thank you so much for sharing!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe I have been making this a lot and it is so good