We love ALL breakfast foods! They’re just the best and the reason why we have so many showers and gatherings in the morning so we can fill them with all of our favorite breakfast recipes.
Today, we are sharing a recipe we make for many holiday mornings, baby showers, church brunches and more – Cream cheese coffee cake.
This recipe is a little different from our classic Coffee Cake, but just as delicious. Cream cheese in the batter keeps the crumb extra tender while the cinnamon free streusel leans sweet and caramelly, perfect with cocoa or with a breakfast casserole.
Planning a brunch spread, add our classic Fruit Salad, Easy Cinnamon Rolls, Egg Muffins or Potato Egg Casserole.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- So soft. Cream cheese in the batter keeps slices moist for days.
- One for you. One for later. Scales for two pans, great for sharing or freezing.
- Party Perfect. Great for brunch, potlucks, or make ahead breakfast.
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Ingredients
Cake
- Unsalted butter (1/2 cup, softened): Creams light and fluffy with sugar for lift, adds rich moisture throughout the crumb.
- Cream cheese (8 oz, softened): Keeps the cake ultra tender with a subtle tang that tastes bakery fresh.
- Granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups): Sweetens and helps the crust caramelize lightly at the edges.
- Eggs, room temp (2 large): Bind and set the batter, giving slices structure without dryness.
- All-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups): Provides extra structure to balance the added butter, so the cake rises tall.
- Baking powder (2 teaspoons): Primary leavener for a soft, even lift.
- Baking soda (1/2 teaspoon): Works with dairy to tenderize and aid browning.
- Salt (1/2 teaspoon): Balances sweetness and sharpens flavor.
- Whole milk, room temp (1/2 cup): Loosens the batter for a smooth pour and tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon): Adds warm bakery aroma that carries through the glaze.
Streusel
- Cold butter for streusel (1/3 cup, cubed): Stays in pebbles that melt into crisp, nubbly pockets.
- Light brown sugar, packed (1 cup): Caramelly sweetness that crisps the topping.
- All-purpose flour for streusel (1/2 cup): Binds the sugar and butter so crumbs hold shape.
- Cinnamon for streusel (1 teaspoon, optional): Gentle warmth that complements the vanilla glaze.
- Pinch of salt: Balances sweetness for a rounded flavor.
Glaze
- Powdered sugar for glaze (1 cup, sifted): Whisks smooth and sets with a light sheen.
- Milk or heavy cream for glaze (2–3 tablespoons): Adjusts to a pourable drizzle that sets but stays tender.
- Vanilla extract for glaze (1/2 teaspoon): Echoes the cake’s vanilla and adds aroma.
- Pinch of salt for glaze: Keeps the glaze from tasting overly sweet.
How to Make Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Preheat oven: 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch metal baking dish.
In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (do not overmix). Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
In a bowl, cut cold butter into flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top.
Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
While cake is baking, make glaze (optional). In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth. Let cool 10–15 minutes before slicing and drizzling with glaze.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature dairy so the batter emulsifies smoothly and bakes evenly.
- Mix just until combined after adding dry ingredients, over-mixing can toughen the crumb.
- Keep streusel butter cold and cut in well for distinct crumbs that stay craggly.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool 10 to 15 minutes so slices hold shape before glazing.
- Variations: Try adding fruit or nuts. Blueberries, sliced peaches or sliced apples. Note: The liquid from the fruit may cause the cake to be baked longer. Add sliced almonds, chopped pecans or walnuts to the top of the cake for more crunch.
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup whole milk room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup cold butter cubed
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon optional, but adds warmth
- Pinch of salt
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven: 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch metal baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined (do not overmix). Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
- In a bowl, cut cold butter into flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- While cake is baking, make glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Let cool 10–15 minutes before slicing and drizzling with glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Make ahead and storage, bake the day before, cool, cover, and hold at room temp. Glaze before serving;
Cover leftovers and keep 2 days at room temp or freeze slices up to 2 months.
Remove any wrappings and REHEAT the portion in the microwave for 10 second increments until warm. To REHEAT in the oven, wrap the cake in aluminum foil. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.
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This recipe was first published June 1, 2016.
This recipe is okay but I liked the copycat Starbucks coffee cake better.
so far it needed more bake time than indicated and also to make the struesel the butter should be at least softened. Haven’t tasted it yet. Looks good and will be served to guests tomorrow.
Thanks!
Thank you for your comment! I’ve updated the note to use softened butter for the streusel. I hope everyone enjoys the cake!
That is amazing to hear! I love that it has been a go to for you for so long, and it’s great to know it works well with freshly milled hard white wheat too!
Was super excited to try this but it unfortunately didn’t work out. The streusel topping kinda melted into the batter and the center is just goop. I think if I were to make it again I would put the topping on halfway through instead. The little bit that’s edible does taste pretty good at least.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Thanks for giving it a try,
The cake turned out perfectly but I had to make a few adjustments to it. I had to make sure all ingredients were room temp (yes that includes eggs and milk too). I beat the butter first, followed by cream cheese and then sugar. This makes the base airy and thick. After that, add in your milk and flour alternatively and beat on low setting like when making cupcakes. This makes sure that the batter retains the air and thickness. I then put the batter in a pan and spread walnuts on the top. For the streusel, you can put in 1/4 cup of brown sugar because the ratio above with the flour and butter makes it too sweet.
I really appreciate you trying the recipe and sharing your positive experience.
Thanks yummy
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
It was really good, but why did my topping fall to the bottom while baking? It made a crunchy layer on the bottom instead of the top. I made it in 9×13 and followed recipe exactly, I thought. Please help!
Awesome!! This is what I was looking for because I love a Bundt recipe, thank you!!
Good cake, however it took at least double the time to cook. I recommend baking for 20 minutes WITHOUT the streusel topping, then adding the topping and cooking 10-20 more, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Great cake, great flavour just needs a tweak to cooking instructions!
Mine did not bake in the middle at all and when I left it in to let it bake longer it burned. Waist of time and ingredients
Really great cake! But yes – you need to adjust the baking time if you’re using 1 pan, instead of 1 as this recipe suggests. If using 1 pan, double the baking time.
Also, I used 1 cup of regular flour, and 1 cup of whole wheat flour for a little extra fibre, and it still came out delicious!
Okay- just made cream cheese coffee cake- I had rather large Wilton pans so fingers crossed it bakes well
I hope it did too!!
Your photos and description refer to a “creamy glaze” drizzled across the top of the finished coffee cake, and it looks lovely, but I haven’t found it in the recipe, or a link.
You can just take a couple cups of powder Suger and add three tablespoons of milk, mix then add one tablespoon at a time until it’s the consistency you like it. I add a teaspoon of vanilla or maple extract to mine. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I’ve made this 3 times now and the cake has come out perfectly each time, including with variations (added chai tea and a couple tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to one). This is perfect for two 9″ cake rounds, or with the recipe halved in one 9″ cake round. Baked at 350 for 24-25 minutes (at both high altitude in Littleton, CO and low altitude in Chicago, IL).
I made the cream cheese coffee cake and swirled ground cinnamon into the batter & added chopped pecans to the streusel & baked it in a Bundt pan. Baked at 350 for 40-45 minutes Came out delicious
Sounds delicious!! Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
I’m 14 and I love baking, I get stressed, bake, then we’re all good. This recipe is delicious and easy. Great job! I can tell your a great mama.
Oh thank you so much! That is wonderful that you are enjoying baking, and at a young age too! Thanks for trying the recipes here on our site.
I made the cream cheese coffee cake but it didn’t bake well in the middle. Sort of soggy.
Any ideas why?
I cooked mine for a total of 30 mins and it was perfect, just cook a little longer
Insert a knife in the middle after 20 min to see if it’s still moist inside .if it is, cook 10 min.longer.insert knife again to make sure it’s cooked and knife is dry.
Very good recipe. One of the best coffee cakes I’ve had. Except it has to bake longer than 20 minutes. Mine took a half hour.
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed the cake!
It was mushy in the middle after 20 mins…. this makes no sense. Needs to be cooked for like an hour.
I have made this many times successfully, and it is always a big hit. Today I made it, and it took forever to bake, maybe 3 times as long as stated. I used the same cake pans I always use, and double checked the ingredients and measurements. Can’t figure out what went wrong.
What dimension pan did you use?
Can this be baked in a 9×13 pan?
10 year old granddaughter made this for me for a mother’s day breakfast.
past yummy… wonderful
Made it in a 9X13 pan. Fabulous!!! Love the cream cheese. Will do this again often.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the addition of the cream cheese! Thanks for sharing!
Perhaps I’m not reading it correctly but was there supposed to be be no cinnamon added to this ? I’m in the middle of making it as we speak I’m just gonna add it anyway
The recipe doesn’t call for cinnamon, but you can definitely add it in. Hope it turned out delicious!
sooo good. u can’t go wrong! Love you k
2 stars for the amount of sugar in this recipe. Must be a Dentist in the family! This is a double recipe !
I saw the questions regarding pan size and the confusion. I used a 3 quart glass baking dish, greased.
I divided the batter in half and spooned it into the pan. Then I added 1 C pecans and 1/4 c cocoa powder to the middle. I poured the remaining batter on top of nuts and cocoa, spreading with a spatula. I didn’t like her streusel topping, (not enough flour or butter) so I followed Sugar Spun Run- I even cut her sugar in half as well- using brown sugar and added cinnamon- 1 tablespoon.
This was baked for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.
Maybe next time, I’ll use a cream cheese filling for the middle to combat the dryness of coffee cakes everywhere.
Yeah you are right good call
2 stars for the amount of sugar in this recipe. Must be a Dentist in the family! This is a double recipe !
I saw the questions regarding pan size and the confusion. I used a 3 quart glass baking dish, greased.
I divided the batter in half and spooned it into the pan. Then I added 1 C pecans and 1/4 c cocoa powder to the middle. I poured the remaining batter. I didn’t like her streusel topping, (not enough flour or butter) so I followed Sugar Spun Run- I even cut her sugar in half as well- using brown sugar and added cinnamon- 1 tablespoon.
This was baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Maybe next time, I’ll use a cream cheese filling for the middle to combat the dryness of coffee cakes everywhere.
made this dairy free (tofutti cream cheese, Silk vanilla soy milk, country crock plant butter) and gluten free (King Arthur GF flour blend) baked in a 9×13 for 30-35 min, came out perfect! love the texture and and it was just delicious! will definitely make again thank you!
Thanks for sharing what you did. I haven’t tried the recipe dairy or gluten free, so I’m happy to hear it turned out well!
I used half the sugar in the cake and the struessel and my family loved it that way. I also added oatmeal to the topping to give the dish some fiber but it still needed something more such as apples for even more fiber and interest for my liking. Still it is a good recipe base.
Would have been nice if the drizzle recipe was with the cake recipe. Had to look it up elsewhere.
I wish there was more detail on how to add the streusel. I don’t understand how to keep it from sinking into the batter. Unless it’s supposed to sink into the batter? I thought it was more of a topping. Pictures would help…
Other than that, nice recipe. My husband wanted coffee cake and I often find them too dry, so the cream cheese helps with that.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try! The streusel should just be sprinkled on the top of the batter so shouldn’t sink too far down. Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
What is the size of the pan you’re using
I don’t know either, but if a commenter used a bundt pan, then I’m sure it’s a large pan I’ll try a 9×13. looks like a hassle to cut in half, but she does cook for a large family…I’d cut the sugar too. I don’t want to make 2 cakes, just one, nor do I want a 2 layer cake.
You could use either 9 or 8 inch cake pans. But we do mention in the post that you can also bake in a 9×13. So if you’d prefer just one pan, you can definitely do that. To make a 9×13, bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. 🙂
After 20 minutes the cake was still mostly runny in the middle. I baked it in 10 minutes increments until done.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing!
Oh, my, this is reaallly good…. Too good 😊
I wish there was a video for this….I’m super confused
Sorry to hear you are confused. If you have any specific questions about the recipe, let us know how we can help! 🙂
This was so good and easy to make. I will definitely make this often.
Yay! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the cake!
I had cream cheese I had no idea what to do with it. Thank god for your recipe, I love this coffee cake and I made it in Bundt pan. 30 minutes, tweeted it little less sugar. thank you for wonderful recipe. I took a picture of Bundt cake but I don’t see how to add here.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! And I bet it looked fabulous in the Bundt cake! I’m not sure how to upload photos in the comments section but that is definitely something I will look into. Thanks!
Do you melt the butter for the topping?
What did you use for the glaze
Mix ½ c confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake. It’s so yummy + just takes it to the next level!
We love this coffee cake and make many for holiday gifts for neighbors. However, would LOVE to know what glaze you mention and have pictured in the recipe. Is it simply confectioner’s sugar and milk?
Yes, this is the glaze we whip up for coffee cake: Mix ½ c confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake. It just takes it to the next level! 😉
The cake was easy to make and very moist and delicious. However, I think it was also a sugar overload ! Too sweet for me personally but still the cake was perfect in other ways!
Thanks so much for your feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
Question: In the Nutrition Facts, are those numbers really the amount per serving?!! Is it also correct that, using 2 pans, you’d still only get 8 servings total?
So depending on how large you slice your pieces, I think it could certainly serve up to more than 8 slices, which would then take your nutrition facts down because the serving size would be smaller. You could divide each cake pan into 6-8 slices for smaller portions.
Thank you because I’m a diabetic and there’s no way I would even attempt to make this if there were 94g of carbohydrates in one slice. I’ll try halving the sugar on the streusel topping and will skip any glaze.(although I didn’t see a glaze recipe and that may not have been included in the carb count anyway) Hopefully I’ll get around to trying it and will remember to rate it at that time. Thanks again.
Im not sure why, but I love that this was made in a round dish. Bonus- it’s delicious too. 😁
I was able to bring some of this cake home from my SIL and my kids devoured it.
This coffee cake was so delicious and very yummy! My daughter and hubby were so excited to try this and they loved it! Such a delicious and easy treat to make!
This was so delicious. The crumb topping was the best part! I am excited to have another piece in the morning with my coffee.
Another favorite coffee cake! Simpler than cinnamon rolls but has that sweet smell and taste!
Forgot about some cream cheese I had in our outside fridge, and this was the perfect way to use it up. I’m afraid my kids will be begging me to make this all summer long! haha
Oh, my!! I could eat this everyday!! Love it for breakfast, though it’s a great dessert too!!
I halved the recipe to make one. I cooked it in my spring form pan for 30min and it tasted awesome. I was always hesitant to make a coffee cake but this was awesome. Thank you
I am so glad you liked it!! Thank you for trying it & for letting me know 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I’ve made it several times, it is moist and delicious. I like that I can reduce sugars to suit our taste and still have a great cake!
That is what’s great about baking 🙂 I am so glad you liked it & thank you for letting me know!
Great, just usr made a 8 x 8 and half is gone. Thec only problem is sunk in the middle.
The rating should be 5 stars, sorry
I’m sorry it sunk, but glad you still liked it 🙂 Thank you so much!
This coffee cake is so rich and delicious! I was able to put mine in a 9×13 and bake it for 35 minutes and it turned out perfect!
We love this! I am glad you did too! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
This is a great recipe! Looks delicious.
Can’t wait to give this one a try. Thank you!
We love it!! Let me know what you think, when you try it! Thank you!
Do you think this would work well in a Bundt pan?
I have not tried! One way to find out 😉
Teresa
I made it in Bundt , it Turned out great and I reduced the sugar, 30 minutes cooking time. I wish I could paste my picture here
Hi! what did you use for the glaze? It looks delicious!
Would love to try this recipe, sounds yummy, but for reference what size pans did you use.
We used 2 9inch round pans, but you could do 3 8in:) I hope you like it…it’s delicious!! Thanks!
Made it, loved it:)
So glad:) Thanks so much for letting me know!