The BEST and EASIEST Coffee Cake Recipe! It’s moist, delicious and perfect for showers, breakfast and holiday celebrations!
Along with our One Hour Cinnamon Rolls and Cinnamon Roll Cake, this Coffee Cake is always on our holiday must-make list. Be sure to try our Coffee Cake Muffins too! Can you tell we love our cinnamon cakes?!
Easy Coffee Cake
One of my FAVORITE things to make for a breakfast get-together is coffee cake! This next recipe is quick and it is so buttery and cinnamon-y that everyone loves it. My mom first made it for me when I left for a summer camp as a teenager and I remember thinking, “I need to have this recipe in my life!” It was just too good.
Since then, I’ve tried a few coffee cake recipes before, but none come close to this one. It’s simple and has become a staple for many holiday morning celebrations. This cake is moist, soft, warm and full of cinnamon and sugar goodness.
Why is it called coffee cake when there isn’t coffee in the ingredients? This type of cake has been around for centuries with each country having their own variation. The American versions have a delicious streusel topping and seem to have mainly originated from Germany. No matter the recipe what they all had in common was being served alongside warm cup of coffee. Hence the name Coffee Cake!
How to Make Coffee Cake
As we mentioned, this coffee cake recipe is very simple. It takes us about 10 minutes to make before throwing it in the oven. After 30 minutes or so, you end up with the most delicious coffee cake you’ll ever try. 😉
To make it, begin by mixing the oil, eggs, vanilla and milk together. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients – sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Then you will make your streusel/brown sugar topping by combining the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Pour half the batter into a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle on half the streusel. Top with remaining batter and then sprinkle on the rest of the streusel. Drizzle with melted margarine/butter.
Super easy!! The best part is knowing you have brown sugar and cinnamon all through out the cake! We love serving this coffee cake straight from the oven, but I must warn, it’s just as delicious cold too! 😉
Is this batter supposed to be so dense? Yes, don’t be alarmed when your batter seems thicker than you’re expecting. Using a spoon or spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients can help with the density. If you’re really worried you can add an extra egg or a little bit more milk to thin it out and make it easier to pour.
What are some coffee cake add-ins or substitutions?
- Adding fruit can be a delicious variation. Try blueberries, sliced peaches or sliced apples. The liquid from the fruit may cause the cake to be baked longer.
- Use applesauce or coconut oil instead of vegetable oil
- Add sliced almonds or 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 c confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake.
How do I store coffee cake?
Here are our top tips for storing coffee cake:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
We like our coffee cake warm. 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 degrees F and heat for 6-8 minutes or until warm.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy treat you can make for a breakfast get together, shower or meeting, then you should try this cake. It always gets two big thumbs up from anyone who tries it. 😀
For more coffee cake recipes, check out:
- Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Coffee Cake Muffins
- New York Crumb Cake
- Bisquick Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl. combine oil, eggs, vanilla and milk together.
- In a medium bowl, blend together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
- Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour half the batter into a lightly greased 9x13 pan.
- In a medium bowl, prepare streusel by combining brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Sprinkle half of streusel on top of the batter. Top with remaining batter and then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.
- Drizzle with melted butter (you can do less and use ⅓ cup butter or up to ½ cup butter melted).
- Bake, covered with foil at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Take off foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Can I bake this in a round cake pan? If so, what size?
I haven’t tried it in a round pan, but typically 9X13 pans can be baked in 2 either 8 or 9 inch pans. Baking time may be different if using round pans as well. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out in a round pan. 🙂
This is a breakfast favorite! So yummy!
This is the best coffee cake recipe. My family loves it. My kids ask for it every week. It is so easy to throw together, and baked up amazing. I have taken this coffee cake to potlucks and get togethers, and gotten so many compliments. I give it 10/5 stars!
Taste just like my Grandmothers!
Hi,
Do you make your coffee cake by drizzling with glaze or not?
I typically don’t drizzle a glaze, but you definitely can!! If you want to add a glaze, make the glaze by mixing ½ c confectioners sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. Mix until smooth and drizzle over cooled cake.
Any hints when pouring the top layer of batter that it doesn’t stick to the streusel?
The batter is pretty dense, so I’d suggest doing dollops all around and then trying to connect each section with a rubber spatula.
Incredible!!!
love love love this recipe!!!! we make it for every party, breakfast, shower, ex, and it’s even been requested for some birthdays and feast days. it has become our GO TO.
Hello, I did 30 mins covered and 10 uncovered. When I stick the toothpick in it comes up with wet looking dough. Is this normal? Will it settle after cooling?
It will settle a little. Every oven is a little different and temperature/altitude can affect baking times too, so you can always leave the cake in a little longer if needed.
I wish I could post a picture of what it looked like lol I think you need to use softened butter, not melted and less of it. My cake looks like a brain haha maybe user error
Haha! Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try.
Could I use regular yogurt instead of sour cream?
Easy and outstanding! I have 6 kids as well and the 9×13 pan did not last long:) Really delicious! Thank you!
I made this, and LOVED it! It was so amazing. I found the instructions helpful and clear!
I wanted to surprise my wife with a coffee cake on Christmas morning so I made a “quick coffee cake recipe” search and stumbled onto this website. What a marvel!
I had all the ingredients in the house and it was a breeze to make. I was a little apprehensive about drizzling all that butter on top before baking it, but I am from France and we always say “when in doubt add more butter.” LOL
THAT COFFEE CAKE IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!
We ate half the pan that morning, froze the leftover, and had the rest for new year’s eve. It tasted just as delicious.
I now have Lil’Luna’s website saved as a favorite.
What a treat! Easy and tastes delicious! I had to bake much longer (like 15-20 more minutes) than directions but end result was great.
Thanks for sharing what you did!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Would the recipe still work if I halve the ingredients?
Yes, they should! Just keep an eye on that baking time.
Very good coffee cake. i followed the directions, but only used 1/2 C butter on top. My neighbors loved it!
Yay! So glad the recipe was a hit! Thanks for sharing what you did.