• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About

Boulder Locavore logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Free Bonus
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Free Bonus
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ร—
    Home ยป Recipes ยป Breakfast ยป Easy Coffee Cake recipe (classic Coffee Cake)

    PUBLISHED: December 15, 2020 โ€ข By Toni Dash 20 Comments

    Easy Coffee Cake recipe (classic Coffee Cake)

    Jump to Recipe

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    EASY COFFEE CAKE TITLE

    This easy Coffee Cake recipe is a classic and perfect all year long. It’s light, airy and delicious with a homemade streusel topping. It’s very easy to change up and we’ll give you some ideas how.

    EASY COFFEE CAKE TITLE
    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes every week)!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    EASY COFFEE CAKE TITLE

    Having a large batch recipe when serving a group, for brunch or holiday mornings is a win.

    Everyone loves a slice of sweet breakfast cake and would never guess how easy it is to make.

    Unlike some more dense coffee cakes like Sour Cream Coffee Cake, this fluffy cake is full of flavor but not heavy.

    What is Coffee Cake?

    It’s a sweet breakfast cake that’s delicious to start the day or for brunch with a steaming hot cup of coffee!

    Coffee cakes can take different forms and different flavors.

    For instance my great grandmother’s Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ripple recipe is always cooked in a tube pan (pre-dating Bundt pans).

    Our Banana Coffee Cake is made in a deep layer cake pan. 

    This classic coffee cake is baked in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan yielding 15 delicious servings perfect for a group or leftovers. 

    They usually have a form of streusel topping and some have a sugar ripple layer in the middle too!

     coffee cake side

    Easy Coffee Cake recipe

    This is a classic recipe that’s soft, light and full of warm brown sugar and vanilla flavor.

    It’s delicious as is but can be changed up in many ways making it a perfect brunch staple recipe any time of the year.

    The flavor of the cake can be changed with spices, milk substitutes or adding citrus zest. 

    If you add a glaze that’s a perfect way to add more flavor too!

    Suggestions below.

    Recipe Ingredients + Notes

    Unsalted Butter. Will be used in both the cake and the topping. The butter going into the cake should be room temperature.

    The amount for the topping should be cold and cut into small cubes. This is noted in the printable recipe card below.

    Granulated Sugar. Used to sweeten the coffee cake.

    Light Brown Sugar. Used in both the cake and the streusel topping.

    Baking Powder. Allows the coffee cake to rise and be fluffy and light.

    Vanilla Extract. Gives great flavor.

    Eggs. You’ll use 3. They help integrate the ingredients and create a structure for the cake.

    Milk. We used whole milk but other fat percentage dairy milk can be used. We have not make this with plant milk but it should work fine.

    All Purpose Flour. Regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour can be used. For the gluten-free version we love Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour.

    Cinnamon. Give a classic warming spice flavor to the streusel topping.

     coffee cake overhead

    Variations

    Add some orange zest or lemon zest. Adding the zest of 1-2 citrus fruits will give a fresh hint of those fruits in the cake.

    Add nuts to the streusel. Stir in a half cup of chopped pecans or walnuts into the topping for more flavor and crunch.

    Swap in eggnog for the milk. A perfect holiday twist is adding eggnog in place of milk.

    How to Make a Coffee Cake Glaze

    Making a glaze is easy. It adds a pretty finish and some extra sweetness.

    Combine 1 cup of Confectioner’s (powdered) sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk. Adjust the liquid as needed to drizzle.

    Stir until it has a consistency to be drizzled on. 

    Drizzle on the glaze after the coffee cake has cooled.

    Glaze Flavor Options

    Changing the milk to another liquid will flavor the glaze. Options to try:

    • Orange Juice
    • Eggnog
    • Coffee
    • Extracts: use a combination of milk and an extract like almond, vanilla or rum
    • Liquor: use some rum, orange liqueur, coffee liqueur
    • Combination. For instance orange juice with a bit of rum to make up the liquid amount

    How to Make it – Step-by-Step

    STEP 1. Preparation.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

    STEP 2. Make the Coffee Cake batter.

    In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour and baking powder.

    In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together the butter, sugars and vanilla extract (photos 1-2).

    Add the eggs and beat until fully combined (photo 3-4).

    Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix together (photos 5-6).

    Pour in the milk (photo 7) and mix together.

    Beat in the remaining flour mixture until the batter is shiny and smooth (photo 8).

    Pour batter into the prepared pan (photo 9).

    easy coffee cake recipes steps 1-4

    easy coffee cake recipes steps 5-8

    STEP 3. Making the Streusel Topping.

    In a medium bowl combine the streusel ingredients (brown sugar, flour, unsalted butter and cinnamon) (photo 10-11).

    Using a pastry blender cut the mixture together to form a texture of coarse sand (photo 12). 

    Sprinkle evenly over the cake batter in the pan (photo 13).

    easy coffee cake recipes steps 9-12

    STEP 4. Bake and Cool the coffee cake.

    Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and cooked through (photo 14). A toothpick inserted in the center and should come out clean.

    Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before cutting.

    easy coffee cake recipe steps 13-14

    Recipe FAQs + Pro Tips

    Does coffee cake have coffee in it?

    As a rule no it does not. The coffee reference has to do with it being a breakfast cake often eaten while drinking coffee.

    Coffee CAN be added to give the cake a specific coffee flavor however.

    Storing Leftovers

    Store well sealed at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    It can be kept in the refrigerator longer (well sealed) but refrigerating coffee cake usually changes it’s consistency and it can dry out faster.

    easy coffee cake overhead

    More Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Coffee Cake Muffins with Fresh Orange Glaze
    • Blueberry Coffee Cake
    • Fresh Peach Sour Cream Coffee Cake
    • Fluffy Gingerbread Pancakes
    Did you make it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK , TWITTER , INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST !

    Recipe

    EASY COFFEE CAKE TITLE

    Easy Coffee Cake

    Coffee Cake is a classic brunch or holiday morning treat. It's easy to make and change up for the occasion!
    5 from 18 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 15
    Calories: 342kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
    • ⅓ Cup light brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 3 Eggs
    • 1 ¼ ups milk
    • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend

    For the streusel topping:

    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • ½ cup flour regular or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour blend
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter cold but into small cubes
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan and set aside.
    • In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking powder.
    • In a separate bowl beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until incorporated.
    • Add the eggs one at a time and beat until creamy.
    • Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix together. Pour in the milk; mix to combine.
    • Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat for until the batter is shiny and smooth in texture.
      Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
    • In a separate bowl combine all the streusel topping ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Sprinkle over the coffee cake.
    • Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
      Allow to cool for 15 minutes on a cooling rack before cutting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 19mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 331IU | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg
    EASY COFFEE CAKE TITLE
    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
    Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox (and more recipes every week)!
    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
    « Cranberry Orange Muffins with Walnuts
    Bacon Wrapped Shrimp recipe with Cajun spices »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lorelei says

      May 22, 2022 at 6:26 am

      how do you know how much of the ingredient to put in?

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        May 22, 2022 at 12:04 pm

        Hi Lorelei. If you follow the recipe card at the end of the blog post it specifies the ingredients and recipe steps. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    2. Sandra says

      December 17, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good!! It was a huge hit at my house!

      Reply
    3. Sandra says

      December 17, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      This is really amazing!! My husband loved it!

      Reply
    4. Catalina says

      December 16, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      5 stars
      How good this coffee cake looks! Its a new favorite in our house!

      Reply
    5. Beth says

      December 16, 2020 at 1:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is so delicious and tasty!

      Reply
    6. Sara Welch says

      December 16, 2020 at 1:14 pm

      5 stars
      Going to start my day off right with this for breakfast tomorrow! This will pair perfectly with my morning cup of coffee, indeed!

      Reply
    7. Beti says

      December 16, 2020 at 9:50 am

      5 stars
      I love this with my morning coffee!! AMAZING!

      Reply
    8. katerina says

      December 16, 2020 at 9:49 am

      5 stars
      The perfect breakfast treat! I can’t wait to make this again!!

      Reply
    9. wilhelmina says

      December 16, 2020 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      I love this cake with a cup of coffee or tea! The crumb on top just makes it perfect, so good!

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    5 from 18 votes

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Picture of Toni

    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

    More about me โ†’

    Featured on....

    BoulderLocavore.com Featured By Press

    Grilling Recipes

    • Ultimate Burger Grill Guide title photo with burgers on a charcoal grill Ultimate Burger Grill Guide: How to Grill the Perfect Burger
    • steak on grill with flames How to Grill Steak Perfectly: Everything You Need to Grill Like a Pro
    • grilled porterhouse steak title Perfect Porterhouse Steak on the Grill
    • Grilled Kabob Recipes on grate (titled image) Grilled Kabob Recipes: 20 Must Make Recipes for Summer
    • bruschetta chicken title image Bruschetta Chicken recipe โ€“ Baked, Grilled or Stove Top
    • Chicken Shish Kabobs title Easy Grilled Chicken Shish Kabobs

    TRENDING RIGHT NOW

    • Ultimate Burger Grill Guide title photo with burgers on a charcoal grill Ultimate Burger Grill Guide: How to Grill the Perfect Burger
    • How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast title How to Make Moist Homemade Shredded Chicken Breast Recipe
    • Instant Pot Jambalaya Instant Pot Jambalaya Recipe: Quick & Easy Comfort Food
    • Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Sparkling Cranberry Vodka Punch Recipe
    • homemade ketchup title image The Best Homemade Ketchup โ€“ Made with Fresh Tomatoes!
    • Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs with lime wedges on a pewter platter Instant Pot Smoked Paprika & Garlic Chicken Legs

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Contact | About | Privacy Policy | Disclosure Policy | Accessibility Statement | Cookie Policy


    SIGN ME UP to get FREE recipes directly to my inbox!

    Don't miss our TRAVEL SECTION!


    Copyright ยฉ 2010-2025 All Rights Reserved

    Boulder Locavore is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.