Name: Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 115 min
Ingredients: 1.75 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup packed light-brown sugar; 1.25 teaspoons ground cinnamon; Coarse salt; 1.5 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1.5 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans; 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1.25 teaspoons baking powder; 0.5 teaspoon baking soda; Coarse salt; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; 2 tablespoons whole milk

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 55 mins

Servings:

12

Yield:

1 9-inch cake

In our humble opinion, the perfect coffee cake is made up of four parts—a tender, moist, and crumbly cake, a nutty, sugary layer in the middle, a generous layer of buttery streusel topping, and a sweet, smooth glaze to coat the top of each bite. It can be served for breakfast with a cup of (you guessed it!) coffee, sliced up for afternoon tea, or even eaten for a sweet treat after dinner.

Each bite is flavored with the perfect amount of brown sugar and cinnamon, and the cake is so moist it practically melts in your mouth. However you choose to enjoy it, our cinnamon streusel coffee cake recipe is a must-try.

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake Components

Cake: Our coffee cake batter is pretty standard. Butter and sugar are creamed until fluffy before adding eggs and dry ingredients. We add a cup of sour cream to the batter to make it special. The sour cream adds a slightly tangy flavor and plenty of richness.
Filling: A mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, and toasted pecans form a crackly crust in between layers of cake batter.
Streusel: The streusel topping is similar to the filling, but we mix in some butter to form large clumps. It gets sprinkled over the top of the coffee cake before it bakes.
Glaze: A simple mixture of confectioners’ sugar and milk is whisked together until smooth, then drizzled over the cake once it’s baked and cooled.

Variations on the Classic

If you want to bulk up the coffee cake, stir 1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples, pears, or fresh cranberries into the batter. Other spices like cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves are the perfect accompaniment to the cinnamon.

One of our favorite variations is a banana and coconut coffee cake. Substitute walnuts for pecans. Add 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium) and 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut to batter at the end of step 4.

While we love what sour cream adds to this batter, you can substitute it with milk if desired.

Tips for Coffee Cake Success

Use room temperature ingredients: Cold ingredients don't incorporate nicely with each other. Make sure you let your butter, eggs, and sour cream all come to room temperature. This way you’ll have a smooth batter without overmixing.
Measure precisely: Learn how to spoon and level the dry ingredients for accurate measuring. Too much or too little flour and leaveners (like baking powder and baking soda) can alter the texture of the cake.
Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing the batter can make the cake dense and tough. Mix the batter just until everything looks well incorporated and finish mixing with a spatula by hand if needed.
Don't undermix the batter: Undermixing, on the other hand, can result in a cake with a loose structure. The gluten won't properly develop and the cake could end up too crumbly.
Chill the streusel: You want the streusel to still be cold when it goes into the oven. If it's too warm to start with, the butter will melt into the batter instead of forming crisp clumps.

Ingredients

For Streusel Topping and Center:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Coarse salt
1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans

For the Cake:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Coarse salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

For the Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Directions

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Make streusel topping:

Mix together flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt.

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Cut in butter:

Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or rub in with your fingers until small to medium clumps form.

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Add pecans; refrigerate streusel:

Mix in 1/2 cup pecans. Refrigerate until ready to use.

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Make streusel center:

Mix together remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 cup pecans.

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Preheat oven, prep tube pan, and combine dry ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl.

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Make cake batter:

Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

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Add eggs, then vanilla:

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla.

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Add flour, alternating with sour cream:

Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Continue to beat until well combined.

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Assemble coffee cake:

Spoon half the batter into pan. Sprinkle streusel center mixture evenly over batter.

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Add remaining batter:

Top with remaining batter, and spread evenly using an offset spatula.

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Top with streusel:

Sprinkle streusel topping mixture evenly over batter.

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Bake coffee cake and let cool:

Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

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Move cake to parchment paper:

Remove cake from pan, and transfer to parchment.

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Make glaze and drizzle over cake:

Mix together confectioners' sugar and milk.

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Drizzle over cake, and let drip down sides. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.

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How to Store Coffee Cake

Coffee cake should be covered tightly and stored at room temperature for up to two days. To keep it as fresh as possible, only slice off pieces as you need them. Keeping the cake whole will preserve its freshness longer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I refrigerate coffee cake?

No. This coffee cake is butter-based. Refrigerating it will cause the butter to seize and make it dry. Store this coffee cake at room temperature.

Why use sour cream in coffee cake?

Sour cream adds both moisture and a slightly tangy flavor. You can substitute other dairy products like milk or full-fat yogurt—it won't affect the texture of the cake too much.

Why is my coffee cake dry?

There are two reasons your coffee cake might be dry. Either it is overbaked or the ingredients weren't properly measured. Test the cake periodically with a toothpick as it bakes—if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, the cake is baked. And make sure you spoon and level your flour to ensure you're not adding too much to the batter.

Why is my coffee cake tough?

Overmixing is the most likely culprit. If you’re worried about overdoing it, finish mixing the batter by hand instead of with the electric mixer—use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl and make sure everything is evenly incorporated.