Coffee Cake

Where is the Coffee

The coffee cake does not contain coffee. It’s confusing because the coffee cake is usually served with coffee.

You don’t even need coffee to bake this cake. This is not a mistake; I did not leave it out of the recipe. It is the name of a classic breakfast cake.

This sweet breakfast cake is perfect with your favorite coffee or latte.

Streusel Topping

The streusel filling and topping are the best parts of this coffee cake! This cake is loaded with lots of streusel.

I divide the streusel in half and use half for the middle and the other half for the top. This streusel is perfect for the top and middle of the coffee cake. Some coffee cakes need a different filling, but this one works well. Using another bowl or fussing over a different recipe is unnecessary.

What is the secret to a perfect crumb coffee cake layered? Pour half the batter into a pan and sprinkle with half the streusel. Then pour the rest into the pan. Finish off by adding more streusel.

This cake has a sweet, thick streusel on the bottom and a crunchy crumb topping. You get plenty of streusel per bite.

How to Make Coffee Cake

(Scroll down for the complete recipe, including ingredients and instructions).

It is so simple to make a coffee cake from scratch! You already have the majority of these ingredients.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, brown and white sugars, cinnamon, salt, and Butter until they resemble coarse crumbs. Mix with your hands until you have larger pieces of crumbs. You want the mixture to crumble. Set aside. This can be made in advance. Please keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight, sealed container until you’re ready to make the cake.

Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Ensure your Butter, sour cream, and eggs are all at room temperature. For the best texture, I recommend using full-fat sour cream.

Cream the Butter and the Sugar in a bowl or with a hand mixer until they are creamy and smooth.

Add one egg at a pace and mix until combined. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream.

Mix on low until just combined. Mix at low speed until combined. Stay undermixed. You can leave a few flour streaks.

Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle half the streusel. With a spatula, spread the remaining batter evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the batter. It is good to have a lot of the streusel.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the middle and it comes out clean. Because every oven is unique, it’s best to check early. Remove the cake from the oven, and allow it to cool.

Whip up the simple vanilla glazing while the cake is baking.

My boys love to help me with this step.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

Topping for the streusel

2 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour

Brown Sugar, 1 1/2 cups, packaged

One teaspoon of kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons of ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted Butter, melted

The cake

3 cups All-purpose Flour

Two teaspoons of baking powder

Baking soda 3/4 teaspoon

One teaspoon of kosher Salt

1 cup unsalted Butter at Room Temperature

1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar

Four large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cups of sour cream at room temperature

One tablespoon of vanilla extract

Vanilla glaze

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Milk or heavy cream, two tablespoons

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set it aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, brown Sugar, salt, cinnamon, and melted Butter until they resemble coarse crumbs. Mix with your hands until you have larger pieces of crumbs. You want the mixture to crumble. Set aside.

Combine the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream the Butter and the Sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer until smooth and creamy, approximately 2 minutes. It may be necessary to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add one egg at a moment and mix until combined. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl using a spatula as needed.

Mix on low until just combined. Mix at low speed until combined. Don’t overmix. You can leave a few flour streaks.

Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle half the streusel. With a spatula, spread the remaining batter evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until you can insert a toothpick into the middle and it comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Combine the milk, vanilla, and confectioners’ Sugar in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.

Glaze the coffee cake after it has cooled. Serve the cake in squares.

Notes

You can keep any leftover coffee cake slices in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to three days.