Cinnamon Coffee Cake blends a moist, tender vanilla cake with generous layers of cinnamon streusel inside and on top—a classic cinnamon crumb cake ideal for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Love streusel coffee cakes? Try Lemon Coffee Cake, Blueberry Crumb Cake, Irish Apple Cake or Coffee Cake Muffins for more favorites.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Cake for Breakfast: Sweet without being overly rich, this coffee cake is perfect for mornings, brunches, or an afternoon treat.
- Easy to Make: The recipe uses simple, common ingredients and a straightforward method that works well for bakers of all skill levels. The crumb is soft and moist without being heavy.
- Warm Cinnamon Streusel: The star is the cinnamon streusel—layered in the middle and sprinkled on top—adding warm flavor, fragrant aroma, and satisfying crunch. No frosting needed.
Crumb-topped cakes are the best kind—full of texture and cozy cinnamon flavor.
Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe
This version uses everyday pantry staples like all-purpose flour, milk, eggs, butter, and oil to create a tender, moist cake. The combination of butter and oil helps keep the crumb soft while still offering rich flavor from the butter.
Ingredients You Will Need
NOTE: Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below.
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- All-purpose flour – Measure accurately (stir, spoon, and level or weigh) for best results.
- Baking powder and baking soda – Both leaveners help the cake rise; use fresh ingredients when possible.
- Salt – Enhances the flavors.
- Butter – Unsalted and softened; used in both cake and streusel for flavor.
- Oil – A neutral oil (canola or vegetable) keeps the cake moist.
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the cake.
- Eggs – Bind and add structure; room temperature eggs mix more evenly.
- Vanilla extract – Adds depth of flavor.
- Milk – Keeps the crumb tender; use at room temperature.
- Light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a bit of flour – Combine for the cinnamon streusel that gives the cake its signature flavor and texture.
First, Make the Cake Batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, oil, and granulated sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Alternate adding half the dry ingredients and half the milk, mixing until just combined after each addition. Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk. Avoid over-mixing.
Next, Make the Cinnamon Streusel
- In a small bowl, combine light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, flour, and softened butter.
- Work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly with some larger pieces—mixing by hand helps achieve a nice streusel texture.
Assemble the Cinnamon Crumb Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle about half of the streusel across the batter to form a thick cinnamon layer.
- Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread gently. Top with the remaining streusel, covering the surface well.
- Bake 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Serving and Storing
- Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
- To store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 1 week for longer freshness.
- To freeze: Wrap individual slices tightly and place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Did you Make This?
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Recipe Notes
- Use softened butter, not melted. Softened butter blends better with oil and produces a good streusel texture.
- Do not overmix the batter. Alternate dry and wet ingredients and stop mixing as soon as they’re combined—small lumps are fine. Overmixing can cause tunneling in the crumb.
- Mix the streusel by hand. Rubbing the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers helps create a sandy crumb with some larger pieces for texture.
Recipe FAQs
Coffee cake refers to a cake designed to be served with coffee. It’s typically a buttery, slightly dense cake with a crumb or streusel topping—perfect alongside a cup of coffee.
Yes—cinnamon crumb cake is a type of coffee cake. The main difference between variations is whether the streusel appears in one layer on top or in two layers (one in the center and one on top).
A coffee cake is usually moist and slightly dense with a buttery base and a crumbly topping or filling, often served at breakfast or brunch without frosting.
More You’ll Love
Lemon Coffee Cake + Video
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake Muffins (Cinnamon Streusel Muffins)
Blueberry Crumb Cake + Video
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup (59 ml) oil (canola or vegetable)
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk, room temperature
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, gently packed
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, softened
Equipment
- 8-inch square pan
- Mixing bowls and a whisk
- Electric hand mixer (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan. Set aside.
- CAKE: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter, oil, and granulated sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Alternate adding half the dry ingredients and half the milk, mixing until just combined after each addition (half dry, half milk, then repeat). Be careful not to overmix.
- CINNAMON STREUSEL: In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and softened butter. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly with some larger pieces.
- ASSEMBLE: Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle about half the streusel over the batter to form a thick cinnamon layer. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread gently. Top with the remaining streusel, spreading it evenly.
- Bake 35–40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
- To store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or refrigerate up to 1 week.
- To freeze: Wrap slices tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
| Calories: 442 kcal
Disclaimer: Nutritional values are an estimate.
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*Originally published as Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake on 9/8/2013. Recipe and photos updated January 2025.