Moist Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe with Cinnamon Streusel

This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is ultra moist, fluffy, and tender with a cinnamon streusel layered in the center and sprinkled on top. No glaze required for this classic crumb cake. Baked in a 9×13 pan, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cake for breakfast—why not? This sour cream coffee cake is easy to make and so satisfying you’ll be baking it again and again.

If you love streusel, this cake delivers: cinnamon-scented crumbs both inside and on top create a buttery, crunchy contrast to the soft cake. Sour cream enriches the batter, adding moisture and a tender crumb while helping the cake rise for a light, fluffy texture.

Why is it called coffee cake?

Coffee cake usually doesn’t contain coffee. It’s a simple crumb cake intended to be served with coffee or enjoyed as a breakfast or brunch treat. These cakes are popular because they’re straightforward to prepare and don’t need frosting—just bake and enjoy. If you prefer extra sweetness, you can serve it with a light glaze, but this recipe is delicious as-is.

Cake Batter Ingredients

Most of these ingredients are pantry staples. For the cake batter you’ll need:

• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs
• Vanilla extract
• Sour cream
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt

How to Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix until smooth.
2. Combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt—in a separate bowl. Gradually add them to the wet mixture and mix until just combined; don’t overmix.

Streusel Ingredients

Prepare a quick streusel to layer into and top the cake. You’ll need:

• Light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon
• Salt
• All-purpose flour
• Melted unsalted butter

Make the Streusel

1. Whisk together the dry streusel ingredients in a bowl.
2. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly and evenly moistened.

Assemble the Coffee Cake

Assembly is simple:

1. Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch pan. Sprinkle half the streusel evenly over the batter.
2. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread gently—the batter is thick. Finish by sprinkling the remaining streusel across the top.

Baking and Storage Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Serve warm for best texture and flavor.

To store leftovers, cover the pan tightly with foil or transfer slices to an airtight container. Keep at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to one week. To reheat, microwave a slice for 15–20 seconds.

Freezing: Wrap individual slices first in plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More Brunch and Breakfast Recipes

• Coffee Cake Muffins
• Blueberry Muffins
• Banana Crumb Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Foolproof Flaky Biscuits
• Waffles
• Butter Syrup
• Buttermilk Pancakes
• Cinnamon French Toast
• Coffee Cake Banana Bread
• Best Cinnamon Rolls

4.58 from 28 ratings

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 50 mins

This sour cream coffee cake is ultra moist and soft, with cinnamon streusel in the center and on top. A buttery crumb cake that needs no glaze.

Yields 15 Servings

Ingredients

Cake:

• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups (360 g) sour cream
• 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt

Streusel:

• ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Electric mixer or whisk
• Spatula
• 9×13-inch pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream; mix until smooth and scrape the bowl as needed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
4. Make the streusel by combining the dry streusel ingredients, then add melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly.
5. Spread half the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle half the streusel over it. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and spread gently. Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.
6. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

• To store: Cover the pan tightly with foil or transfer slices to an airtight container. Room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerated up to one week.
• To reheat: Microwave a slice for 15–20 seconds.
• To freeze: Wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and foil, then place in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 356 kcal | Carbohydrates: 45 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Cholesterol: 71 mg | Sodium: 233 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 23 g

Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates.

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*Originally published 6/20/13. Updated 8/29/21.