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Epicurious

Easy Coffee Cake

4.6

(14)

A slice of coffee cake on a plate and a cup of coffee.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton

Everybody needs a go-to recipe they can turn to for leisurely morning baking, and this easy coffee cake is just the thing. A plush vanilla cake layer made with melted, in lieu of softened, butter comes together quickly without the need for an electric mixer, saving you time while ensuring you don’t overmix the batter. Sour cream, which is used without restraint in this recipe, lends the cake a tangy richness and unbeatable tenderness that keeps it soft and springy for days. A ripple of cinnamon sugar throughout creates a striking caramel-like ribbon while a crowning of cinnamon sugar streusel provides a contrasting crunch. In short: It’s the coffee cake you know and love, simplified for everyday baking.

While the recipe itself is easy, assembling the cake requires some finesse. To make your life easier, use a cookie scoop to evenly dollop the second layer of cake batter on top of the cinnamon sugar filling instead of pouring the remaining batter in the center. The evenly spaced dollops will help you spread the batter across the filling without compromising the ripple effect. While serving the cake for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee is an obvious pairing, it’s equally delicious served with tea or cold milk or eaten all by itself as a midday snack.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    2 hours

  • Yield

    18 servings

Ingredients

Streusel

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (400 g; packed) light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled

Cake and assembly

2½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar, divided
2 Tbsp. plus 3¾ cups (469 g) all-purpose flour, divided
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
3 large eggs, room temperature
⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1⅓ cups whole milk, room temperature
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Preparation

  1. Streusel

    Step 1

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly coat a 13x9" baking pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray and line with a piece of parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides. Mix 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 2 cups (400 g; packed) light brown sugar, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt in a medium bowl to combine. Add 1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and mix until moist, irregular clumps form; set streusel aside.

  2. Cake and assembly

    Step 2

    Whisk ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon in a medium bowl to combine. Set sugar mixture aside.

    Step 3

    Whisk ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and remaining 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add 3 large eggs, room temperature, one at a time, whisking after each addition until fully incorporated before adding the next one. Add ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Gradually pour in 1⅓ cups whole milk, room temperature, whisking constantly until combined. Sift remaining 3¾ cups (469 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt directly into bowl and mix just until a thick batter forms and all large pockets of flour are incorporated (some small lumps are okay).

    Step 4

    Scrape about half of batter into prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula. Sprinkle reserved sugar mixture evenly over batter. Dollop remaining batter on top (a cookie scoop works well here) and carefully spread into an even layer with spatula. Sprinkle reserved streusel evenly over; gently press to adhere.

    Step 5

    Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 55–65 minutes. Let cake cool in pan before cutting into 18 squares.

    Editor’s note: Check out more of our favorite easy cakes, right this way →

TagsEpicuriousCakeDessertFlourCinnamonHerbs & SpicesSour CreamDairyVanillaBakingEasyBrunchBreakfastSnack

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