There is something really cozy about a warm slice of coffee cake. A tender, moist cinnamon flavored cake with a buttery cinnamon crumble layered through the center and over the top… it is the perfect way to celebrate anything from a Sunday morning to a Tuesday afternoon.
The only thing that I don’t love about coffee cake is that it can be dry, so I made sure that this one was fluffy, tender and full of ingredients that will help maintain a great texture even on the second and third day. That is, if it even lasts that long.
Let’s get it started…
Begin by combining 1 cup of room temperature butter with 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer, stand mixer or stiff whisk to combine. Add 2 large eggs and beat until fluffy and fully combined.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Add the flour mixture into the bowl with the butter and sour cream and mix until just combined.
Now that the cake batter is ready, it is time to make the crumble. Although this crumble is fairly simple, it totally takes this coffee cake up a notch.
In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of flour with 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and then add 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Use a fork to combine the ingredients until a soft crumble forms.
Prepare a 9″x9″ or 7″x11″ baking dish by greasing the inside and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
Add half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to smooth it out evenly throughout the dish.
Add a little less than half of the crumble evenly throughout and then add the remaining cake batter on top of the crumble. Carefully smooth the batter throughout the pan and then add the remaining crumble over the top.
Batter. Crumble. Batter. Crumble.
Bake your coffee cake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. Once it is done baking, transfer the baking dish onto a cooling rack or a wooden cutting board to cool for about 10 minutes.
While the coffee cake cools down a bit, whisk 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar with enough whole milk to develop a good drizzling consistency. This usually takes 1 or 2 teaspoons, but if you added too much, just toss in a little more confectioners sugar.
Once the drizzle is just right, transfer the cake out of the baking dish and slice it into big slices (the bigger, the better). Add that drizzle and pick yourself out the best slice…. I recommend the one in the very center, but that is just my humble recommendation…
This cake is best served a little warm, so if it has cooled to room temperature, give it a little spin the in the microwave to warm things up just a little bit. If you have any leftover drizzle, add it and enjoy.
This coffee cake is moist, tender and full of warm cinnamon flavors. The crumble in the middle melts into the layers, but the crumble over the top gets a little crisp and shatters when you bite into it. The drizzle adds just the right amount of sticky sweetness to each bite making the whole thing simply perfect.
This coffee cake is wonderful paired with coffee, espresso or hot tea and it is said that true coffee cake enthusiasts pour just a bit of their drink of choice over their slice and allow it to soak up the flavors before enjoying. This is of course optional, but my husband swears by it and he is a dessert connoisseur.
If you are looking for a comforting dessert to enjoy morning, noon or night, then make this coffee cake! You will be so glad that you did…
Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Crumble
- 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup of brown sugar, tightly packed
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons of butter, melted
Simple Glaze
- 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons of whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Combine 1/2 cup of flour, 2/3 cup of brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a small bowl and then add 4 tablespoons of melted butter and mix to combine into a loose crumble and set aside
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup of room temperature butter with 2/3 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of sour cream and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract with an electric hand mixer, stand mixer or stiff whisk
- Add 2 large eggs and mix until fully combined and fluffy
- In a small bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until all of the ingredients are just incorporated
- Prepare an 9"x9" square baking pan or a 7"x11" rectangular baking dish by greasing the interior with softened butter or non-stick spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper
- Transfer one half of the cake batter into the baking dish and spread half of the crumble evenly over the batter
- Add the remaining batter and then top with the remaining crumble
- Bake at 350 degrees on a middle rack for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean
- Allow the cake to cool in the baking dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes
- Carefully remove the cake from the baking dish and transfer it directly onto the cooling rack
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar with enough whole milk to create a thick, but pourable glaze (1-2 teaspoons)
- Slice the coffee cake and drizzle with glaze
- Serve warm
