Simple and classic, this buttery cinnamon crumb coffee cake is anything but plain! Sour cream ensures a moist, light (not overly dense) breakfast cake, and there’s double the brown sugar cinnamon crumb streusel. Enjoy a thick ribbon of streusel inside and plenty of crumbs on top, both made from the same mixture.
I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a few more success tips. I’ve also made two small changes to the recipe, which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
Cake for breakfast… well, don’t mind if I do! I’ve published quite a few coffee cake recipes over the years, and this is my go-to, absolute favorite sour cream version.
I’ve made so many variations of this one over the years, including doubling the crumb so there’s more swirl INSIDE and ON TOP of the cake. That’s the version you’ll find in the printable recipe below. (Because what’s the point of crumb cake if it’s all cake and no crumb?! Double the crumb = double the fun!)
One reader, Crystal, commented: “This is delicious! The crumb is surprisingly light and tender… This is my first foray into coffee cake, and I don’t think I need to look any further. ★★★★★”
Another reader, Stacey, commented: “My family loved this recipe! I’ve made MANY sour cream coffee cake recipes over the years. This is by far THE BEST!! ★★★★★”
You Will Love This Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
This cinnamon crumb coffee cake is the original and “plain” version of my raspberry almond crumb cake, cranberry Christmas cake, and blackberry cream cheese crumb cake.
Compared to my New York-style crumb cake recipe, it’s smaller and softer—with a lighter, more cake-like crumb. It also has a delicious cinnamon swirl inside and vanilla icing on top, similar to cinnamon swirl quick bread, cinnamon swirl banana bread, and crumb cake muffins. The best part? Make just 1 cinnamon crumb mixture and use that for the filling AND topping.
- Texture: Tender, fluffy cake paired with a soft crumb topping. Each slice boasts a cinnamon-y ribbon running through the middle.
- Flavor: Classic coffee cake flavors of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Ease: Prepare 1 mixture for both the cinnamon swirl and the crumb topping.
This coffee cake is delightful alongside a cup of coffee or tea (or a mimosa!). Make it for a birthday breakfast, a coffee catch-up with a friend, or a morning meeting—really any time you want to make the morning a little special. It’s always a favorite among these Easter brunch recipes, too!
Key Ingredients (Especially Sour Cream!)
- Brown Sugar: Moist brown sugar is the key to a crumb topping that’s soft, not crunchy.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is sturdy enough to support the heavy crumb layer. I was tempted to use cake flour in the recipe to achieve an ultra-soft crumb, but found that all-purpose gave a more ideal texture for a breakfast cake.
- Cinnamon: We can’t have cinnamon crumb cake without it!
- Butter: You need cold butter for the streusel and room temperature butter for the cake. Cream the softened butter with sugar, which produces a wonderfully cakey texture. If you’re a beginner baker, this tutorial on how to cream butter and sugar will be helpful.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leaveners help the cake rise.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer.
- Granulated Sugar: We’ll cream the butter + sugar together for the base of the cake batter.
- Eggs: Bind ingredients together, and make the cake tender and rich.
- Vanilla Extract: If you have homemade vanilla extract, use it!
- Sour Cream: The magic moist maker! Just like in this white cake, sour cream makes the cake incredibly moist and lush.
- Milk: Just a little to thin out the batter so you can spread it in the pan.
Make the Cinnamon Crumb Mixture First
To keep things simple, there’s only 1 cinnamon crumb mixture. Layer 1 cup (practically half) in the center of the coffee cake and sprinkle the rest on top. You need brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cold, cubed butter. The butter must be chilled. Why the emphasis on cold? The streusel mixture needs to maintain some of its structure in the oven or else both layers will sink to the bottom.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the other ingredients. You could also use 2 forks, or a food processor. Look how crumbly it gets:
Expect a Thick Coffee Cake Batter
Refrigerate the crumb mixture as you make the cake batter. The batter is rich and thick, and you need to divide it in half so you can layer in some of the cinnamon crumbs. The old version of the recipe created such a thick, heavy batter that it was difficult to divide and spread into the pan. By adding a little milk (just 2 Tablespoons!), the batter is much easier to divide and spread.
You need an 8-inch square pan for this recipe. See below for other size variations. Line it with lightly greased parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake from the pan as a whole, or just directly grease the pan. (Either way works.) Eyeball half of the cake batter and smooth it into the bottom of the greased pan. It does NOT have to be exact, nor perfect. Layer 1 cup (about half) of the cinnamon crumbs on top:
Now spread the remaining batter on top. This can be tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on an unstable crumb foundation. Just do your best. Top with remaining crumbs:
Bake, and then top with vanilla icing. The icing is optional, but always a fabulous (and pretty) finishing touch. You could even turn it into a delicious orange icing by replacing the milk with orange juice.
Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Success Tips
- Pay attention to ingredient temperature. The butter in the crumb mixture should be cold, and the butter, eggs, and sour cream in the cake batter should be room temperature.
- Do your best to spread the thick batter. The top layer can be hard to spread on top of the cinnamon crumb layer, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t overthink it.
- Use a metal pan or a glass pan. If using ceramic, the coffee cake may take longer to bake. If using extra dark metal, the cake may take less time.
FAQ: Why Is This Called Coffee Cake?
I get this question a lot. 🙂 There is no coffee IN this cake! “Coffee cake” gets its name not because of the ingredients in the cake, but because it’s a breakfast cake to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
Variations & Different Pan Sizes
- Add some extras! Try it as cranberry Christmas cake (with pecans) or raspberry almond crumb cake; or mix and match your favorite add-ins and flavors. Chocolate chips are always a good idea. (Fold 1 cup/180g into the cake batter.)
- Add a cream cheese layer, like in this blackberry cream cheese version.
- Bake in a 9×5-inch loaf pan—no changes to the ingredients; bake time is about 40 minutes.
- Bake it in a 9-inch round cake pan—no changes to the ingredients and bake time.
- Bake in a 9×13-inch pan—see recipe Notes for exact instructions/ingredient amounts. My team and I tested a few versions of this larger size, so use the precise amounts in the Notes below. This is a wonderful size if you’re feeding a crowd:
Sour Cream Coffee Cake (with Crumb Topping)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 9-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Every baker should have a classic, old-fashioned and buttery coffee cake recipe in their back pocket and this one is my gold standard, baseline recipe. You’re welcome to borrow it! An 8-inch square pan is required, but see the recipe Notes for other sizes.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Crumb Mixture
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed dark or light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cake
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan (9-inch square is too big, see Notes for other pan sizes) with lightly greased parchment paper or directly grease the pan. I usually use this square pan or this square pan.
- Make the cinnamon crumb mixture: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry cutter or two forks (or use a food processor or your hands) until the mixture is in pea-sized crumbs. Some larger crumbs are OK. You’ll have a little over 2 cups of crumb. Refrigerate until step 5.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will be lumpy.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. Finally, beat in the milk. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be thick. You’ll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of batter.
- Carefully spread about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 cup (about half) of the crumb mixture evenly on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top (every last drop of it!). This can be a little tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on top of crumbs, but do your best. I usually use a spoon or small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.
- Bake for around 35–40 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over warm cake.
- Lift the cake from the pan using the overhang parchment paper around the sides and slice into squares. Or, if you didn’t use parchment, slice directly in the pan. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Make the glaze the next morning and drizzle over cake before serving. Cake, with or without icing, can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan (such as this one or this one) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Small Offset Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Sour cream creates a bakery-style tender and thick crumb. Do not skip it. If needed, you can substitute full-fat or low-fat (not nonfat) Greek yogurt.
- Loaf Pan: If you’d like to bake this coffee cake in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, adjust the bake time to about 40 minutes.
- 9-inch Round Pan: This recipe is too small for a 9-inch square pan; however, it fits wonderfully in a 9-inch round cake pan. Same instructions and bake time.
- 9×13-inch Pan: If you want to make this cake in a 9×13-inch pan, you need to just about 1.5x the recipe. My team and I tested the exact amounts and here is what you’ll need. The instructions are exactly the same, just use the following amounts. Crumb: 1 cup (200g) packed dark or light brown sugar, 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 10 Tablespoons (1 stick + 2 Tbsp or 145g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed. Cake: 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (240g) sour cream, 1/4 cup (60ml) milk. The icing recipe makes a lot, so it’s plenty for the larger cake. Bake time is closer to 45 minutes. Makes 24 servings.
- Update in 2022: After making this recipe for 7 years straight, I’ve made 2 small updates to produce an even better sour cream coffee cake. The recipe above has more crumb filling/topping than the 2015 version and it also includes a touch of milk to smooth out the batter. If you wish to make the old version, skip the milk and halve the amounts for the crumb filling/topping.
- Why is this called coffee cake and there is no coffee in the cake? “Coffee cake” gets its name not because of the ingredients in the cake, but because it’s a breakfast cake to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have never left a recipe review but this was the best coffee cake I have ever had. The only thing different was baking in a 8 inch round glass pie pan and it took about 17 minutes longer. Brought it to work and had rave reviews. Thanks for the recipe!
This recipe is delicious and very easy to follow. I followed it exactly and it turned out very moist. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!
Hi Sally,
Is it ok to double or even triple the recipe?
Hi Ali, For a doubled or tripled recipe, we suggest making two/three cakes. We double breads and cookies, but always try to make two separate batches when it comes to cakes. Helps avoid overmixing, which ruins the texture.
I absolutely love his recipe. I like to make snack for my husband’s youth group and there is never any left when I make this for them. With that being said, there are two kids who are gluten, dairy and egg free at their home (not allergies but it does effect bloating and other suggishness) but they absolutely love this coffee cake. I would love to find a recipe that is close to this one with the needed substitutions to make it so their mom can justify making it. Are there any substitutions you would recommend for the sour cream, butter, and eggs?
Hi Judy, we haven’t tested a gluten, dairy, and egg free version of this coffee cake, so unfortunately we’re unsure what might work best. Results will, of course, be a bit different. Let us know if you try anything.
Could I add frozen mixed berries to this recipe? If I can how much would you recommend me to add?
Absolutely. You can use frozen berries, and even fold them right into the batter.
Can I use a 9 inch square pan?
Hi Kate, This recipe is too small for a 9-inch square pan; however, it fits wonderfully in a 9-inch round cake pan. Same instructions and bake time.
can I leave out the middle cinnamon layer and just use the streusel crumb for the topping
Hi Debbie, that should work out just fine.
What do you think about doubling it in a 10 x 15 Pyrex dish? Maybe reduce baking temp?
Hi Audrey, you can try that. Bake time will probably be closer to 55 minutes. Keep an eye on it and loosely cover with foil if the top starts getting too brown before the center has baked through. Use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Can I use a cast iron pan to bake this in?
Hi Sara, we haven’t tested it, but if the cake if the cast iron pan is the same size as the cake pan options listed in this post, it should work just fine. Let us know if you try it!
I tried it and it turned out great! Coated the pan with oil to make sure it didn’t stick.
Amazing. I’m pregnant and everything is horrible. This just gave me life. I used a 8 inch round pan because I have no idea where my square ones went and it was actually just fine. I did not use the icing, but next time will probably make it for an extra flair. I’m a horrible baker (hence lack of pans) and this still turned out delicious and crumbly, unlike previous ones I’ve made that turned out more like cake.
Is it possible to make the streusel the day before and kept in the fridge ? If so should it be brought out of the fridge to come to room temp before adding on top of the batter
Hi Debbie, that shouldn’t be a problem! No need to bring the crumb to room temperature before adding.
Hi, If my eggs look small should I add an additional egg? Thank you!
Hi Cheryl, Egg weights can vary but usually large eggs in the shell are about 57g, and 50g out of the shell. Are you able to weigh your eggs to see if you need more?
Yes, I will do that. Thank you Michelle! Have a great day!
What, if any adaptations would I make to make this into cupcakes?
Hi Gary, You can layer the batter and crumbs into muffin liners. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but around 20-22 minutes should be about right at the same oven temperature.
This recipe was delicious! The only thing I modified was baking in in a 9” square pan for 30 minutes and it came out great!
I notice for the 9 X 13 recipe, the sour cream was doubled, rather than 1 and1/2 times. Is there a reason for this? Or is it an error?
Hi Donna, the measurements as written are correct. We tested the recipe in a 9×13-inch pan with varying amounts of sour cream, and the 1 cup (240g) sour cream worked best. Hope you enjoy it!
I have made this 3 times in a row now. Even one of those times was gluten free. It is delicious!
Can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream + milk to have a thinner batter? I love using sour cream and/or buttermilk, so I thought it might worth the try.
Hi Zsuzsa, Sour cream creates a bakery-style tender and thick crumb. We do not recommend skipping it in this particular recipe. If needed, you can substitute full-fat or low-fat (not nonfat) Greek yogurt.
My crumbs sunk to the bottom. What did I do wrong?
Hi Margie, Did your crumble mixture look like the video tutorial above? Make sure to keep the butter cold when working with it and refrigerate the crumb topping until ready to use. Cold crumble will ensure it doesn’t sink. Was your batter thick? This is a pretty thick batter, which helps keep the crumb topping on top of the cake. If the batter wasn’t thick, it could be helpful to add another 2 Tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients in the cake batter.
Hi! I’ve been making this recipe for a couple of months now and am realizing an inconsistent issue. I’ve baked this using the 9×13 recipe you’ve laid out. It bakes for about 40min but of course, until it reads 210 degrees. I know for a fact the cake is done. Except, when I cut it up, the bottom half has the appearance of being undercooked. It’s not. It’s not raw, just compact. This doesn’t happen every time. Just enough to make you frustrated. Is it the amount of filling I’m putting in the middle that’s preventing it from rising?
Hi Julie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. It sounds like the batter may be over mixed sometimes. When it’s overmixed, it can cause cakes to come out looking squat and dense. Be sure to mix just until combined. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi! I actually figured out the culprit. I had been making this successfully until this one fateful day. I switched to Kosher salt over iodize without adjusting how much I was putting in nor grinding it. Go figure…science.
This was the best coffee cake! Everyone loved it!
can the pan be glass ? or does it need to be aluminum
It can be either–enjoy!
I read that if using glass, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. I’ve done it, and it works fine.
This recipe is very good but it does need more salt. In the future, I would use salted butter (and not omit any added salt). I like that this is a classic, somewhat plain recipe.
I didn’t make the icing, and we certainly didn’t miss it!
This coffee cake came out lovely! As a strange note, when I took the pan out at 35 minutes to check doneness, the cake was still completely liquid and wobbly. I ended up baking for another 25 minutes, for a total bake time of 50 minutes. I have no idea what happened there, as I used an 8×8 pan as indicated and followed the recipe exactly. But no matter, in the end it turned out deliciously tender.
Mine is also very wobbly after 34 minutes, went back in for 12 more minutes and probably could have gone another 2-3 minutes. Absolutely delicious though!
I also had to cook for almost an hour. Used a glass pan. Maybe that was an issue? Still very good! But did need additional salt. Ended up using a salted brown butter Icing Drizzle and it helped! Delicious!
Looking forward to making this! For the 9×13 pan the amount of baking soda doesn’t change – is that right?
Hi Brittany! Yes, the amounts included in the recipe Notes are what worked for us when testing a 9×13 pan.
If I used a foil pan to bake it in would the oven temperature need to be different?
Hi Jay, same oven temperature if using a foil pan. Enjoy!
Loved the recipe and wanted to make it for 9×13. If the 9×13 is 1.5 times the recipe, why are the proportions completely different? There’s double the flour in the crumb and more than 1.5 times the butter but exactly 1.5 time the sugar. And double the sour cream in the cake…
Hi Christina, it’s not an exact 1.5x of the recipe for every ingredient—we tested a few versions of this larger size, so use the precise amounts in the recipe Notes section. Glad you enjoyed this one!
Hi! Can I make this in a 9 inch bundt pan?
Hi Cristina, there isn’t enough batter for a Bundt pan. However, if you try the 9×13-inch pan recipe/ingredient amounts (in the Notes), that would likely be enough. We’re unsure of the best bake time.
Yes, the 1.5x was perfect! I had to bake it a little longer, but it came delicious. This is a perfect coffee cake recipe! Thank you!
How would I make this as muffins?
You can layer the batter and crumbs into muffin liners. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but around 20-22 minutes should be about right at the same oven temperature.
Hi!
So the first time I made itis it came out perfect!!! Delicious! The second try, the center did not bake?? and now I have my 3rd attempt in the oven (38 min) and center still not dry on the toothpick…So upset..Any suggestions? Everything was done per directions…..
Hi Deb, it may just need longer in your oven. Keep checking with the toothpick.
Delicious recipe. Made the 1.5x recipe in a 9×13 pan to bring to work, and it got devoured! I used full fat Greek yogurt because I didn’t have any sour cream on hand, but that seemed to work out just fine. Thanks for the recipe?
This is a very nice coffee cake thank you!
Hi! I am wondering how this coffee cake would work in a loaf pan instead of a square pan. I’d love to know your thoughts!
Hi Elizabeth! You can bake this in a loaf pan – see the section titled “Variations & Different Pan Sizes” in the post above for details 🙂
I made this recipe today, in the 9×5 loaf variation. My oven is not usually slow, but at the recommended 40-minute baking time, the top of the cake was still distinctly jiggly. I gave it another 6 minutes (46 total), and that turned out about perfect. Delicious!