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
Made this on a snowy day! Perfect! Is the top crumb supposed to melt into the top of the cake? Mine was perfectly domed, and when I added the icing drizzle, looks amazing but there is a little loose crumb…is that supposed to look like that????
Hi MamaShine, it sounds like perhaps your crumb topping could benefit from slightly more flour here. Also, instead of keeping it in the refrigerator before adding it to the top of the cake, keep it in the freezer. That will help ensure the crumbles hold their shape a little better. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi. Could this be made in a Bundt pan and if so, what adjustments need to be made? Thanks.
Hi John, there isn’t enough batter for a Bundt or tube 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.
Thank you.
I made this for Christmas brunch and it was amazing. Definitely a keeper!
Thank you for this amazing coffee cake! It’s so moist and not overbearingly sweet because of the sour cream. This recipe had my mom telling me to open a bakery lol
The recipe was a bit of a disaster. The batter was nearly impossible to spread despite the milk, and baking it (doubled) in a rectangulaire pan took for ever for the middle to cook. Will not make again although it tasted good.
This was a bit of a disaster, which is really unusual for Sally. The batter was really difficult to spread and there was an excessive amount of the crumb mixture. It took for ever for the middle to bake in the longer pan. Tasted yummy but maybe would not make again.
I made this for the first time today and it was delicious. Will make again for New Year’s!
Hi Sally,
can you substitute plain greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Hi Heather, Yes, absolutely! We recommend using a full-fat or low-fat greek yogurt (not no-fat).
I made this yesterday for the first time. The flavor, moistness and lightness are so luxurious. The quantities appear perfect. Two questions… I love the crumble on top. It’s perfect. I am wondering about the crumble in the center: have you considered a softer crumble, perhaps a slightly more liquidy version?
Also, although I do not have a piping bag, I thought it might be easier to use one when adding the 2nd cake layer (and the first layer, for that matter)
Thank you for this recipe.
This might be an odd question – can you make the batter and the crumb the night before, then assemble and bake in the morning?
Hi Melissa! We don’t recommend it. The cake won’t rise properly when baked. See recipe Notes for our recommended make-ahead instructions.
This would most likely work! I keep cake batter in the fridge all the time.
If I wanted to add pecans to the streusel would I need to adjust the ingredient measurements?
Hi Nancy! You could add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the crumb mixture without any other changes. Enjoy!
Thank you! Also, do you think it would be okay if I used salted instead of unsalted butter?
Hi Nnacy, you can use salted butter and omit the salt in the cake.
I have a granddaughter with a severe egg allergy. I have successfully used commercial egg replacements for cookies. What would you suggest for cakes?
Hi Beth, we haven’t tested many egg substitutes in our cake recipes, but would love to know if you give something a try. Here are all of our egg free baking recipes if you are interested in browsing.
Hello Sally,
Thank you for all your recipes. They all try out amazing!
Can I replace the butter in your recipes with coconut oil?
Thank you.
Hi Maya, you could try solid coconut oil instead of butter, but we fear the texture could be greasy (and, of course, lacking butter flavor). Each recipe could have different results. If you give something a try, we’d love to know how it goes.
HI Sally I just made this recipe and oh boy it came out amazing. I was a bit worried because I had put too much batter in on the bottom and didnt have alot leftover for the top but when it cooked all together- it didnt make any difference. So moist and flavorful. I cooked my cake for 38 mins and it came out great.
This recipe is AMAZING! After making it the first time, I’ve left off the glaze because we felt like it made it a bit too sweet. I’ve also regularly used full-fat Greek yogurt with great success. Cannot recommend this recipe enough!
Note: I am at high altitude (in Denver) and do not make any adjustments to the recipe.
Can I make the sour cream coffee cake in a Bundt pan with adjustments? Thanks
Hi Jean, there isn’t enough batter for a Bundt or tube 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.
Is the bake time correct? Using an 8″ aluminum pan and baking at 350 degrees. After 57 minutes still not done. Also, used parchment paper. Please advise. Thank you.
Hi Orinda! Yes, the bake time is correct. Did you make any changes to the recipe?
I’m having the same issue Orinda. I’m nearing 50 minutes and it’s just now stopped being a liquid — with no changes to the recipe whatsoever.
I made this for Black Friday morning online shopping with the family grouped around the table. This was a hit–I’ll be saving the recipe to make again and again!
I like this recipe, to elevate it, I would eliminate the sticky white icing and replace with a thin cream cheese icing
Hi! Can I use a 9 by 6 baking pan? Thank you and love all your recipes!
Hi Arine! We aren’t certain, but it should work ok. The cake will be thicker and take longer to bake through. Let us know if you try!
So easy to make! The coffee cake came out super moist and with just the right amount of sweetness (I omitted the icing sugar). Thank you!
I need this to be egg free. Any suggestions
Hi Karen, We haven’t tested an egg free version of this coffee cake, so unfortunately we’re unsure what might work best. Let us know if you give anything a try.
I’m not typically a fan of cinnamon but this takes the cake (literally). The cake is so moist yet fluffy and the cinnamon is not too overwhelming. Definitely worth doing the icing as well as it misses it without it. So so so yum! I made it in a standard 8 inch round cake pan and it turned out perfect. Thanks Sally!
Can the 8” pan recipe be made in a Bundt pan?
Hi Betty, there isn’t enough batter for a Bundt or tube 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.
This recipe is good with black coffee. I plan to open a coffee shop someday so how can I serve it? Because of the importance of freshness I am leery about putting a pan in the display case that’s already been cut into. Can I bake this recipe in mini loaf pans and serve them individually? Thank you Beth, staff member, for your help.
Hi Ronald, these should work in mini loaf pans. Be sure to only fill half way and keep a close eye on them, since the bake time will be much shorter.
Can I assemble this cake, refrigerate overnight, and bake in the next morning?
Hi Kristie, we wouldn’t recommend doing that. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, the baking powder and soda start working, so it should be baked right away. Here are the make-ahead 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. Hope this helps!
Made this today. Easy & quick recipe, however I didn’t love the crumb topping…tasted a bit ‘floury’ to me and was a bit too much. Had to bake a lot longer than recommended for a round 9″ pan but the cake was moist & tasty. If I make again, I would definitely half the crumb topping and maybe omit the flour.
Just made this. Amazing! Fantastic! Delicious! Honestly love your entire site. Thank you so much for putting this all together
Even though I totally messed up when constructing the batter, it still came up beautifully! The texture was moist without being doughy. This is a keeper! Thanks so much!
I wanted to make the coffee cake alone and use vanilla buttercream as frosting, would this work?
Also, how would I go about this recipe with a 6″ x 3″ pan?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested the recipe that way but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Here is a helpful guide to cake pan sizes and conversions so you can figure out how much batter to use in your pan.