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
Can this recipe be doubled to fit 2 8” square pans or 2 9” rounds?
Hi Jessica, Here is everything you need to know about converting recipes to different Cake Pan Sizes.
Made this. Just scrumptious. Family loved it. Sour cream gives cake a nice texture. Love the streusel in between.
Love this recipe, made several times. I suggest putting a little less than half on the bottom layer as it is nice to have enough for the top. I also tried grating the butter for the crumble – it is easier to share between layers but melts quickly and looks more matte . Everyone loves this recipe! Thank you!
I followed the recipe EXACTLY
my batter and crumb topping turned out looking the same. Followed the baking instructions but baked longer with foil on top to fully bake the cake but not burn the top -overall- it turned out looking great and smelling great. The crumb topping was great. The cake itself was so blah to me and my husband though.. any way I could give it more flavor? Maybe some cinnamon/brown sugar to the cake itself?
Hi Hannah, when you say that the batter and crumb looked the same, was it the crumb that looked more like batter? You’ll want to make sure your butter for that portion is very cold. That’s key to making sure the mixture forms into pea-sized crumbs—if the butter is too warm, the crumb mixture will become too soft and pasty. You could absolutely add some cinnamon to the batter as well. Thanks for giving this one a try!
Can this be made with steam bake setting?
Hi Georgia, We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan). The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
Hi Sally,
How long will the crumb mixture last in the fridge before I make the cake? I ask because I only have time to make the crumb today.
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, the crumb mixture should be fine in the refrigerator for a day or so if covered tightly.
It certainly can last in the fridge for a few days at least covered. It smells so good in my home I haven’t even given it a try and I know it’s 5 stars
I made this sugar-free and gluten free and it was fantastic. Super tender, moist, delicious. I used Cup4Cup GF flour (which I think is the best for baking), Wholesome Yum Besti allulose granulated sugar replacement, Besti Monkfruit allulose blend brown sugar replacement, and Swerve confectioner’s sugar replacement. Also added walnuts and used whole milk Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. I tend to find that these sugar replacements aren’t as sweet as real sugar, so I was generous with my measurements and everything came out beautifully. Will definitely make again.
I wanted to find a super quick and delicious recipe for coffee cake and this recipe was PERFECT. It was easy because the filling and crumble are the same but still so tasty. The actual cake itself is so fluffy and delicious. The glaze is literally just the cherry on top. Makes me drool just thinking about it. It was gone in about 40 minutes after coming out of the over!
If I wanted to make these but as muffins, how long should I bake them?
Hi Isabella, here’s our crumb muffins recipe!
So good! I’ve made it twice now, and it’s delicious. So smart to have the crumbs made with cold butter and then refrigerated until the last minute. It’s even better the day after baking.
I thought I read that the cream cheese layer was optional for this one! I included it, and the entire cake became VERY moist and heavy. Almost like a pudding. Did I go wrong somewhere? Four stars because the cake part tastes great!
Hi Liesa, adding the cream cheese layer, like in our Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake is an option, but you may prefer this coffee cake without it!
Hi Sally, don’t have sour cream but I have Greek yogurt that’s vanilla. Can I substitute with that?
Hi Susann, that should work! Let us know how it turns out!
Could you use a bundt pan? If so, would I follow the recipe for the 9×13 pan?
Hi Janet, 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.
Hi Janet! Could you post if you try the Bundt pan please?! I was thinking of making it on the weekend. Thanks!
Might have been my fault but my crumbs were wet and sticky, batter was runny, hoping it turns out ok. I made it for a 13×9 pan
Love this recipe! The only thing I find is that I have to bake it much longer – I use my convection bake at 325’F and it often takes an hour or more.
Really delicious – perfect texture, great taste, a pure joy! The recipe is spot on, incl. accurate metrics translation – which is super rare. Thank you!
Incredible!! Made this as I had sour cream to use and my fiance said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made. 10/10 recommend easy and delicious.
My family raved about this coffee cake! My son said it was “the best” recipe we’ve ever made!
AMAZINGGGGGGG
It’s in the oven now and looks perfect! I have a recipe almost identical but with nuts. Since everything I make from Sally’s turns out perfect, I decided to try this. Everyone loves everythg I bake with Sally’s recipes most especially the layer coconut cake! My niece lives in Germany. A friend brought cookies to a get tog. My niece said these are delish -must be homemade. Her friend said Sally’s…my niece said my aunt is a baker n is nuts over Sally’s. The woman said she went to school or college? With Sally. Anyway… thanks for all of your baking tips and wonderful recipes! Next on my list: the croissant muffins ❤️
Made this cake today. Not only was it easy, it tasted absolutely delicious!! It also filled the house up with the sweet smell of Cinnamon. I definitely recommend and will make this again and again.
Thank you
This is the best coffee cake! Not sure if I go wrong somewhere but I’ve made this several times and I always have to bake it for close to an hour (like 50-60 minutes) for it to be done. Did it once for 40 min and didn’t check it, never again lol it was raw in the middle.
It was very easy recipe and tasted amazing. But I did find it was not baked in the middle. Definitely needs more than 30 minutes. Probably closer to 50 minutes.
I had the same issue with it being undercooked in the middle after 40 minutes. I definitely need to bake it longer next time, will probably aim for 55 minutes.
I made this and it was delicious. The cake was moist and, since I increased the crumb mixture by half, everyone was happy. Thanks for another great recipe.
I made the 9 x 13 size for work. It was gone in half an hour. Easily one of the best things i have ever made and coworkers were raving about it all day with multiple requests to make it again. Spreading the second layer was difficult but I piped it on and in the words of Sally, didn’t overthink it. It turned out absolutely perfect.
For the 9×13 pan, did you just double the recipe? Good tip on piping the top/second layer!
Hi Amandie, See the recipe notes (below the recipe) for directions on baking this in a 9×13 inch pan.
Moist and delicious. Cinnamon crumb topping- was literally over the top in flavor. Took to a meeting. Not a crumb left in the pan. Another home run. Thank you Sally.
I chose to make 6 of the giant muffins using this awesome recipe. I substituted ricotta cheese for the sour cream. They were a huge hit. Love the crumb topping/filling and the cake was light and fluffy.
Thanks so much. Not only will I be making this again I am sharing the recipe!
I’ve finally found a go-to coffee cake recipe!!! Thank you!! This was easy and delicious!!!
I made this cake with the 9×13 ingredient amounts, and it was fine. There was a LOT of crumb; I might reduce that next time. I added about 1c pecans.
I did mix it the night before, and pulled it out of the fridge about half an hour before it went in the oven.
Contrary to received wisdom, I’ve been finding that this works fine for every coffee caked I’ve tried it with.
Very tasty.
I just made this recipe and it is the bomb!!! Super moist and fluffy. I made extra streusel and I think I overdid the cinnamon but it still blended well. I substituted orange for the vanilla icing and I loved it even more.
I Love this recipe. I’ve made it at least 5 times. This time my crumb topping kinda melted into the cake. What did I do wrong? It still tasted great!
Hi Michele! 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.