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
This was excellent! We’re dairy free, so we had to use a little dairy free substitutions throughout, but it was still very very good! Made it for my son’s 21st birthday cake, as he is really a no frosting kind of guy. Everyone loved it.
Totally confused by this recipe:
Ingredients says softened butter, but the recipe says chilled butter
It says to put cinnamon in cake mix, but there is not cinnamon in the ingredients list for cake mix.
Did AI create this recipe?
Hi C, you will make a cinnamon crumb mixture and a cake. The crumb mixture includes cinnamon and the chilled butter. The cake uses softened butter. Hope that helps!
Sally, my daughter-in-law can’t have gluten. Can this cake be made gluten free?
We haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour. If you give it a try, we recommend using a 1:1 gluten free flour substitute. Let us know if you give it a try!
Made it with namaste gf flour at 136g/cup and it’s delicious!
My family is gluten free and I’ve made this cake several times. It turns out great. Most sour cream cakes seem to turn out better for me than other cake recipes. This one is always a hit for all ages even if they’re not gf. My daughter requested it for her birthday today! I use AP Divided Sunset GF flour from Walmart.
Made this with some rhubarb jam filling in addition to your recipe. It needed 45 -50 minutes in oven and it was fabulous!!!
Awesome recipe
But due to dietary restrictions I used applesauce in replacement of the eggs and lactose free sour cream and milk.
Definitely on my list to make again
Hi there! How can I adjust the recipe to bake it in a Bundt pan, and also add ground cinnamon? Thank you so much!
Hi Isabelle, 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. There’s cinnamon in the crumb mixture!
Excellent recipe! I added some chopped walnuts on top and used half pastry flour. Perfect texture and flavor throughout.
I made this for the first time and it was a big hit at book club (and with my spouse, lol)! My only complaint is that I felt like there was a lot of crumb mixture, but I ended up using it all anyway because I didn’t want to waste it. The cake itself was nice and moist. I found it helpful to use a spoon to spread the last layer of cake batter.
I used an 8″x8″ glass baking dish and had to bake the cake for around 50 minutes before a toothpick came out clean.
Perfect recipe! Cake is moist with a perfect crunch from the crumb topping. 3 days after I made this recipe I was gifted a cinnamon crumb cake from a bakery and it doesn’t even come close to the quality of taste this recipe produced! I wouldn’t change a thing!
The crumbs were excellent, but was disappointed that the cake was a little dense. I didn’t change a thing and I baked it for exactly 45 minutes. I haven’t known my oven to run high. I will definitely try it again but will bake for 30-35 minutes
This recipe is delicious! Very moist and the perfect texture. The only pan I had was a Wilton “9×9,” but the bottom of the pan is 8×8 (it’s angled). I was worried the results weren’t going to turn out right. It was perfect. I’ll be making this again, plus veganizing the recipe.
dks,
Thank you for this comment! I have that same pan and came to the comments to see what I could make work. You have relieved all of my worry.
Sally!!! I freaking LOVE you. This is my go to coffee cake recipe and I ALWAYS get sooooo many compliments. Any family get together? Bring coffee cake. Someone’s bday this weekend? Coffee cake is what they want from me. So thank you so much. Also on top of it just being the most delicious coffee cake I’ve ever eaten, you’re also very thorough. Always updating your recipes and making sure they’re as good as can be and I love them. I also love that you add the gram measurement to your recipes. Most recipe websites dont and It def makes me not want to use them because I prefer a gram measurement. Basically. You’re doing everything right and I praise you. Thank you for your amazing coffee cake recipe and all the other things I have made from your website
I plan to make this today, but just wondering if this can be made into coffee cake muffins? I was thinking of sending these to my son at his summer camp. 🙂
Here’s the muffins version of this recipe, Marla!
This is the best thing I have ever baked. Thank you so much for sharing this special recipe. It’s absolutely delicious and decadent.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times. It easy, low maintenance and so delicious. The second time I made it I used a Bundt pan as an experiment. I did have to assemble it upside down (crumble, batter, crumble, batter) but the effect was quite spectacular. That first layer of crumble melted and sort made this sugary crackly shell which was just as delicious as the crumble and added such a lovely texture. Highly recommend!
Absolutely superb! Light and moist, the cinnamon ratio just perfect. I have fallen in love with Sally’s website. Her instructions are clear, her voice measured, and her directions comprehensive. This is very important for some one like me who is just learning how to bake. I cannot wait for her book in September. THANK YOU SALLY for all the effort and love you put into teaching newcomers like me how to bake!
What can I do to replace the sour cream here? In my country, people eat natilla instead and I wonder if that can be used.
Hi N, I wouldn’t use natilla. Instead, plain yogurt is best.
This coffee cake is perfection. I made it in a 9×13 pan and baked it for 40 minutes and it was perfectly moist.
I’ve made this recipe twice now, and everyone who comes into contact with loves it. The crumb is savory, warm with cinnamon, and rich. I use salted butter for everything, since I prefer a more savory result in all, but that was the only different from the original recipe. The inside of the coffee cake is moist and soft, something I almost never find in coffee cakes I’ve eaten in cafes and bakeries. For that reason, this recipe is the best coffee cake recipe I’ve ever tried, and the best coffee cake I’ve ever had. If you’re wondering if you should make this, even if you’re a novice, please give it a shot.
Could I make this is a 9×5 loaf pan?
Hi Elise, Yes, you can bake this in a loaf pan; see the section titled “Variations & Different Pan Sizes” in the post above for details.
The cake was not fully cooked at 40 minutes. I kept it going by two minute intervals til tester came out clean.
how long did it end up taking?
Recipe was so clear, well organized, and easy to follow. Made a few mistakes, nothing tragic. A good trick for spreading the dough on top of the crumble is to go in just one direction towards the edges.
Loved how fluffy it came out. Next time I’m gonna add some nuts to it.
Is the amount for the baking soda in the 9×13 recipe size really still 1/4 tsp or should I add more? Seems like it wouldn’t be the same amount as the 8×8 recipe….
Kathryn, that’s correct, the amounts included in the recipe Notes are what worked for us when testing a 9×13 pan.
Can this be made in a Bundt pan?
Hi Darien, 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 baking soda measurement when making the 9×13 size really 1/4 tsp or do I need to add more? I’m wondering if it’s a typo since the original recipe calls for 1/4 tsp
Hi Kathryn, the 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda is correct for the 9×13-inch version. Hope you enjoy it!
This is the first one of your recipes I made that didn’t work out. Your recipes are always amazing so I have to think this is something I did wrong. Part of the problem is that my brown sugar wasn’t as moist as it could have been. However that wasn’t the only problem the cake was too dense and too sweet. I used a 9″ pan perhaps that made it too thin? I am not sure but this cake isn’t worth the calories to me
Hi Janine, I’m so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I wonder if the brown sugar in the topping, since it was a little dry, weighed down the crumb so much so in addition to using a slightly larger pan, it just made the cake really thin and dense. This is good feedback though, and I’m sorry again it was a disappointment.
Came out delicious! I took the advice of another commenter who suggested piping the batter on top of the crumb mixture and that worked perfectly! Just fill a ziploc bag with the remaining batter and cut the edge then slowly squeeze the batter up and down on top in lines. Wait a couple minutes after that because then the lines will spread a little more naturally on their own and then take an offset spatula and SLOWLY and LIGHTLY use it to spread the lines together and to get the batter more toward the edges so it will look more seamless and more importantly so it won’t disrupt the crumble mixture that’s underneath! Perfection!
Soo good. I’m writing this review after eating a slice still warm from the oven but I imagine it’ll still be great tomorrow. I used a 9 inch springform pan because that’s what I had and I made it without the icing. It’s definitely sweet enough without it. I’ll definitely be making this again!
First time making a cake that isn’t boxed and this was great! Though I had a bit of a mishap when making the crumb mixture, I mixed it too much lol. The mixture ended up being pasty so it didn’t look anything like the photos here. The cake turned out great still. It was moist and just the right lightness for me. Not too sweet too! The icing will add the sweetness if someone wants it.
Every one I shared it with liked it as well and asked for more. I’m definitely making a double batch next time.
Perfection. The part where we’re advised to use all the topping, please do follow that advice. I thought I measured wrong because I had so much. I left about a cup and 1/2 out and peeked while it was baking. The topping appeared sparse so I quickly added the remainder to the batter. I’m hoping it’s a big heat for Easter morning tomorrow.