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Welcoming the start of a new month with this Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake. Coffee cake infused with…coffee! Then swirled with sweet cinnamon sugar and cream cheese. This coffee cake is no fuss, easy to mix up, and SO DELICIOUS! Every bite is layered with sweet cinnamon streusel and vanilla coffee cake crumbs. Finish the cake with a light drizzle of vanilla coffee glaze for a cake that no one can turn down. Bonus? It’s simpler to make than you’d think, and so very pretty…with very little effort.
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I’m not sure how this could be, but this is only my second coffee cake recipe I’ve ever shared. A few years ago I shared a pumpkin coffee cake, but that’s my entire repertoire of coffee cakes on HBH. You see, growing up coffee cakes were not a thing at our house. You all know the story, if it wasn’t chocolate, it wasn’t something my mom was baking. So we never enjoyed coffee cake as kids.
However, when I was in middle school, I slept over at a friend’s house (which was SO rare of me to do). The next morning, we were served a chocolate chip coffee cake. I don’t recall questioning the coffee cake name, but I do remember thinking it was pretty delicious. And that was my first experience with any kind of coffee cake. And for a long time, it was also my last. Pretty sure I didn’t enjoy another coffee cake until that pumpkin cake I created a few yes back.
So until recently, coffee cake was rather new to me, which makes this recipe feel especially fun to share.
(cream cheese layer in the middle of the cake before baking)
The Idea.
The idea is simple. I’ve never understood why they would call coffee cake, coffee cake, if there wasn’t even a splash of coffee in the cake. Yes, I understand that it’s meant to be enjoyed with coffee. But still, why call it coffee cake if there’s no coffee inside?
It just never made sense to me.
And that brings me to this cake. It’s coffee cake, but with actually coffee in the batter…and even in the glaze. So it’s extra special coffee cake.
Here are the details.
There are three steps to this cake, the batter, the streusel, and the glaze. The batter is pretty simple, but the two special ingredients are the coffee (of course), and a bit of sour cream to give the cake the perfect moist crumb.
Simply mix the wet ingredients, then add the dry…simple simple, nothing fancy.
For the swirl of the cake, you’ll need to make a streusel and you’ll need some cream cheese too (though the cream cheese can be optional if you prefer).
I swirled the middle of the cake with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar, then a layer of cream cheese. It’s a little decadent, but oh so delicious. And it’s March, a little decadence is needed to keep things fun and exciting until those flowers pop up.
Then, for the very top of the cake, I made a more classic streusel with sweet brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. It’s so delicious and perfect atop this coffee cake.
Now on to that glaze…it might just be my favorite.
I don’t love a straight powdered sugar glaze. I find it to be pretty bland and re ally, it’s just too sugary for my taste.
With this glaze, I wanted it to be exciting, but not overpowering. I wanted the flavors within the glaze to help highlight the flavors in the cake. And naturally, I thought the glaze needed to be flavored with coffee. The perfect pairing for a coffee, coffee cake!
I used my favorite espresso powder, a nice splash of vanilla, and just a touch of powdered sugar, to create a coffee glaze. Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when drizzled over this warm cake.
Delicious.
When you put everything together, you have a truly special coffee, coffee cake. This is going to be so perfect for all the upcoming spring holidays from Easter Sunday to Mother’s Day.
But my suggestion? Test this cake out this week, or maybe this weekend. Enjoy it with your favorite steaming latte for a sweet morning…or afternoon treat. Such a perfect way to keep the week feeling fun!
Looking for other springtime brunch recipes? Here are some favorites:
Herby Everything Cheddar Swirl Buns
Berry and Cream Cheese Croissant French Toast Bake
Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee
Streusel
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, grated
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3 teaspoons instant coffee, to your taste
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch bundt pan.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Slowly mix in the coffee until just combined, being careful not to overmix. 3. To make the streusel. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Add the butter and use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour until a crumble forms.4. Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the batter. Then, gently dollop the warmed cream cheese over the batter and spread in an even layer. Spoon the remaining batter over the cream cheese in an even layer. Top evenly with the buttery streusel mix. 5. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool 30 minutes and then invert the cake onto a plate, flipping it back upright onto a serving plate. 6. To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and coffee powder. Add a pinch of flaky sea salt. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake and let set 10 minutes. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Keep cake stored, covered in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Does it matter what temperature the brewed coffee is?
Hey Amanda,
I would say you don’t want it to be piping hot:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I baked this in an 8×8 dish and it needed an extra 15 minutes. If I did again I would avoid cream cheese, it just doesn’t add much to the cake, and I would used brewed coffee rather than instant in the glaze. Overall it was amazing, super moist and thick without being too dense. My dessert hating boyfriend loved as his birthday cake!
Hey Rylee,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Happy Easter! xT
I’m making double this recipe tomorrow; could I bake it in a 9X13 pan instead of a Bundt pan?
Hey Gillian,
Sure, that should work for you. You could also bake in 2 loaf pans. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Wondering if I could swap chai for the coffee?
Hi Tamara,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can I freeze it and warm up later to serve?
Hi Elizabeth,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope you enjoy this recipe! xT
so good!!! I will use less cream cheese next time, but my husband and I loved this.
Hi! I’m so so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for trying it out! xT
Hi, love your recipes, I am looking forward to try this one!
Do you think it would work if I use a loaf bread pan ?
Hi Dany,
This would make about 2 loaves, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! Let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xx
Brought this to a friend’s house… huge hit!! Would definitely make it again 😊
Hey Margaret,
Happy Sunday!!🌸 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xT
Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m going to try and make it for a friend. If I wanted to make this recipe but change the yield to one loaf pan, how would I adjust the ingredients and cook time? Thank you!
Hi there,
You’ll want to cut the recipe in half and bake for 40-45 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out well for you! xx
Can I make without coffee? Looking to serve at family dinner and children would be present.
Hi Abbi,
You’ll need to use water in place of the coffee:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi,Can I use any other flour in place of all pulporse flour?
Hey Aneta,
Sure, an equal amount of gluten free flour will also work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
I wanted to know if I could make this recipe out of a 9-inch spring pan?
Hi Francesca,
Sure, you could use 2 loaf pans for this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Saturday! xx
Could I make these as cupcakes/muffins?
Hey Charlie,
Sure, that would work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
This recipe is amazing! The cake is delicious! I can’t stop eating it!s
Hey there,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xT
This is fantastic!! Making it was fun too 😊. I LOVE coffee and having to make coffee as an ingredient was awesome 😎. I took this cake to share at our New Years Eve gathering. I came home with none 😑 so I guess I’ll have to make it again! 🙃 🫶🏻
Hey Tammie,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I can’t stop eating this!! One of my favorite recipes for sure.
Hey Kelcy,
Happy Monday!❄️ I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xx