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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.
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
Servings: 12
Calories Per Serving: 445 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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.
Hi Tieghan! Love love love this recipe! Just a quick question, I am thinking of making this for some friends but would like to make it before they arrive (i.e. making it on a Wednesday and eating it on the Friday/ Saturday). How would you suggest is the best way to keep it? Is it possible to make the batter, store it in the fridge and then bake it on the day of?
Thanks for your help!
Hey Madeleine,
Wonderful! I am so glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! I would go ahead and make it and keep covered in the fridge and pull out a few hours before enjoying. Have a lovely week:) xTieghan
Tieghan! We are so endlessly thankful for you, your recipes are staples in our home multiple times a week, and your site/Instagram/books are my go-to’s anytime I need a recipe. I’m excited to try this one out, do you have a recommendation for a straight sided Bundt pan like this?
Thanks!
Hey Jamie,
Thanks so much for your kind message! Sorry I do not have a link for this pan as I found it at a vintage shop. But, here is something similar: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/nordic-ware-pound-cake-pan/?pkey=cbundt%20pan
I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
I love your recipes but not a fan of cream cheese. Is there something I can sub it with?
Hey Jennifer,
You can simply omit the cream cheese. I hope the recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
The cake part was good what I care for was the cream cheese. I should have gone with my gut instinct and added a wee bit of sugar and an egg to the cream cheese to not only make it a pourable layer but to also make it cook rather than being a layer of raw cheese, if you know what I mean.
Hey Susan,
So sorry you did not enjoy the cream cheese in this recipe, I recommend warming the cream cheese to make it spreadable, and once the cake is baked it’s technically not “raw”. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
This was SO good! Definitely now on my to-go recipes list!
Hey Maria,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Please ignore my previous question,
I see a bunch of people asked this at the bottom of the comments.
Instead I’d like to say, hallelujah for finally putting coffee in a coffee cake!
You’re amazing, I’m about to make this now in my round cake tin. I know it’d be so much better in a bundt, there’s something about that cake ring! This will still be delicious, time to get baking!
Let me know how it turns out!!
Hey, how did it go to use a round pan for this instead of a bundt?
Hey Ellie,
I would recommend using 2 loaf pans if you are not using a bundt pan:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi,
What if you don’t own a Bundt pan?
I’ve been wanting to make this cake for so long.
Thought I had a Bundt pan, turns out I don’t- must have been the last house mates. Or they thought it was theirs! Lol!
Hey Poppy,
You can make this in two loaf pans! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Very good recipe. I don’t have a tube/bundt pan so I baked this in a 9-inch square pan (which holds pretty much the same amount of batter) for 30 minutes. It turned out very moist and not too sweet, and the cream cheese was a nice, tangy surprise. I’d probably use an entire 8-oz block of cream cheese next time since the 9-inch pan is so wide.
Hey Jillian,
Happy Friday!! I am so excited that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try!! xTieghan
Hello, would it be possible to bake this in a loaf pan? If so, should I adjust baking time or temperature in any way?
Thank you!
Hey Eunice,
Yes, you can split the batter into 2 loaf pans, you can start checking for doneness at 45 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this today; super moist, easy enough really — didn’t see in the instructions where to add the cream cheese, nor where to “warm” it. I improvised and my family enjoyed it very much. I like that it’s not too sweet.
Hey Jane,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! The cream cheese is added in step 4:) Happy Sunday! xTieghan
I had the same question on the cream cheese. I did not see how to warm it and went ahead and added the dollops of room temp cream cheese. It smells heavenly and I am sure it will be great, however it would be great to know how to warm for the future.
Hey Carol,
You can simply just pop it in the microwave. Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Not sure how to add to my previous comment. The cake came out incredible. The dollops of cream cheese were just enough. This might be really good with some blueberries thrown in as well. Will give it a try next time.
Hey Carol,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed. Have the best week:) xTieghan
This was absolutely amazing! So delicious ??. I have not made a coffee cake for years, but I will be making this one again, and again. SO worth the awesome calories. Thank you!
Hey Carol,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
BEST COFFEE CAKE OUT THERE! This coffee cake is to die for… worth every single bite! This is my second time making this, and it was devoured to the last crumb. This will be a recipe we use every single time someone comes over for tea. Thank you for another mouth watering recipe ??
Hey Janice,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This is truly an amazing cake, moist, with just the right amount of coffee taste even without the glaze (which I didn’t make first time around).
My only suggestion (or warning) to improve this recipe would be to split the streusel ingredients into cinnamon sugar and streusel…I used the metric measurements, but the instructions use imperial, so I mixed sugar, cinnamon and flour, checked what to do with the cream cheese and realised that some of the sugar was for use separately, which meant I ended up with A LOT of streusel. I know, I know, I should’ve read the blog post, but hey…just saying in case other people are just as keen to get to the recipe as I usually am. ♡
Hey Catherine,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xTieghan
Good idea, but definitely would change some things. The cream cheese filling doesn’t bake up properly when melted and poured in. It needs to be beaten with sugar at a minimum to get the texture you’d expect. My streusel just went flat, not sure why
Hey Dana,
Thanks for trying the recipe. You definitely don’t want to melt the cream cheese, you just want it to be slightly warm so it’s easy to spread:) xTieghan
This is truly delicious. I didnt even make the glaze because after I tasted one of the muffins, I couldnt imagine it being more delicious. I used one loaf pan (cooked 45 minutes) and 6 muffins (cooked 18 minutes) and both were amazing. I incorporated the cinnamon sugar with the cream cheese and could have used less crumb topping.
Hey Alexis,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! Happy Sunday:) xTieghan