If you’re searching for a kitchen tested sour cream coffee cake recipe, this old fashioned recipe is the one you’ll come back to again and again. Soft, buttery, and layered with a rich cinnamon streusel topping, it’s everything you love in a classic coffee cake – moist, tender, and just the right amount of sweet.
This cinnamon coffee cake recipe delivers bakery-style results right from your kitchen.
With simple ingredients, easy steps, and a drizzle of sweet glaze to finish, this comforting sour cream streusel coffee cake is ideal as a breakfast cake, a sweet brunch idea or an afternoon coffee break snack.
Pair it with your favorite cup of coffee or tea, and you have a crowd-pleasing sweet treat that never goes out of style.
If you love breakfast baking recipes, you may also like to try my coffee cinnamon rolls, these yummy glazed donut holes, or my easy mocha muffins.
Why You’ll Love This Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
- Layers of flavor: Unlike simple breakfast and brunch cakes, this homemade coffee cake recipe builds flavor by adding a generous cinnamon streusel layer both in the middle and on top, so every slice has a delicious crumbly layer.
- Classic recipe: With basics like flour, sugar, butter, sour cream, and cinnamon, you can whip up this old fashioned coffee cake recipe without the need for any seasonal ingredients.
- Perfectly balanced texture: The combination of sour cream, buttermilk, and milk ensures the cake stays tender and moist while still holding its light and fluffy shape for neat, bakery-style squares.
Classic Coffee Cake Ingredients
To make sour cream streusel coffee cake you’ll need the following ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the specific ingredient quantities and steps.
Cake Batter Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make the breakfast coffee cake batter:
- Dry ingredients: All purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar to make the coffee cake batter.
- Wet ingredients: Vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, buttermilk, and milk.
Cake flour is a low protein and low gluten flour that gives cakes a lighter, softer, and fluffier texture. If you don’t have cake flour at home, you can make your own for this recipe – see instructions here.
Buttermilk also helps give the cake a moist and tender crumb. I rarely have it at home, and just make my own when I need it – see steps to make buttermilk at home here.
Sour cream gives the cake a lovely tender, rich flavor. Sour cream is best, but if you need a substitute, Greek Yogurt is the best alternative.
Streusel and Glaze Ingredients
To make the cinnamon streusel topping and glaze you will need:
- For the topping: All purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and unsalted butter.
- For the glaze: Powdered sugar and milk.
How To Make Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this easy coffee cake. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step recipe, ingredient list, and bake times.
Step 1: Prepare the cake batter. Add the dry cake ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together to combine. In a separate bowl combine the wet cake ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients to form a thick batter. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the cinnamon streusel topping. In a medium bowl add the dry streusel ingredients, mix to combine, then add the cold cubed butter.
Use a fork, your fingers, or a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the dry mixture until you have a crumbly streusel mixture.
Step 3: Assemble the cake: Pour half the cake batter into your lined baking dish then spread half of the streusel crumble over the cake batter. Pour over the remaining cake batter and layer again with remaining cinnamon streusel topping.
It can be tricky to spread the batter over the first crumble layer. I recommend pouring it slowly as best you can to cover and then use a spatula or spoon to spread it out. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfectly covered.
Bake for the required time listed in the recipe card, or until a toothpick comes out clean. While your cake is cooling, prepare the glaze.
Step 4: Glaze The Cake. Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the milk and mix together until a thin glaze forms. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips For Success
- Use cold butter for the streusel: Keep the butter cold and cut into small cubes before mixing. This helps create that perfect crumbly texture instead of a greasy topping.
- Layer batter and streusel evenly: Spread the batter in smooth, even layers and distribute the streusel generously in between and on top to get a consistent swirl and sugary topping in every bite.
- Don’t overbake: Start checking at 35 minutes with a toothpick test. Overbaking will dry out the cake, while pulling it out just as the center sets will keep it tender and moist.
How To Store Coffee Cake
Coffee cake is most delicious enjoyed freshly baked, but you can make it ahead and also store leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The cake can also be frozen – wrap tightly once completely cooled and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then bring to room temperature. I recommend glazing the cake after thawing just before serving.
What To Drink With Coffee Cake
My cinnamon dolce latte would be a delicious hot drink to pair with this simple coffee cake. Or make a batch of this hazelnut creamer to add some nutty flavor to your tea or coffee.
For cold coffee lovers, try my easy iced vanilla latte.
More Breakfast Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
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Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter very soft
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup milk
FOR THE STREUSEL
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter cubed, cold
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper (with an overhang on each side for easy removal) and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the softened butter, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, buttermilk, and milk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together until combined. Set aside.
PREPARE THE STREUSEL
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Blend together with a fork.
- Add the cold cubed butter to the bowl, and use a fork (or your fingers) to press the butter into the mixture to form a loose, crumbly mixture.
ASSEMBLE AND BAKE
- Pour half the cake batter into the prepared dish. Coat with half of the streusel mixture.
- Pour the remaining cake batter over the streusel layer then coat the top cake layer with the remaining streusel topping.
- Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
GLAZE
- While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add the milk and whisk together until a thin glaze forms. If you need more milk, add a very small amount at a time.
- Remove the coffee cake from the baking dish using the parchment paper to lift it out. Drizzle the cake with the glaze. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Unglazed cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
