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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.
This post was originally published on March 2, 2021
I don’t have a Bundt pan (crazy, I know) but what other own could I use and get the same delicious results?? I’m afraid to mess up the baking time.
Hey Emily,
You can split the batter into 2 loaf pans. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks absolutely amazing!
Thanks so much Danijela! xTieghan
A nice treat
Thanks Hannah!
Hi Tieghan: I made this cake this afternoon and we had some for dessert tonight. My husband declared the recipe “a keeper” (and I liked it too). My only suggestions would be to separate the cinnamon sugar and streudel directions as separate steps, and for you to suggest warming the room temperature cream cheese to aid in spreading, but otherwise, excellent! This will go in our dessert rotation. Thank you!
Hey Cathy,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Loved it, as did my family. I do a lot of cooking, but not a lot of baking. This looked so good I was inspired. It comes together easier than you would think from looking at the recipe ? Thank you!
Hey Maria,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Are we using room temp coffee or chilled coffee, or fresh just made coffee
Hey Gregory,
Any of those are just fine to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just made this and wow it is delicious! I could tell from the dreamy smells coming from the oven it would be insanely good. My question is, is there a way to make it ahead of time and bake in the morning? It’s best warm out of the oven but hosting some friends for breakfast and hoping to cut down on all the work morning of. Thank you!
Hey Marlena,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! You could assemble and keep in the fridge and then bake in the morning. Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Hi Tiegan,
Can you share which bunt cake pan you used? Is it the Nordic ware angel food cake pan? I’m so excited to make this with my daughter tomorrow, her love for Starbucks coffee cake is so strong and I’m 1,000% going to persuade her to like yours instead! We love all of your other recipes ♥️
Thank you!
Hey Jessica,
So sorry I do not have a link for this pan. I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan
Hi! I don’t have a Bundt pan so I was wondering if it would work well to make this into a loaf or cupcakes? And what would the baking time be? Thanks 🙂
Allysha
Hey Allysha,
I would use 2 loaf pans and start checking for doneness at 40 minutes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so darn delicious! Thank you for all your hard work coming up with the recipe. Loved everything about it, and absolutely loved the addition of the cream cheese. It really made it that much better. So tasty! 500+ stars!
Hey Cede,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
When you mention sprinkling the cinnamon sugar over half of the mixture before adding the cream cheese, is that different than the streusel or do you use some of the streusel in the middle? Thanks! Can’t wait to try the recipe!
Hey Marisa,
Yes, that is different than the streusel, that is the cinnamon sugar mixture. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Great recipe easy to make. Mine cracked and fell apart when coming out of pan. Everyone still loved flavor and texture.
Hey there,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Oh and the loaf pan and cupcakes were done after 40 minutes. 🙂
Thanks Megan!
I baked this with a friend yesterday and it was so good! I loved how moist the cake was. I followed the recipe exactly except subbed nutmeg for cardamom since I couldn’t find cardamom in the store and used 2% milk in the glaze since I didn’t have whole. The only suggestion my friend made was to mix the cinnamon sugar in with the cream cheese to get a more consistent mixture/flavor. If I make it again I’ll try that. Also, I don’t have a Bundt pan so used one loaf pan and made 6 cupcakes with the rest of the ingredients. Not a strong coffee flavor, but I only used one teaspoon instant coffee in the glaze, since my husband doesn’t like coffee, so I could probably up that next time if I want a stronger flavor. I would definitely love to make this again sometime!
Hey Megan,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
One of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Delicious flavors of cinnamon and coffee in every bite, and super moist. Husband and I ate almost the entire cake today. A winner, for real.
Hey there,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Happy Sunday! xTieghan