This sour cream coffee cake is a classic, moist cake layered with a thick, buttery cinnamon sugar streusel and creamy glaze. Sour cream keeps this easy breakfast cake light and tender. Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea!
This classic recipe has actually been on my website since 2016, but I made some adjustments to the recipe, which have just made it that much better. The original recipe was a single-layer, much smaller cake. I’ve transformed it into a double-layer coffee cake loaded with buttery cinnamon streusel on top, and swirled throughout. There is a good amount of butter, sugar, and flour in this recipe, and that’s not a mistake. This homemade coffee cake is nearly two inches tall!
I’ve made several variations of this recipe, from pumpkin coffee cake to apple coffee cake. At the end of the day, the best way to enjoy this cake involves a big fat slice drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze.
Even though there’s no actual coffee in this recipe, it’s the perfect complement to a cup of your favorite brew. A sour cream coffee cake can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. I could think of so many excuses to make this, but a few that come to mind are: bridal showers, Mother’s Day brunch, Christmas morning breakfast, or a potluck.
Everything You Want in a Classic Coffee Cake Recipe
The original recipe was already good, but this updated version is just straight-up amazing. It’s all about the layers.
- It’s super buttery and moist. Not a dry crumb in the house. Unless you over bake it, but I include tips on how to avoid this.
- So much streusel! I doubled the original recipe so there’s plently of streusel in every bite. The buttery streusel does double duty as the sour cream cake topping and cinnamon swirl throughout the cake.
- It’s all about the layers: Some coffee cakes just have one layer of cake and one layer of streusel on top, but I took it a step further and doubled the streusel in every bite. This cake is THICK.
Ingredient Notes
Many of the coffee cake ingredients overlap between the buttery cake and crumbly streusel. See the recipe card for the complete recipe with exact measurements.
- Butter – This should be at room temperature for the cake, and melted for the streusel topping.
- Sour Cream – Also at room temperature. If you don’t have sour cream, use plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Flour – I repeat this for all of my baking recipes, but be sure to measure the flour correctly. Use a kitchen scale, or spoon the flour from the bag into your cup measure before leveling it off. Never scoop directly from the bag, which leads to overmeasuring (and dry coffee cake).
- Brown Sugar – For the cinnamon streusel topping. Granulated sugar will work here, too, though I prefer the richer flavor of brown sugar.
- Cinnamon – You could also flavor the streusel with nutmeg or a pie spice blend.
- Powdered Sugar – Sifted for the vanilla glaze. This helps remove any lumps before you mix the sugar with milk and vanilla. I also like to add a little lemon juice to my coffee cake glaze. It helps to cut the sweetness.
Julianne’s Tip: Use Room Temperature Ingredients
Ensure that refrigerated ingredients for the coffee cake (eggs, butter, sour cream) are brought to room temperature before you begin. They’ll mix more smoothly and the batter bakes more evenly if they aren’t cold from the fridge.
How to Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Making this cinnamon streusel coffee cake is simple, as you just layer the cake and the streusel before baking. The end result is a melt-in-your-mouth dessert or breakfast cake.
- Combine wet cake ingredients. Start by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, incorporate the eggs one at a time, followed by the sour cream and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, combine the dry ingredients and slowly beat them into the wet ingredients. Use a spatula to mix by hand and ensure everything at the bottom of the bowl is incorporated. Just take care not to overmix the batter, or the cake will be dense.
- Make the streusel. In a new bowl, mix the dry streusel ingredients and combine them with the melted butter until well blended.
- Layer the cake. Now, pour half of the batter into the bottom of a lined 9×13-inch pan, then sprinkle half of the streusel topping. Pour the remaining batter over the streusel, spreading evenly, and finish with the remaining topping.
- Bake. Bake this cinnamon coffee cake at 350ºF for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure it’s cooked all the way through in the center. Allow it to cool for a while before slicing. See the recipe notes regarding tenting the pan to prevent over-browning, if needed.
Coffee Cake Glaze
Adding a vanilla glaze to the cooled coffee cake is optional. I recommend adding this just before serving.
- Combine. Simply combine the powdered sugar with the vanilla, milk, and lemon juice, whisking until combined. Be sure to slowly add the liquid ingredients to control the consistency.
- Adjust the consistency. You can adjust the thickness of the glaze. If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Tips for the Best Coffee Cake
- Room temperature ingredients. I know it’s a pain, however, with the amount of ingredients in this recipe, it will really help to ensure it’s properly mixed.
- Creaming the butter and sugar. There’s a lot of butter in this recipe. Cutting the butter into cubes prior to adding into the mixer will help to break it down. But spend several minutes beating the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. If you’re still seeing a coarse sand texture, you need to beat for longer.
- Mix by hand. The batter will be heavy and thick. When dividing the batter in the pan, be sure to give it a few stirs in the mixing bowl. It’s likely that the batter on the bottom of the pan is not fully incorporated, which will result in uneven baking and sinking.
- Tent when baking. This needs quick a bit of time to bake all the way through. So if you find the topping is getting to brown, cover it with tin foil for the last 15-20 minutes.
- Top with a glaze. If you want to make your breakfast cake extra sweet, you can add a simple drizzle on top. It’s just powdered sugar, milk and a touch of vanilla extract (see the How To section). A little goes a long way here.
- Add nuts or chocolate. For extra crunch, go ahead and add chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds to the streusel. I also have a chocolate chip coffee cake with chocolate mixed in!
Baking in a Smaller Pan
Maybe you want to enjoy this coffee cake, but a full batch is too much. The good news is, this can easily be adapted into a smaller cake made in an 8-inch square pan. I recommend the 8-inch over the 9-inch because a 9-inch pan is too thin. The single-layer cake has just a top layer of streusel, but don’t worry, there’s still plenty in every bite. See specific instructions in the recipe card notes section. You can also make a variation of this recipe as coffee cake muffins!
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Store at room temperature. If you are preparing ahead of time, I recommend waiting to add the icing until you’re ready to serve. This sour cream coffee cake will last for up to 3-4 days at room temperature when kept in an airtight container. It rarely lasts that long, though, because it’s just that good!
- This coffee cake is perfect for freezing. To freeze, allow it to cool completely and then remove it from the pan. Wrap it twice in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, making sure all corners and edges are overlapped to prevent any freezer burn. You can either wrap the whole cake or wrap it in slices. When you’re ready to enjoy it, thaw it on the counter for a few hours.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This sour cream coffee cake is a classic, moist cake with a thick and buttery cinnamon streusel topping and creamy glaze. Sour cream keeps this easy breakfast cake light and tender. Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 ½ cups (339g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups (570g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (384g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons (11.25g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the streusel
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (330g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (22.5g) ground cinnamon
For the glaze:
- 1 cup (130g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1–2 tablespoons (15-30ml) milk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1–2 teaspoons (5-10ml) lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 9×13-inch pan, grease or spray a couple spot on the bottom and sides of the pan, then line with parchment paper. Allow the butter, eggs, and sour cream to come to room temperature.
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until light and fluffy. Next, add the eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Then add sour cream and vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and slowly add to the batter, beating until incorporated. Then use a spatula and mix by hand until well combined.
- To prepare the streusel, mix the dry ingredients and combine with the melted butter, mix together until well blended.
- Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Then, sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Top with remaining batter and streusel.
- Bake at 350°F for 55-60 minutes. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking. Check the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cake is done. Allow to cool completely or serve slightly warm.
For the glaze
- To prepare the glaze, slowly add the liquid ingredients to the powdered sugar and stir until the desired consistency is reached. For a thicker glaze, add less liquid. If the glaze is too thin, add additional powdered sugar. Drizzle over finished coffee cake prior to serving.
Notes
- If the top of the cake is browning too quickly tent with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
- If you like a little bit of crunch, try adding 1/2-3/4 cups of chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel
- To make a single layer 8-inch cake, divide the entire recipe into thirds. Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes. It is enough for a single layer of cake with streusal topping (no streusal in the middle)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 719
- Sugar: 70g
- Sodium: 113mg
- Fat: 33g
- Carbohydrates: 101g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 124mg
I made this for a potluck St Patrick’s Day brunch. Everyone said it was by far the best thing to eat along with the jug of margaritas my daughter provided. Thanks again, Julianne, for another fantastic recipe. I’ve always had baking success but even more so since following you!
THANK YOU!!
Cathy M
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad to hear everyone enjoyed this coffee cake! I appreciate your feedback and support. THANK YOU!
I’ve been making this sour cream coffee cake since I was in high school. I would get up early in the morning and make it for my dad before he would go to work even though my mom was in the kitchen too and I’ve made it for my family through the years. My husband and I were married 50 2 and 1/2 years before he died and I’m 70 years old so a very long time. Thank you for reminding me to make it again
Thank you for sharing Debra
Came out perfect! Love this recipe and added toasted pecans and chocolate chunks! ❤️
Oh I love those updates! Reminds me of a sour cream coffee cake I used to have at a local bakery