The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (2024)

by Kristen Whitby 22 Comments

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A delicious coffee cake recipe that is easy to mix in 5 minutes with just a few staple ingredients. This family recipe has been passed down for 3 generations and is perfect for breakfast, snack time or even dinner!

The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (1)

Coffee cake is one of our very favorites around here! We find ourselves making it more often in the fall along with pumpkin pecan coffee cake and walnut and apple coffee cake. When the weather becomes a little more crisp, we also tend to make more breakfast foods (and baked goods in general) and love our cinnamon rolls and apple pie cinnamon rolls too!

We have been making this coffee cake in my family for as long as I can remember. Back to my childhood, this is the recipe that my mom would always make for us, and now I make it for my family. We love to make it for breakfast and also "breakfast for dinner" which is our favorite! This recipe is easy to double and make for a crowd as well. It is also delicious as leftovers.

What is Coffee Cake?

American coffee cake is traditionally a mildly sweet cake with a cinnamon streusel crumb layer. It is given that name because it pairs well with a cup of coffee and not because it has coffee in it. Coffee Cake has a different texture than other cakes. The crumb is more moist and dense like a light pound cake.

The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (2)

How to Make Coffee Cake

The great thing about coffee cake is that it is SO easy to make! You can whip up the batter in just a couple minutes with a few staple ingredients. You don't need any special equipment or mixers. Just use a mixing bowl and spoon.

Cake Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 375°
  2. Beat egg in mixing bowl. Add sugar, milk, oil, salt and vanilla. Spoon flour into measuring cups and then dump on top of the batter. Sprinkle baking powder over flour and mix into the top half of the flour. Mix flour into batter until combined, but not over-mixed.
  3. Pour into a 9x9 baking dish.

Cinnamon Streusel Topping

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in microwave. Remove and mix in brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour and stir until combined. Add nuts if desired.
  2. Sprinkle streusel onto the cake.
  3. Use a finger or the small end of a wooden spoon to poke the streusel halfway down into the cake batter, randomly in 12-18 different spots.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not runny batter).
  5. Lightly drizzle with icing if desired.
The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (3)

Walnuts and Icing

The walnuts and icing in this recipe are totally optional. You can use (or not) based on preference.

We love walnut coffee cake, so I always include the nuts. Pecans are also a great option.

If I am being honest, I rarely make the icing drizzle. It is yummy (and pretty), but the cake is so good by itself that it doesn't necessarily need it.

The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (4)

5 from 20 votes

Print

Coffee Cake

The BEST moist coffee cake recipe that is easy to make 5 minutes prep time with just a few staple ingredients.

CourseBreakfast, Dessert, Dinner

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbreakfast, cake

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 9

Author Kristen | Ella Claire & Co.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1egg
  • 1/4cupoilvegetable or canola
  • 1tsp.vanilla
  • 3/4cupsugar
  • 1/2cupmilk
  • 1/4tsp.salt
  • 2tsp.baking powder
  • 1 1/2cupsflour

Streusel

  • 2Tbuttermelted
  • 1/2cupbrown sugar
  • 2tsp.cinnamon
  • 2TFlour
  • 1/2cupwalnutschopped, optional

Icing Drizzle

  • 1Tbutterroom temperature
  • 3/4cuppowdered sugar
  • 1Tmilkextra, if needed

Instructions

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 375°.

  2. Beat egg in mixing bowl. Mix in sugar, milk, salt, oil, and vanilla.

  3. Spoon flour into measuring cup. Dump flour on top of the batter. Sprinkle baking pwder over flour and gently mix into the top half of the flour. Stir flour mixture into batter until combined. Pour into greased, or parchment lined, 9x9 baking dish.

Streusel

  1. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in microwave. Remove and mix in brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour and stir until well combined. Add nuts if desired.

  2. Sprinkle streusel onto the cake.Use a finger or the small end of a wooden spoon to poke the streusel halfway down into the cake batter, randomly 12-18 times.

  3. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs (not runny batter). Do not overbake or it will be more dry!

Icing (optional)

  1. (optional step) Mix butter and powdered sugar. Thin with milk until desired consistency. Lightly drizzle cake with icing.

Recipe Notes

Note: Spoon flour into the measuring cup for the cake batter. For the flour in the topping, I just scoop it straight with the measuring spoon.

Tip: Do not over-bake or it will dry out the cake.

I hope you love one of our favorite family recipes, and here are 5 more delicious fall breakfast recipes for you to try!

The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (5)

Delicious Coffee Cake by Ella Claire & Co. | Apple Pie Crepes by Tidy Mom | Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal by Inspired by Charm

The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (6)

Baked Pumpkin Maple French Toast by Freutcake | Cinnamon Apple French Toast by anderson + grant | Granola Brunch Baked Apples by Handmade Farmhouse

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katrina Carrico

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (7)
    I wanted a coffee cake that was quick, simple, and not massive. This was definitely the move! I had to substitute milk with sour cream but it still turned out great. I also used some cold coffee instead of milk in the icing and it gave it some nice extra flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  2. Gigi R.

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (8)
    First time making a coffee cake. I picked this recipe. I'm so glad I did. It is soo delicious. My family is requesting for me to make a 2nd one in the same week.

    Reply

  3. Cecilia

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (9)
    I made this and it turned out so good! I didn’t have a 9x9 pan so I used a 9x13, I just baked it for about 5 mins less. Still turned out great but I would definitely use a smaller pan next time.

    Reply

  4. Kristalyn

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (10)
    This turned out great! It was really easy to make, and it came out so good!

    Reply

  5. Michelle

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (12)
    Really good, and easy to make.

    Reply

  6. Olivia

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (13)
    Delicious! Used a larger spring roll pan, buttermilk and left out nuts. Glazed while warm and it covered the top so sealed in moisture. Ten stars quick, easy and a hit!

    Reply

  7. Lori

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (14)
    This was an easy and delicious coffee cake! I doubled the recipe and used whole wheat pastry flour, its all I had on hand. I was worried it would be dense but it turned out great! That streusel!

    Reply

  8. Rebecca Morgan

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (15)
    Made for myself and boyfriend and we are obsessed! I’m very bad at baking and this was simple and quick.

    Reply

  9. Liz

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (16)
    Delicious cake! My husband also loved it. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9x13" dish for 30-35 min and it came out great. I did keep the icing recipe the same and it was enough for me. Will be making again in the future, and pretty sure that my husband will be requesting it again!

    Reply

  10. Bonnie

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (17)
    All I can say it was divine! This is a definite keeper. Easy and delicious. Can't go wrong with this family recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply

  11. Annie

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (18)
    So delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except I used a 8x8 glass pan and baked it 10 minutes longer. Thinned the icing way down & used the tines of a fork to run icing all over the top of cake. My boyfriend said it was the best he's ever had. Yeah!

    Reply

  12. dave

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (19)
    I needed to warm the kitchen today. -2 outside plus Hellish windchill. I needed something to bake fast and easy ,and found this recipe. I wasn't expecting that it would be so good. Followed exactly, except I used pecans as I didn't have walnuts. Will make again!

    Reply

  13. Josh

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (20)
    Perfect! Easy to follow. Gonna be breakfast for a few days!

    Reply

  14. Mae

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (21)
    This cake is very delicious! It’s the simplest recipe and shortest cooking time I could find. I whipped it up just this morning. I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder so I added some lemon juice to activate it. I couldn’t taste it at all in the end. I also added more cinnamon cause that’s my favorite part. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  15. Shelbi

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (22)
    I doubled this recipe for my large family and it was delicious. Took about 40 minutes total.

    Reply

  16. Ann Crawford

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (23)
    This was easy to make and best tasting coffee cake ever. The icing is a must for me. It made it look so much more decadent and pretty when cut it into squares and put on a cake stand. I made this for guests to have in am with coffee and everyone raved about it. Saying it reminded them of cinnamon rolls. It’s a keeper!

    Reply

  17. Linda C

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (24)
    Love the streusel topping! I poked fresh blueberries into half and it turned out great. Agree, do not over mix or over bake and it will turn out perfect. My oven runs hot so I watch it carefully. Thanks for a great recipe. Just the right size and easy for making in the morning.

    Reply

  18. Sharon

    OK, that was by far the best coffee cake I have ever eaten. I included the walnuts and the glaze. Thank you, I'll be making it in the future for my overnight guests. I'm a cake for breakfast kind of person.

    Reply

    • Sara

      The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (25)
      I made this for Thanksgiving at my boyfriend’s parents house. It was an instant hit! The recipe is simple to follow and delicious.

      Reply

  19. Michael Wurm Jr.

    The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (26)
    I can almost taste this through the screen. Wow! It looks SO delicious! (Beautiful photography too!)

    xo Michael

    Reply

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The BEST Coffee Cake | Our Family Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes coffee cake taste like coffee cake? ›

But it turns out that espresso powder alone doesn't give the fullest flavor: you need a little bit of spice to bring out the coffee flavor. Add some cinnamon and a hint of cardamom and you play up the coffee flavor in a wonderful new way.

How do you keep coffee cake moist? ›

Melted butter is key for moist coffee cake, but this dessert tends to get drier over time. If you want to prevent coffee cake from getting stale for as long as possible, storing it in an airtight Tupperware is your best bet.

Why was Aunt Jemima coffee cake discontinued? ›

Aunt Jemima is no longer producing this product due to challenges competing with other products in local supermarkets which resulted in declining sales.

What coffee is best in cake? ›

A dark roast or robust espresso will give rich, hearty treats plenty of depth, while a lighter, fruitier variety won't overpower a delicate dessert. Follow the recipe's instructions for coffee temperature, too.

What is in a Bakers Treat coffee cake? ›

Sugar, enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate or reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, soybean oil, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter (cream, salt), contains 2% or less: modified cornstarch, glycerin, egg, cinnamon, tallow, palm oil, salt, natural ...

Why is my coffee cake so dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard.

What's the secret to a moist cake? ›

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time
  1. Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk.
  2. Add Vegetable Oil.
  3. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix.
  4. Use the Right Recipe.
  5. Don't Overbake.
  6. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans.
  7. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze.
Apr 23, 2021

Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›

A blend of these two ingredients gives the cake the best possible flavor and texture. Butter provides flavor while oil adds moisture and keeps it from being too dry. A cake made with all oil would be moist but lacking in flavor, and an all-butter cake may have a more buttery taste, but would be more dry.

Should coffee cake go in the fridge? ›

You can store coffee cake at room temperature for up to three or four days, but to ensure the best texture and flavor, storing it in the fridge is the way to go! Kept in the fridge, your coffee cake can last up to 2 weeks. But if it's extra tasty, it probably will get eaten first!

Why did Pearl Milling get rid of Aunt Jemima? ›

Accused of engaging in racial stereotyping, it was rebranded from Aunt Jemima to Pearl Milling Company by its current owner, PepsiCo, in 2021. It was a prime example of the risks companies can face in brand marketing.

Does Aunt Jemima's family still get royalties? ›

Anna Short Harrington's great grandsons claim Quaker Oats, Pepsi Co, and Pinnacle Food Group, have refused to pay an "equitable fair share of royalties" to their family for more than 60 years.

When did Aunt Jemima go out of business? ›

The logo of the Aunt Jemima brand from 1993 to fall 2020; the wordmark continued to be used by itself until the brand was discontinued in 2021.

Is oil or butter better for coffee cake? ›

Which tastes better in baking: Butter vs. Oil. There are no surprises here: butter tastes better than oil in baking recipes. However, in recipes with other bold flavors – such as chocolate, coffee, or citrus – butter can sometimes compete with the other flavors and this is normally when a recipe calls for oil instead.

Why is my coffee cake so dense? ›

One of the key factors that can lead to dense cakes is the incorrect ratio of ingredients. Baking is a science, and even a small deviation from the recipe can have a big impact on the final texture of your cake. Too much flour or not enough leavening agents like baking powder can result in a dense cake.

What makes coffee cake unique? ›

Coffee cake and regular cake are made with the same ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and a leavening agent like baking powder. The difference is that instead of frosting on top, coffee cakes have crumble or streusel. Just like a cake, it can also have glaze or icing.

Why is it called coffee cake if it doesn t taste like coffee? ›

Coffee breaks as we call them now. A lot of the traditional recipes enjoyed during these breaks were given the name of coffee bread or coffee cakes based on the times they were enjoyed. And so the coffee cake was born! Coffee cakes and delicious scones are both treats usually paired with lattes and coffees alike!

How is coffee cake different from regular cake? ›

The difference between coffee cake and regular cake is the topping. Coffee cake and regular cake are made with the same ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter and a leavening agent like baking powder. The difference is that instead of frosting on top, coffee cakes have crumble or streusel.

Does coffee cake actually have coffee in it? ›

The modern dish typically contains no coffee. Outside of the US, the term is generally understood to mean a cake flavored with coffee.

What does adding coffee to cake mix do? ›

Add Instant Coffee to the Batter

We recommend dissolving 2-3 tablespoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Then add this mixture to the batter along with the other ingredients. This method will give the cake a stronger coffee flavor and a richer color.

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