Say goodbye to bakery or cafe pastries when you can enjoy this Easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake recipe at home whenever you like. With regular pantry staples, this moist coffee cake features a tender cake and a crunchy cinnamon sugar layer on top.
We have so many great coffee cake recipes at Good Cheap Eats. Be sure to try Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake and Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake.
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Coffee cake is probably one of my favorite breakfast dishes to prepare. I can feed a crowd in one fell swoop by stirring up a sweet batter and baking it in the oven. While I have some favorite flavors and fruity options, one go-to combination is this Cinnamon Coffee Cake.
Cinnamon is not only on the list of healthy spices, but it’s also an affordable pantry staple to keep on hand. It’s basically always in season! This means you can basically serve a bakery quality coffee cake on even the smallest of budgets.
Why Make This
It’s easy. This Cinnamon Coffee Cake is easy to pull together, makes a great make-ahead baking mix, and freezes beautifully.
It’s delicious. Cinnamon and brown sugar form a crunchy topping that sits and settles into a spiced cake, making a perfect accompaniment to your favorite hot beverages. Bake this Cinnamon Coffee Cake for your next breakfast, brunch, or tea!
I make this at least twice a month for my kids’ breakfast—it’s my middle daughter’s favorite! I try to always make two at a time and tuck one away in the freezer. One of my favorite Good Cheap Eats! Thank you, Jessica!
– 5 STAR REVIEW FROM KATE
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make Cinnamon Coffee Cake:
sugar – You’ll need granulated sugar for the cake layer and light brown sugar for the crunchy topping. Remember you can make brown sugar if you run out.
neutral oil – A neutral baking oil, like avocado, sunflower, or canola is good for the cake batter as it lets more of the spice flavors shine through.
egg – You’ll need one egg for this recipe, but you can also use our flaxseed meal egg substitute if needed. The texture won’t be exactly the same, but it’s a nice alternative when you want to go egg-free.
milk – I use dairy milk, but you can use buttermilk, cream, or a plant-based milk. For a richer coffee cake, mix in a few spoonfuls of sour cream in place of some of the milk. (see variation below)
vanilla extract – This extract adds nice flavor to the cake, but you can also use almond extract if you prefer.
flour – I like to use unbleached, all purpose flour in my baking recipes, but you can also use regular or even whole wheat pastry flour. I’ve not tested this recipe gluten free, but if you do, please let us know in the comments how it goes.
baking powder – This leavening helps the cake be light and fluffy. If you’ve run out, you can substitute ½ teaspoon baking soda and ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar.
spices – I use both ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. You can also substitute pumpkin pie spice if you like.
salt – Salt adds flavor and helps the texture of the cake. Don’t leave it out.
melted butter – This helps the cinnamon crumb topping come together and helps it be nice and crunchy. You can use a plant-based butter or margarine if you prefer.
Variations
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake – substitute half the milk with sour cream when mixing the cake batter.
- Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake – if you’d prefer a swirl in your crumb cake, then fill the pan with half the batter. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar topping over the batter. Repeat the layers and bake.
- Nutty Cinnamon Coffee Cake – add chopped nuts to the brown sugar streusel topping
- Cream Cheese Topping – serve the cake with Sweet Cream Cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make Cinnamon Coffee Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 °. Grease a 9×13 baking pan or a 9-inch springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Mix in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the milk.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Blend just until mixed.
Spoon into the prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle them over the batter.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack slightly before serving.
To freeze: The cooled cake can be wrapped in double layers of foil or plastic wrap and stored in the freezer, up to 2 months. Thaw, wrapped, at room temperature before serving.
To make as a mix: Take a small bag and a large ziptop bag or container. Label the larger with the wet ingredients to be added later and the baking instructions. Place the dry topping ingredients into the small bag and the dry ingredients for the cake layer into the larger bag. Seal and store together until ready to use.
FAQs
A cinnamon crumb cake is a type of coffee cake.
Served at breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack, a coffee cake is a rich sweet baked good with a cake-like texture. Coffee cakes can be made with yeast or baked like a quick bread. They can contain fruits, nuts, and cheese as well as spices. Coffee cake can have a glaze or not, and is often served warm.
This type of cake is great served with coffee.
More Great Quick Breads and Muffins
Tell us what you think!
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Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- wire whisk
- rubber spatula
- fork
- 8-inch baking dish
- wire rack
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup neutral oil
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk
- 1 ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon butter , melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and oil. Mix in the egg and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the milk.¾ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup neutral oil, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup milk
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add this to the wet ingredients and fold just until mixed. Spoon into the prepared pan.1 ½ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle them over the batter.½ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 tablespoon butter
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack slightly before serving.
Notes
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake – substitute half the milk with sour cream when mixing the cake batter.
- Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake – if you’d prefer a swirl in your crumb cake, then fill the pan with half the batter. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar topping over the batter. Repeat the layers and bake.
- Nutty Cinnamon Coffee Cake – add chopped nuts to the brown sugar streusel topping
- Cream Cheese Topping – serve the cake with Sweet Cream Cheese
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 18, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.
P.S. The comments from January 2012 do reflect typos that have since been rectified. What a nightmare posting day! However, all was not lost! The resulting second recipe turned out to be delicious, albeit not the coffeecake everyone was expecting. You can find our happy accident Snickerdoodle Bars here.
Amy S
Just made this for dessert and it was the BEST coffeecake I’ve ever had. Oh my soooooo good. I could eat the whole thing myself, but I’ll restrain. Thank you so much for sharing.
Jessica
Glad you like it! Especially after all those faux pas with missing ingredients! Leave out the milk and it makes a fabulous cinnamon cookie.
Sherry Perry
Oh, looks fantastic! Guess what we will be having for breakfast tomorrow? 🙂
Ellen
If you don’t have a springform pan, would it work to make it in an 8×8 Pyrex dish? I don’t want a long flattish coffee cake, and I suspect I might get that in a 9×13…
Jessica
@Ellen, I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it should work. Just adjust your cooking times.
Debbie
I will be making this for the kids to eat with their eggs tomorrow. They are on an eggs and veggie kick these days.
Christine A
I wonder if I could sneak some type of veggie into this mix! My kids are becoming adverse to anything green so I am trying to be creative! Maybe a puréed spinach, zucchini or carrot?
Maureen
@Christine A,
I replaced most of the oil with canned pumpkin, used whole wheat pastry flour instead of white, subbed buttermilk in for regular milk and added 2 tbl of ground flaxseed to the topping(added 1 more tbl of butter). Rave reviews for cake for breakfast!
Jessica
That’s a whole new recipe. So glad it worked out! 🙂
Claire
I have been patiently waiting for this recipe! I can not wait to make it. I will need to make 2 for sure! My family of 8 gobbles up baked goods like this. Thank you so much for sharing!
Jenna J
If we made it without the baking powder, like I did, do you have any suggestions on how to use the cookie like outcome? It’s too dense & sweet on it’s own right now 🙂
Thanks!
Jessica
@Jenna J, oy vey! This is going down in history as the day that FishMama tanked everyone’s breakfasts! If it is cookie-like, I think I would crumble it to use in parfaits, like with fruit, yogurt, ice cream, whipped cream, that kind of thing. Whaddya think?
Sounds kinda good. I may just have to go make a tanked batch just to fine out!
Kristal
I made this pretty much as soon as I read it this morning so before it was corrected. I added about half a cup of milk and 2 tsp of baking powder based on looking around at other recipes bec the dough looked off to me. Came out delicious for a treat for the hubby and toddler this morning:). Got to be a yes mom and have cake for breakfast ;).
Also, I use whole wheat in most all of my recipes. I just use 7/8 cup whole wheat for every cup of all purpose. Works out great!
Jessica
Thanks for your feedback — and your willingness to tweak it when it didn’t look right. 🙂
Holland
I didn’t read the comments before I made this recipe. 4 very hungry snow bound disappointed teenagers 🙁
Jessica
Oh, shoot! I caught the mistake at a little after 9 this morning and fixed the post, but it was not quick enough. I’m so sorry. We’ve been discussing using the cookie-like flop as a crumble top for ice cream and parfaits. Again, I’m so sorry that the error slipped through the cracks.
Tara
Tiffany-
Can you tell me how you made the all purpose flour? I have started grinding my own wheat and am having a hard time with regular recipes now.
Jessica
All-purpose is just regular flour. I think what TIffany made was “self-rising” flour. These are not the same thing.
Grinding your own wheat actually shouldn’t be the problem with your recipes, unless you were using 100% whole wheat flour before. Freshly ground wheat has the whole grain in it which is very different from regular flour. That would be why your recipes aren’t like you remember them.
Tara
@Jessica,
So I can use my fresh ground wheat and follow the recipe exactly and it “should” be fine?
Jessica
@Tara, as long as you remember the baking powder! LOL! Oh my!
It should be fine, though if it is red wheat it will be very wheaty and might be heavy. Like I said, whole wheat flour is very different than all-purpose flour. I usually do half and half when I use whole wheat.
Unless you are using white wheat, then doing it just regular “should” be fine.
Olga
It looks delicious
Tracy
This looks really good. I will have to give it a try. I made this great yogurt cake last night, it turned out beautiful until I tasted it and realized I forgot the sugar. We will eat it anyway with something sweet added. I hate wasting good ingredients. Here is the recipe just in case anyone is interested:
Yogurt Cake
serves 8 or more
1 1/2 cups full-fat yogurt
2/3 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan lightly with baking spray or oil, and line the bottom with parchment.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and nutmeg right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.
Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, covering with foil at the end if the top is browning. When a tester comes out clean, transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. When well-wrapped, this keeps very well for several days.
Tiffany
Oh my Gravy!! Follow up to my previus post, this is DELICIOUS!!!
Jessica
Well, yours was a “happy accident.” Since you used what we would call “self-rising flour” it worked for you since I forgot to include the baking powder in the recipe. I’m glad it worked for you regardless! 🙂
J
I made this recipe and for some reason the cake didn’t come out right. I’m an experienced baker, so I’m a little flummoxed. The cake batter was more the consistency of a dry cookie dough. And I’m also surprised at the use of no leavening…Scoured the recipe to make sure I didn’t leave anything out/do anything wrong, but I can’t find anything. Any idea what might be the problem? I was really looking forward to a sweet treat this morning. 🙂
Jessica
I am sooooooooooo sorry. Somehow, when I typed up the recipe, my eye skipped over the baking powder. I don’t know how that happened, though I will be double-proofreading from now on. Please forgive me?
J
@Jessica, Of course! Thanks for responding! 🙂
Tiffany
Mine is in the oven too, with only a few minutes left.
This yields very little “dough” though…Has anyone tried to double it? I used fresh milled white wheat with baking soda, powder & salt to make “All Purpose” flour so I hope it turns out well!!
Thank you!!
Deborah Jennings
I can’t wait to make this! My MIL has to eat something every morning before she takes her meds and this will be right up her alley. (Mine, too!)
Kristi
I have been looking forward to this recipe! We love coffee cake. I made an orange streusel one last night, and I don’t think it will last long. Thanks!
Kristi
Mine is in the oven as we speak and smells delicious! Can’t wait to have some with my morning coffee. Thanks!
Stacy
Looks delish and I also have all the ingredients sitting in my pantry!!
SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in My Kitchen
Looks delicious to me!