Simple and classic, this buttery cinnamon crumb coffee cake is anything but plain! Sour cream ensures a moist, light (not overly dense) breakfast cake, and there’s double the brown sugar cinnamon crumb streusel. Enjoy a thick ribbon of streusel inside and plenty of crumbs on top, both made from the same mixture.
Cake for breakfast… well, don’t mind if I do! I’ve published quite a few coffee cake recipes over the years, and this is my go-to, absolute favorite sour cream version.
I originally published today’s recipe in 2015 and have made so many variations over the years, including doubling the crumb so there’s more swirl INSIDE and ON TOP of the cake. That’s the version you’ll find in the printable recipe below. (Because what’s the point of crumb cake if it’s all cake and no crumb?! Double the crumb = double the fun!)
You Will Love This Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
This cinnamon crumb coffee cake is the original and “plain” version of my raspberry almond crumb cake, cranberry Christmas cake, and blackberry cream cheese crumb cake.
Compared to my New York-style crumb cake recipe, it’s smaller and softer—with a lighter, more cake-like crumb. It also has a delicious cinnamon swirl inside and vanilla icing on top, similar to cinnamon swirl quick bread and cinnamon swirl banana bread. The best part? Make just 1 cinnamon crumb mixture and use that for the filling AND topping.
- Texture: Tender, fluffy cake paired with a soft crumb topping. Each slice boasts a cinnamon-y ribbon running through the middle.
- Flavor: Classic coffee cake flavors of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
- Ease: Prepare 1 mixture for both the cinnamon swirl and the crumb topping.
This coffee cake is delightful alongside a cup of coffee or tea (or a mimosa!). Make it for a birthday breakfast, a coffee catch-up with a friend, or a morning meeting—really any time you want to make the morning a little special. It’s always a favorite among these Easter brunch recipes, too!
Key Ingredients (Especially Sour Cream!)
- Brown Sugar: Moist brown sugar is the key to a crumb topping that’s soft, not crunchy.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is sturdy enough to support the heavy crumb layer. I was tempted to use cake flour in the recipe to achieve an ultra-soft crumb, but found that all-purpose gave a more ideal texture for a breakfast cake.
- Cinnamon: We can’t have cinnamon crumb cake without it!
- Butter: You need cold butter for the streusel and room temperature butter for the cake. Cream the softened butter with sugar, which produces a wonderfully cakey texture.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leaveners help the cake rise.
- Salt: Flavor enhancer.
- Granulated Sugar: We’ll cream the butter + sugar together for the base of the cake batter.
- Eggs: Bind ingredients together, and make the cake tender and rich.
- Vanilla Extract: If you have homemade vanilla extract, use it!
- Sour Cream: The magic moist maker! Just like in this white cake, sour cream makes the cake incredibly moist and lush.
- Milk: Just a little to thin out the batter so you can spread it in the pan.
Make the Cinnamon Crumb Mixture First
To keep things simple, there’s only 1 cinnamon crumb mixture. Layer 1 cup (practically half) in the center of the coffee cake and sprinkle the rest on top. You need brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cold, cubed butter. The butter must be chilled. Why the emphasis on cold? The streusel mixture needs to maintain some of its structure in the oven or else both layers will sink to the bottom.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the other ingredients. You could also use 2 forks, or a food processor. Look how crumbly it gets:
Expect a Thick Coffee Cake Batter
Refrigerate the crumb mixture as you make the cake batter. The batter is rich and thick, and you need to divide it in half so you can layer in some of the cinnamon crumbs. The old version of the recipe created such a thick, heavy batter that it was difficult to divide and spread into the pan. By adding a little milk (just 2 Tablespoons!), the batter is much easier to divide and spread.
You need an 8-inch square pan for this recipe. See below for other size variations. Line it with lightly greased parchment paper so you can easily remove the cake from the pan as a whole, or just directly grease the pan. (Either way works.) Eyeball half of the cake batter and smooth it into the bottom of the greased pan. It does NOT have to be exact, nor perfect. Layer 1 cup (about half) of the cinnamon crumbs on top:
Now spread the remaining batter on top. This can be tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on an unstable crumb foundation. Just do your best. Top with remaining crumbs:
Bake, and then top with vanilla icing. The icing is optional, but always a fabulous (and pretty) finishing touch. You could even turn it into a delicious orange icing by replacing the milk with orange juice.
Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake Success Tips
- Pay attention to ingredient temperature. The butter in the crumb mixture should be cold, and the butter, eggs, and sour cream in the cake batter should be room temperature.
- Do your best to spread the thick batter. The top layer can be hard to spread on top of the cinnamon crumb layer, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t overthink it.
- Use a metal pan or a glass pan. If using ceramic, the coffee cake may take longer to bake. If using extra dark metal, the cake may take less time.
FAQ: Why Is This Called Coffee Cake?
I get this question a lot. 🙂 There is no coffee IN this cake! “Coffee cake” gets its name not because of the ingredients in the cake, but because it’s a breakfast cake to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
Variations & Different Pan Sizes
- Add some extras! Try it as cranberry Christmas cake (with pecans) or raspberry almond crumb cake; or mix and match your favorite add-ins and flavors. Chocolate chips are always a good idea. (Fold 1 cup/180g into the cake batter.)
- Add a cream cheese layer, like in this blackberry cream cheese version.
- Bake in a 9×5-inch loaf pan—no changes to the ingredients; bake time is about 40 minutes.
- Bake it in a 9-inch round cake pan—no changes to the ingredients and bake time.
- Bake in a 9×13-inch pan—see recipe Notes for exact instructions/ingredient amounts. My team and I tested a few versions of this larger size, so use the precise amounts in the Notes below. This is a wonderful size if you’re feeding a crowd:
More Coffee Cake Recipes
Sour Cream Coffee Cake (with Crumb Topping)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 9-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Every baker should have a classic, old-fashioned and buttery coffee cake recipe in their back pocket and this one is my gold standard, baseline recipe. You’re welcome to borrow it! An 8-inch square pan is required, but see the recipe Notes for other sizes.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Crumb Mixture
- 2/3 cup (135g) packed dark or light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cake
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature*
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan (9-inch square is too big, see Notes for other pan sizes) with lightly greased parchment paper or directly grease the pan. I usually use this square pan or this square pan.
- Make the cinnamon crumb mixture: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry cutter or two forks (or use a food processor or your hands) until the mixture is in pea-sized crumbs. Some larger crumbs are OK. You’ll have a little over 2 cups of crumb. Refrigerate until step 5.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will be lumpy.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. Finally, beat in the milk. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be thick. You’ll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of batter.
- Carefully spread about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1 cup (about half) of the crumb mixture evenly on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top (every last drop of it!). This can be a little tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on top of crumbs, but do your best. I usually use a spoon or small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.
- Bake for around 32–38 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over warm cake.
- Lift the cake from the pan using the overhang parchment paper around the sides and slice into squares. Or, if you didn’t use parchment, slice directly in the pan. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.
- Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The cake can be baked and covered tightly at room temperature overnight. Make the glaze the next morning and drizzle over cake before serving. Cake, with or without icing, can be frozen up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-inch Square Baking Pan (such as this one or this one | Glass Mixing Bowls | Pastry Cutter | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Small Offset Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Sour Cream: Sour cream creates a bakery-style tender and thick crumb. Do not skip it. If needed, you can substitute full-fat or low-fat (not nonfat) Greek yogurt.
- Loaf Pan: If you’d like to bake this coffee cake in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, adjust the bake time to about 40 minutes.
- 9-inch Round Pan: This recipe is too small for a 9-inch square pan; however, it fits wonderfully in a 9-inch round cake pan. Same instructions and bake time.
- 9×13-inch Pan: If you want to make this cake in a 9×13-inch pan, you need to just about 1.5x the recipe. My team and I tested the exact amounts and here is what you’ll need. The instructions are exactly the same, just use the following amounts. Crumb: 1 cup (200g) packed dark or light brown sugar, 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 10 Tablespoons (1 stick + 2 Tbsp or 145g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed. Cake: 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks or 170g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (240g) sour cream, 1/4 cup (60ml) milk. The icing recipe makes a lot, so it’s plenty for the larger cake. Bake time is closer to 45 minutes. Makes 24 servings.
- Update in 2022: After making this recipe for 7 years straight, I’ve made 2 small updates to produce an even better sour cream coffee cake. The recipe above has more crumb filling/topping than the 2015 version and it also includes a touch of milk to smooth out the batter. If you wish to make the old version, skip the milk and halve the amounts for the crumb filling/topping.
- Why is this called coffee cake and there is no coffee in the cake? “Coffee cake” gets its name not because of the ingredients in the cake, but because it’s a breakfast cake to be enjoyed WITH coffee.
This is a family favourite here!
I dont know what I did wrong my mine came out a little dense and not fluffy… what did I do wrong?
Hi Tita1278, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Was the batter overmixed by chance? That’s often the culprit for overly dense cakes. You’ll want to mix until the ingredients are just combined. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to use the spoon & level method to prevent over measuring. Hope this helps for next time!
Made this today. Tastes wonderful.
I just added some chopped walnuts to the crumb mixture and a pinch of salt.
Thanks for another great recipe.
This recipe is easy to follow and makes a delicious coffee cake! The crumb is lovely and I feel like it could be easily adapted to include fruit or other mix-ins (be it in the cake or crumble). I am a cinnamon fiend so I added it to the cake batter as well, and I used a whole stick of butter and upped the proportions of other crumble ingredients to match, simply because 1. I was too lazy to cut two tbsp off, and 2. More crumble, duh and it came out lovely. Thanks for another great recipe, Sally!
My cake was dry. Did I stir the batter too much?
Hi Barbara, was the cake over baked by chance? Even just an extra minute or two can dry out the cake. Be sure to also spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t over measured. Too much flour can also dry out the cake. Hope this helps for next time!
This is my new favorite, saved to phone, printed to cookbook, absolutely amazing. I did have to cook for an extra 10 minutes in an 8×8 glass pan. The icing was thick but I set it on top of the (now turned off) oven and it warmed up to perfect consistency within the 15 minute cool. 10 stars! Thank you!
So glad you enjoy this one. It’s absolutely one of my favorites, too!
This recipe is a winner!
I owned a bake shop for over 20 years so baking is my jam-lol! This was easy to put together and your instructions are perfect! I made no modifications but next time will add pecans or walnuts to the topping mix (I didn’t have any this time).
It is very, very good!
I’ve had a lot of success with recipes from Sally, so I decided to try this one. I had to use a 9 X 13 pan since I didn’t have an 8 inch pan, and I was skeptical when I was pouring the batter in the pan as it didn’t seem like enough – it wouldn’t quite spread evenly over the whole pan but I did my best and put it in the oven. I was amazed at how well it came out! It took up the whole pan, puffed up quite a bit and is light and delicious! I will definitely make it again!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! My husband said it’s the best coffee cake he ever had! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
This literally is the best coffee cake recipe!
I love Sally’s recipes and have used them for years. This one looks concerning until the very last ingredient and then boom, comes together. Excellent as always, thanks Sally!
Great recipe! Made the 9×13 version and everyone loved it. My slight modifications were using dark brown sugar, no baking soda because I did not have any on hand, and lactose free milk (Fairlife) because that’s all I buy.
This was so good. I’ve always struggled with making a good struesel but this was perfect. Not sandy and not super soft. Moist and tender cake and it cut so nicely! I made it in an 8” pan. It took about 42 minutes and puffed up over the top but didn’t overflow. It resulted in a really tall slice and I thought it was perfect. I think this one is destined to be a regular. Next time I think I’ll add some pecans to the top. I forgot to make the icing so I’ll add that in too. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
I baked the 9×13 version. Followed it to a T. Absolutely delicious! Exactly the flavours that I want from a coffee cake. Although I do wish there was a little more batter to work with. Do you think the 9×13 recipe would work in a 9×9? But only filling the batter to the 2/3 mark to get a higher cake? As for the glaze, I just put a plastic sandwich bag into a small glass and filled it, cut the tiniest piece out of one of the corners to get the perfect drizzle.
Hi Ryan, though I haven’t personally tested it, for a thicker cake, you could use the 9×13-inch version in a 9-inch square pan, and only fill halfway or 2/3 full. (Use extra batter for a few muffins on the side!) Let me know how it goes. Glad you enjoy this!
This is by far the best Coffee Cake I have ever made. Awesome.
This is the coffee cake recipe I’ve been looking for! I love the crumb / streusel and this had plenty of it.
The only problem is it wasn’t baked well in the center. I used a 9″ glass pie pan in a gas, non-convection oven. The cake tester came out clean – maybe the topping make the tester clean despite the center not being set yet? I will try again.
This s a definite keeper! Loved it! I doubted myself as I always do, but it turned out perfectly. I haven’t gone wrong with one of your recipes yet so thank you for what you do!
Just made this and it smells so good (did the 9×13 version), however the crumb topping is a bit disappointing – used completely cold butter with a pastry cutter but it was still so dry using the specified amounts. Added a couple more tablespoons of butter to give it a bit more “crumble” but still looked nothing like the picture. After baking it just looks like a brown sugar crust – none of the minimal crumble texture held up at all even though the mixture was kept cold. Not sure what would have caused this – hopefully the icing drizzle will help it look a bit nicer on top lol
Hi Rachel! Sounds like there may have been too much flour in your crumb topping. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Can berries be added to this recipe?
Hi Ali, that should work just fine! We often use this same base (or close to it) for other crumb cakes such as cranberry cake and raspberry almond crumb cake. We also have this blackberry crumb cake that you might enjoy. You can fold the berries right into the batter if you wish to try with this recipe.
Thank you!
This turned out delicious, but I did have a minor issue. The cake was still completely raw in the middle after the recommended cook time but browning on top. There are two potential reasons I can think of. 1. My pan is about 8″ at the top, but the base is a little smaller. 2. I substituted cake flour for all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio. I put some foil over the pan and baked it for longer, and it turned out perfect. I’ll just have to remember that for next time.
Made this today, was really good, not dry the only mistake I made was to pulse the topping in the food processor twice, I think i should have only done it once. the top crumble was not very crumbly. Next time I will do it by hand with a pastry cutter. Otherwise this was yummy and the middle layer of crumb was great. I did not use icing.
This is amazing! How can I turn them into cupcakes?
Hi Laura, You can layer the batter and crumbs into muffin liners. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but around 20-22 minutes should be about right at the same oven temperature.
This cake was heavenly! I love baking with sour cream so I’m always looking for recipes that include it.
Too dry. Not a fan.
Easy, forgiving. I swapped out vegetable oil for butter in the cake and forgot to get my eggs and sour cream to room temp and it turned out perfectly fine. Thanks!
Question – I followed the recipe to a T. The outside cooked (edges even over cooked) but the inside caved and did not. What could be the cause?
Hi Liz, It sounds like your cake was simply underbaked. Make sure to really get into the center of the cake when doing the toothpick test. For next time, you can tent the pan with aluminum foil towards the end of bake time. This will prevent the topping from over-baking while continuing to let the rest of the cake bake through.
Sorry please delete my message I just posted. I didn’t see you respond to this one! I did let it continue baking until the middle was done (about 20 min longer) but then the out sides of the cake were over cooked and crispy. It just seems like it didn’t cook e
Didn’t cook evenly and with the batter rising over the crumble I feel I had to screw up somewhere. Just not sure where.
Hi Liz, Did your crumble mixture look like the video tutorial above? Make sure to keep the butter cold when working with it and refrigerate the crumb topping until ready to use. Cold crumble will ensure it doesn’t sink. Was your batter thick? This is a pretty thick batter, which helps keep the crumb topping on top of the cake. If the batter wasn’t thick, it could be helpful to add another 2 Tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients in the cake batter.