This Buttery Coffee Cake Was Made for Cinnamon Streusel Lovers

Buttery cake meets a hefty double layer of cinnamon streusel in this coffee cake worthy of all-day snacking.

Coffee Cake
Photo:

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless

Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs
Servings:
1 [2 1/2- x 2-inch] piece
Yield:
12 servings

With just one bite of this buttery cake with a double layer of cinnamon streusel, your morning is already off to a good start. This streamlined coffee cake recipe layers the streusel in the center of the cake and on top, eliminating the need to make a separate mixture for the center of the cake. Making the streusel first gives it time to chill in the fridge while you make the batter; this extra time helps the streusel retain its crumbly texture as the flour gets extra time to hydrate. Make sure the butter is fairly soft in order to easily incorporate into the streusel mixture. If you are struggling to incorporate it into the dry ingredients with a spatula, try cutting it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or two butter knives.

The cake batter is very thick and it does require a little patience to spread and smooth it out, but it yields a super tender cake. It’s a nice contrast to the top streusel layer, which is pretty hefty, but gets nice and crisp in the oven for a satisfying “crack” when you dig into it. Feel free to add half a cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts to the streusel mixture if you’d like a little extra nutty crunch.

Ingredients

  • Baking spray with flour

Streusel

  • 1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar

  • 1 cup (about 4 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

Cake

  • 1 1/4 ounces granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with baking spray.

Prepare the Streusel

  1. Stir together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add butter; stir until crumbly and combined. You should have 3 cups streusel. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to use.

Prepare the Cake

  1. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add egg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, beating on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds. Add flour, sour cream, milk, and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined, about 45 seconds (batter will be quite thick).

  2. Spoon half of batter (1 1/2 cups) into prepared baking pan, and smooth into an even layer using a small offset spatula. Sprinkle with 1 cup Streusel. Top with remaining batter, smoothing to edges of baking pan using spatula. Sprinkle with remaining Streusel, pressing gently into batter to adhere.

  3. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center of Cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely in baking pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours.

Related Articles