This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a buttery, tender, yellow cake that’s loaded with thick layers of cinnamon streusel. Topped off with a vanilla glaze, it’s the perfect cake for a breakfast or brunch or even as a dessert to finish off a delicious meal.
Happy Monday!
We are back from Disneyland and we’re all wishing we were still there. We had an absolute blast and are ready to hop back on a plane and go again. Our first two days there were awesome! Low crowds, short wait times and fairly decent weather. The last two days were still pretty dang good considering it was a holiday weekend and the weekend that the new Star Wars ride opened up.
You guys that ride is unbelievable! We lucked out and got into boarding groups both days we tried. My boys are huge Star Wars fans and it was so fun to watch their excitement about it. . . they literally couldn’t contain themselves. We all loved it and still can’t even get over how freaking awesome it is. You have to go do Disneyland and ride it. Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, you will love it!
We ate way too much food and I am already looking for copy cat recipes for my new favorite treat there. Fingers crossed I can recreate it.
Let’s talk streusel now. Am I the only one who is obsessed with crumbly streusel?
I don’t know what it is about buttery, crumbly streusel, but I think it’s one of the most delicious things piled on top of desserts.
This Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel is loaded with streusel and is insanely good! It’s buttery and rich, but not greasy and heavy, and is loaded with layers of cinnamons streusel.
Just like you eat a sugar cookie for the frosting, you eat coffee cake for the streusel. Am I right? I don’t want a “yellow cake” with a little streusel on top. I want a little cake with my streusel . . .big fat chunks of buttery, cinnamony streusel!
Make sure you follow the instructions because they’re a little different than most cake recipes. Rather than creaming the butter and sugar, you cut softened butter and some of the sour cream into the dry ingredients. Then you add the eggs and the rest of the sour cream. This results in a tighter, but still tender cake.
HOW TO MAKE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE WITH CINNAMON STREUSEL:
- To make the streusel, combine the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter and flour until mixture looks like wet sand with big and small chunks.
- In a bowl combine the eggs, 1 cup of the sour cream and the vanilla.
- In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and mix until batter comes together. Slowly add the egg and sour cream mixture.
- Spread 2 cups of batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1 1/4 cups of streusel evenly over the top. Spread another 2 cups of the batter on top and spread it around as best you can. Sprinkle with another 1/14 cups of the streusel.
- Spread the remaining batter on top as evenly as you can and finish off with the remaining streusel
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 10-12 minutes before drizzling with icing.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 15 to 18 servings 1x
Ingredients
Streusel:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Cake:
- 12 tablespoons butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream, divided
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Icing:
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup half & half or milk (might need more to get to “drizzling” consistency)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Streusel:
- In a medium bowl stir together the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter and flour until well combined. Set aside. (Mixture should look like wet sand with big and small chunks)
For the cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray or rub with butter.
- In a medium bowl combine the eggs, 1 cup of the sour cream and the vanilla.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Add the 12 tablespoons butter and the remaining ½ cup remaining sour cream and mix on low until dry ingredients are moistened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until batter comes together, about 20 to 30 seconds. Lower the speed to medium-low and slowly add the egg and sour cream mixture, in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds and scraping the bowl after each addition. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 1 more minute.
- Spread 2 cups of batter into the bottom of your prepared pan. Sprinkle about 1 1/4 cups of streusel evenly over the top. Spread another 2 cups of the batter on top and spread it around as best you can. Sprinkle with another 1/14 cups of the streusel.
- Spread the remaining batter on top as evenly as you can and finish off with the remaining streusel (I know it might seem like a lot, but trust me it’s going to be amazing!).
- Bake 50 to 60 minutes, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 10-12 minutes before drizzling with icing.
Icing:
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and half & half. Whisk together until smooth. Drizzle over the top of the warm coffee cake.
Notes
- This cake is really best served warm! Go ahead and heat individual servings in the microwave for 10-20 seconds if you are serving it after the cake has cooled.
- This cake will keep well covered on the counter for 2-3 days. If there is still any left, store it covered in the fridge for a few more days.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Cakes & Cupcakes
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Cook’s Illustrated Baking Book
This was a fun recipe! My 5 year old daughter and I made it for my husband for Father’s Day tomorrow. It was a great recipe for her to help me with as it had lots of fun things for her to do. The coffee cake turned out amazing!! We had a little sample this afternoon when it was still warm. Thank you for sharing this recipe! It’s the first coffee cake I’ve ever made. I will definitely make it again for special occasions.
Hi Stacey! I love that your daughter helped you. What a perfect treat to make for Father’s Day. So happy to hear you loved it and that it turned out. Thanks for letting me know! Take care.
This is a fabulous recipe but mine was somehow much bigger as I had to put it in a 11×15 pan. I will make it
Again. Thanks.
Is the butter in the cake melted or just softened?
Thanks!
The butter is softened in the cake, like it says in the recipe. I’d love to hear back if you give this a try.
Made it today but it took 80 minutes to bake.
★★★★
Hey Maryanne, glad you made this. Ovens all bake differently. I’m guessing if yours took that much longer, your oven may be cooking at a lower temp and may need to be calibrated. I keep an oven thermometer in my oven so I can always check to see if it’s heating up to the temperature I set it at.
I was wondering if the cake could be frozen so I would have it at my fingertips when I felt like a fast bit of yummy ness?
Hi Kathy! Yes you can freeze this cake. I could cut it into pieces before you freeze it and then you can just pull out a piece and let it thaw when you need a treat! Enjoy!
Best ever! I add maple and butter extract to the crumbles as well.
I usually do sour cream but today I didn’t have any so I used my vanilla Greek yogurt And it turned out perfectly!
★★★★★
So happy you made and loved this! Greek yogurt is always a great substitute for sour cream and I’m sure the vanilla yogurt added even more flavor. YUM!
This recipe sounds wonderful. Can I make it in a Bundt pan?
★★★★★
Hi Elizabeth, I have never made this in a bundt pan, but I’m sure you could.
I made this recipe for the first time a few days ago for a brunch pot luck I was attending. Excellent results! It was moist and yummy. Brought home an empty dish and lots of compliments! I’m looking forward to trying other things on your site now! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you Laurie!
I’m dying to make this. My sister made it and said it turned out great! But do you think I can halve the recipe?
Hi Rebecca! Yes you can absolutely half this recipe. Make it in an 8×8 pan.