Better Than Box Mix Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake
Years ago, a friend served a cinnamon crumb coffee cake that was so good I immediately asked for the recipe. When I raved about it, she surprised me by saying it was just a simple boxed mix from the grocery store. For years, I served it as a special breakfast treat.
But as we’ve become more intentional about knowing what’s in our food, I’ve started looking for from-scratch recipes made with better ingredients. This coffee cake is an easy swap for that boxed version—and just as good, if not better.
It has all the cozy cinnamon warmth you’d expect, topped with a sweet, buttery crumb that bakes up perfectly golden. It’s a rainy Saturday kind of treat, best served with a strong cup of coffee and a slow morning at home.
Coffee cake is good, but oh my—you need to try our cinnamon rolls.
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Ingredients
STREUSEL
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter (COLD) cut into small pieces
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbs milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×9-inch baking pan and set aside.
STREUSEL
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter. Mix until pea-sized clumps form—I like to use my hands for this. Refrigerate the mixture while you prepare the cake.
CAKE
- In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients—flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt—and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (I use my KitchenAid), beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Then add half of the sour cream and mix until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream, mixing until the batter is fully combined.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the top in an even layer.
- Top with the remaining cake batter, spreading it evenly over the streusel layer. Finish by sprinkling the remaining streusel over the top.
- Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Be careful not to overbake.
- Whisk together the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth to make the glaze.
- Allow the cake to cool completely, then drizzle with the glaze before serving.