Easy Coffee Cake - A delicious and easy coffee cake made with a doctored-up yellow cake mix and filled and topped with crumbly, buttery cinnamon streusel!
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When I was in elementary school, every morning, I stopped by my best friend, Kate's house. Kate lived across from the Catholic school we attended, so I'd pop in every day and we'd head over to school together.
I often would arrive just as the kids (there were six of them) were sitting down to eat breakfast. Once and awhile, in between oatmeal and Malt O' Meal days, her mom would make coffee cake, and it was the best ever.
The smell of coffee cake baking in the oven still gets me to this day. I mean, there's just something heavenly about having "cake" for breakfast.
Today, I'm sharing a super EASY coffee cake recipe that the entire family is going to love!
Making the Coffee Cake
To begin, you'll need a box of yellow cake mix (just the mix), sour cream, melted butter, eggs and water.
When the batter is ready, you'll pour half of it into a greased 13x9" pan.
Next, you'll prepare the cinnamon sugar streusel topping. This stuff is SO good and it really makes the coffee cake.
Half of the streusel topping gets sprinkled over the layer of cake batter.
When adding the next layer of batter, drop it in dollops over the streusel, doing your best not to disturb the streusel. Spread the batter out gently to the sides of the pan with the back of a spatula.
Add the remaining streusel and pop it in the oven.
I've found that the cake normally has to bake a bit longer than a standard box cake. When it's done the top should be browned and may even be a bit "crackly." That's okay!
I allow the cake to cool just a little while before I cut it. When it comes to coffee cake, it should really be served warm.
What I love most about this coffee cake is the cinnamon streusel. The hidden center layer is a wonderful surprise and pretty much "makes the cake."
If you have any coffee cake left over, you can use your microwave to warm up pieces of the cake the next day.
You'll find that after the first piece, you'll want another. So, if the thought of two pieces of cake makes you feel a bit guilty, then just make sure you serve yourself up a generous cut the first time round. ?
Make a pan of this easy coffee cake this weekend for Mother's Day. It's the perfect addition to a Sunday brunch!
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Easy Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Package yellow cake mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- 4 eggs
For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter (chilled and cut into cubes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream, water, butter and eggs.
- Pour half the batter into a lightly greased 13x9" baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, prepare cinnamon streusel topping by combining flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt.
- Cut in chilled butter until you get a crumble consistency.
- Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture on top of the cake batter in the pan.
- Drop dollops of the remaining batter on top of the streusel mixture.
- Spread batter gently out to edges of pan.
- Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture on top of the cake batter.
- Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
Notes
- Even Distribution of Streusel: When layering the streusel topping, ensure it is evenly distributed throughout the cake for consistent flavor in every bite. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the first layer of batter, then add dollops of the remaining batter on top before adding the rest of the streusel. This method ensures a balanced distribution of streusel throughout the cake.
- Cold Butter for Streusel: Using chilled butter for the streusel topping is essential for achieving the desired crumbly texture. Cut the butter into cubes and incorporate it into the dry ingredients until you achieve a crumbly consistency. This step ensures that the streusel bakes into delicious, buttery pockets of flavor throughout the cake.
- Proper Baking Time: To ensure your coffee cake is perfectly baked, monitor it closely towards the end of the baking time. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, and if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake is ready. Overbaking can lead to a dry texture, so it's crucial to check for doneness at the recommended time and adjust if necessary.
teresa
This looks delicious. Wonder if a spice cake mix would work as well? Also, would it bake well in loaf pans??
Sara
You could try a spice cake mix. I've never baked it in loaf pans but I'm thinking it should work fine!
Bridget
I made this today mostly as written but made a few minor changes to the topping. I added an extra tsp of cinnamon, increased brown sugar to 1 cup, and decreased white sugar to 1/4 cup (tried to keep total sugar very close to your original). This turned out perfectly. Everyone enjoyed the cake. I found the cake was done at 35 minutes. Excellent recipe. I look forward to trying a few more of your recipes. Thank you!
Sara
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake, Bridget! I love coffee cake!
Marco
Cake for breakfast, yes please! I'm going to try this at the weekend, the layer in the middle looks delicious and must make it so moist!