This Sour Cream Coffee Cake from Mary Younkin’s cookbook, The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook, is a recipe you’ll make again and again. With a moist, tender cake and two layers of cinnamon streusel, this morning treat is hard to resist. It is THE perfect accompaniment to your weekend morning coffee!
As I was making this coffee cake, it reminded me of one that I loved when I was little, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then it came to me: it tastes like the Hostess Coffee Cakes, only 1 MILLION times better! I already can’t wait to make it again.
This Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake is something special I tell ya.
Not only is it super duper delicious, but the recipe was created by one of my blogging besties.
Mary Younkin of Barefeet in the Kitchen has published not her first, but her second cookbook.
The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook is one that I think should be in EVERY kitchen!
Order it on Amazon!
Between her first, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook, and her second, AND her third, The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook, Mary’s got all your kitchen conundrums figured out.
Her recipes are delicious, easy to follow, easy to make and are ones you’ll use again and again.
I know I do!
I bought her first cookbook for each of my kids to start their own collection.
They make a great gift for any cook, and the trio will make a great Mother’s Day present!
SAVE THIS SOUR CREAM CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Why is it called Coffee Cake?
Before we go any further, there is NO coffee in this recipe. Whenever I post a recipe for a coffee cake, like this one, I inevitably get questions about the coffee missing from the ingredients.
The reason this (and others like it) is called a “coffee cake” is because it is a sweet cake that is most often enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee. I read that the tradition started in Germany in the 16th century. You can search why coffee cakes are called coffee cakes yourself and read more about it!
Ingredients for Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Gather the following ingredients to make this delicious coffee cake:
Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sour cream
Streusel Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup butter, melted
How to Make Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake
You’ll have this delicious sour cream coffee cake recipe ready in under an hour!
- First, make your streusel by combining the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix everything together with a fork until clumps are formed, then set aside.
- Now let’s make the cake batter! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×9-inch pan with butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, then add the sour cream. Mix everything together until well combined.
- Finally, it’s time to assemble and bake the coffee cake. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it to cover the bottom of the pan with an offset spatula. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon streusel in an even layer over the batter. Finish pouring the remaining batter, then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Tips for Making this Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- In the cookbook, Mary’s recipe calls for a 10-inch square pan but I couldn’t find one in any of my local stores, so used a 9-inch square and then adjusted the baking time slightly.
- I used my fingers to spread the butter into the pan; that way I was able to put it into all the corners of the baking dish and the cake came out of the pan without any issue.
- The streusel is not a dry, crumbly one like you may have had. I found it easiest to use my hands to spread it. A spoon was just distributing it in large clumps and separating it with my fingers allowed me to make smaller crumbles.
How to Store Leftover Coffee Cake
Store leftovers wrapped tightly at room temperature for 1-2 days, or if you want them to last longer, place them in an airtight container and store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Can you freeze Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Sour Cream?
Yes, you can freeze the entire cake by double-wrapping it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap and then placing it in a freezer bag. Or store individual slices in an airtight container. Coffee cake will last 2-3 months in the freezer.
To thaw, place it on the counter for about an hour and a half. You can warm it in the oven if desired or eat it at room temperature.
More Brunch Recipes
This Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake is going to be a delicious addition to any brunch table as well.
- Also perfect for that brunch table are my Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also pretty to look at, too!
- If you have lemon lovers invited to your brunch, these Lemon Crepes might just be one of the highlights of the day. Made with this Easy Crepe Recipe, they have the perfect balance of tart and sweet.
- Every brunch needs some meat to go along with the eggs, potatoes, and pastries, so why not add these Cheesy Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls? They’re made with sausage links and store-bought puff pastry, so they’re really easy to put together.
- These Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins are not only perfect for brunch, but they’ll also be great for those busy weekday mornings. I love how perfect the serving size is, too!
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is a great breakfast to make the night before a busy morning. It’s so helpful to have a make-ahead recipe like this, especially when things get crazy during the holiday season!
- My husband loves potatoes with his eggs on the weekends, so this Fall Breakfast Hash Recipe is a great recipe for a Sunday brunch or any special occasions like Christmas morning or Mother’s Day!
- You can’t go wrong with fresh blueberries! Everyone will go back for seconds when you set this Easy Blueberry Crumb Cake Recipe on the table.
FOLLOW ME
FACEBOOK ~ PINTEREST
INSTAGRAM ~ TWITTER
YOUTUBE
Keep an eye out for more of my easy recipes each week!
Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cinnamon Streusel
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup butter melted
Cake
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
Cinnamon Streusel
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter in a medium bowl. Mix together with a fork until clumps are formed.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. and grease a 9 X 9-inch pan with butter.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture.
- Add the sour cream and mix until well combined.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan and with an offset spatula, spread to cover the bottom.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon streusel evenly over the cake batter.
- Cover with remaining batter and then sprinkle again with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with moist crumbs. Cool completely before slicing.
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated with pictures on 8/3/21, and 4/19/24. It was originally published 4/22/18.
Comments & Reviews
I am thrilled that you like the new cookbook so much, Lynne! This coffee cake makes me happy every time I make it. I’m so glad you love it too!
Now I’m curious about the taste of this food hmm
I love these recipes, but please for the love of all that is good in this world, just have the recipe. I hate having to go through everyone’s life story before I get to the actual recipe. This is a good one, I’m currently make it as I type this.
I agree. Just post the recipe please
I totally agree!! Or at least have a jump to recipe link.
Then you do the blog
I tried to sign up for Mary’s blog Barefeet in the Kitchen but, I keep getting this message?? Object doesn’t support property or method ‘find’ I just typed my e-mail in the subscribe to newsletter and that’s what it says I have never had that problem before. I am so glad you will be posting more often love your recipes. Thanks for this one I love coffee cake.
A warm cup of milk with this coffee cakes makes my day.
What if I didn’t put the streusel in the middle and left it plain? Just streusel on top?chris
Chris, you can. You’ll just have a lot of streusel on top. So, I’d think about only making 1/2 the streusel recipe if you’re going to do that. Or enjoy the whole thing!
Love this recipe! Just what i was looking for and easy to make!
I made this today, it was delicious and baked up perfectly! I’m sure it’s good cold, but my family devoured it up while still warm, it’s a keeper!
Melissa, I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know and I guess you’ll just have to make it again to try it cold! That is IF it even lasts that long. 😉
Silly question, but How do I store it-if make at night for kids to have at breakfast-refrigerate? Counter?if so, Does it need to be heated before eating
Followed exactly. Mine came out bad. I have read it over and over, and I don’t know what went wrong but mine was far too sweet and the strusell seemed to mix all in.
My strusell did thé same thing. It’s still in the oven where it’s been for way longer than it was supposed to be, but the strusell is just a liquid mess on the top
Mine was doing that too so i took the tiny pieces of strudel out. I then laid my strudel on a parchment paper flat and waited for the cake to get a bit thicker in the oven to hold the strudels weight. In the oven now so well see if its any good. Lol
Same here. I think there is a typo. Should be 2 cups flour in the cake part. Even after baking 45 minutes it was mush inside. Very frustrating. Owner of this page should correct the mistake. 😡
Emily, there is no typo. The recipe calls for 1 1/3 cups of flour and will stay that way. It is not a mistake.
This recipe was copied exactly as it was printed in the cookbook. In order for it to be in the cookbook, the recipe was tested numerous times and would not have been printed had it not baked successfully. I have made this recipe numerous times without any issues.
There have been times when I have baked things in our previous home and our oven was registering about 75 degrees lower than the temperature I was setting it at. Could that be what happened to you? Or did you use a different size pan? That will also alter the amount of baking time.
I’m sorry that you’re frustrated. I know it is upsetting when you follow a recipe and it doesn’t turn out as expected.
I followed the recipe exactly. It tasted just “ok”. Nothing great about it. I have another recipe that is much better. The streusel crumble was very dry so too much flour. Def taste the flour.
How about a Gluten Free version?
Just use gluten free flour blend instead of wheat flour. Let the batter set for 1/2 hour covered before putting it together. That will hydrate the rice flour and get rid of the gritty texture. I also cook for an extra 5 minutes to get rid of the mushy texture of gf baked goods. Let cool completely. If you pop in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds before eating it makes it taste just baked .
Can’t wait to make this for Sunday Morning Sunday School. Gonna double ingredients and use a larger baking pan. I’ll update after I fix it this weekend.
I”m going to make this next time I host my book club. Looks delicious and not hard
Thanks, Allison! I’m sure everyone will love it!
1 cup of flour only..thanks
3/4 of a cup of butter for the topping? That’s 1.5 sticks or 12 tablespoons, is that the correct amount? Seems like a lot…
That is the correct amount of butter, Jordan.
The strudel is like cake batter and not crumbly as strudel should be! Won’t be saving this recipe! Something is wrong!
Jenni, you are right the strudel is not crumbly like many strudels people are used to, but it does work in the recipe. I’ve made this recipe numerous times and have not had any issues with it.
This recipe is on more reason I will begin to only try recipes from printed, trusted cookbooks and those that I get from friends & family. I consider myself a pretty good baker and enjoy baking so whenI saw 3/4 cup melted butter (!) in the ‘streusel’, I knew something wasn’t right. I tried it anyway because I had some sour cream I was wanting to finish. I baked the cake in a 9″ square pan for 39 minutes, everyone’s oven is differerent so that didn’t bother me…put a toothpick in and it came out clean. The cake, however, is heavy and still a bit underdone. In what cake recipe is there more flour and butter in the ‘streusel’ than the cake? The streusel is more of a dough, I think. Anyway, I’ll stick with my mother in law’s tried and true recipe. I would be interested in others’ experiences with this coffee cake recipe.
Lisa, this recipe did come from a printed cookbook.
The amount of butter called for in the recipe is correct. The cake itself is on the heavier side, not a light and airy cake as some coffee cakes might be, but it’s just as delicious. The streusel is definitely a thicker consistency, as opposed to a lighter crumb as what you might be used to making.
Personally, for the half dozen or so times that I’ve made this recipe, I haven’t had any issues with it not turning out as it should. It sounds as if you prepared and made it as directed, and I’m sorry if the recipe wasn’t to your liking.
This looks amazing, and I’m planning on making it in the morning, but PLEASE add a ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the beginning of the post! There’s is WAY too much stuff to scroll through before getting to the recipe! Honestly, 1-2 paragraphs is all you need, not a whole life documentary.
I’m pretty sure I need this book! This coffee cake looks incredible! This looks like the perfect companion for my morning coffee.
David, you most definitely do! All three of Mary’s cookbooks are wonderful, the recipes easy and delicious, so I know you’ll love them!
And yes, this Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake will go PERFECTLY with your morning coffee!
Oh, and if you’re looking for a seasonal holiday coffee cake, Mary created a Cranberry Coffee Cake in her newest cookbook which I have here on the blog as well:
https://www.365daysofbakingandmore.com/cranberry-coffee-cake/
There is something wrong with the topping ingredients. Following the recipe the streuselcame out like a paste not crumbly. There’s definitely too much butter.
Fran, yes the topping may be a thicker consistency than other coffee cakes or crumb toppings you may have made in the past, but Mary (the author of the cookbook from which I copied the recipe EXACTLY) tested, retested and had many others test the recipe as well before her cookbook went to print.
If you feel that you need to adjust any of the ingredients to your liking, please feel free to do so.
There is something wrong with the topping ingredients. Following the recipe the streuselcame out like a paste not crumbly. There’s definitely too much butter.
This recipe is taken directly from Mary’s cookbook and the recipe itself was tested multiple times by many people before it went to print. I myself, have made it multiple times as well. While it may not be the typical crumbly streusel coffee cake topping you might be used to, it is still delicious and works with this recipe.
Please feel free to use cold butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it into the dry ingredients.
Could put the cake tonight and bake tomorrow
Mary, I would make and bake the cake the same day, not bake the morning after you assemble it.
I just made this recipe and I followed it to the letter. I had the same problem with the topping. I think the mistake is not the amount of butter but melting the butter is the mistake. In order to make crumb topping you don’t use melted butter. Instead you cut the butter in by using a pastry blender.
This looks so good! Can’t wait to try it.
My husband absolutely loved this! Will definitely make it again.
I made this exactly as written, and it turned out pretty good! Mine did end up in the oven for almost 40 minutes until I was satisfied with the toothpick. Very good recipe, and I’ll
Make it again!
Thank you for sharing this. Loving your blog. Recipe is awesome.
I am going to be making the Easy Cinnamon Sour Cake but using a bundt pan. Any suggestions on how to keep the topping ” on the top” this way? I’m thinking that I would try to line the bundt pan bottom with the topping and then fill partial then more topping and finish off with remainder of batter?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks and happy baking!!
Debbie, you read my mind because that is exactly what I would have suggested you do when using a bundt pan to make this recipe. Place half the topping in the bottom of the pan, then top with 1/3 to less than half the batter. Cover with the remaining cinnamon streusel and then remaining batter. Because the pan is larger towards the top, you want to make sure you have enough batter to cover the streusel for that last layer if that makes sense.
Melt in your mouth buttery, cinnamony bliss! <3
I used a 8×8 pan. Recipe was easy to follow, I sprinkled some cinnamon on top before baking. Crumb topping was perfect, coffee cake delicious! Recipe is a keeper, thank you for sharing.
i will make this sure and eat it with a cup of coffee.
Made in a bundt pan added crushed walnuts turned out awsome!!!!! Thank you for a new favorite coffee cake