Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe

There are some recipes that feel like they belong to every family kitchen, even if nobody remembers exactly where the recipe came from. Cinnamon coffee cake is one of those. It’s the kind of thing that showed up on weekend mornings, church tables, neighbor visits, and those “company is coming over, we need something with coffee” moments.

And of course, if you grew up with a yellow box of Bisquick in the pantry, you probably remember the Bisquick coffee cake. It was quick, dependable, and had that cinnamon-sugar topping that made the whole kitchen smell like someone was making an effort, even if the measuring cup was doing most of the heavy lifting.

I have a soft spot for those old back-of-the-box recipes. They were practical, budget-friendly, and didn’t ask you to dirty every bowl in the kitchen. But this homemade coffee cake is so much better. It keeps the same easy spirit, but the cake is softer, the cinnamon layer is richer, and the crumb topping has that buttery homemade texture you just don’t get from a mix.

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Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This full-size cinnamon crumb coffee cake is soft, moist, and layered with brown sugar cinnamon filling and a buttery crumb topping. Inspired by the classic Bisquick coffee cake, this homemade version has the same easy, nostalgic charm but with a richer flavor and a softer crumb.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cinnamon coffee cake, cinnamon crumb cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 9 slices

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ⅔ cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 2 teaspoons White Vinegar

Cinnamon Filling

• ⅔ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon Cinnamon

Crumble Topping

• ⅔ cup ⅔ cup All Purpose Flour
• ⅔ cup ⅔ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ cup Unsalted Butter cold

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and grease your 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish.
2. Then start by adding the vinegar to the milk for the batter and let sit while you continue making the other parts of this recipe.
3. Make the cinnamon filling by stirring together all of the ingredients for the cinnamon filling; brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
4. Then make crumble topping by stirring together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Once stirred, cut in the cold butter until most of the dry ingredients have mixed with the butter.
5. Finally, make the batter by whisking together the dry ingredients, the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, in a large bowl.
6. Then in another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, the vegetable oil, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and vinegar & milk mixture. Then pour into the bowl with the mixed dry ingredients and combine well with a spoon.
7. Pour about half of the batter into your greased baking dish.
8. Then add the filling on top of the batter, evenly.
9. Pour the rest of the batter on top, and then sprinkle the crumble topping on top of the batter, evenly.
10. Bake for about 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Let cool slightly before slicing, serving, and enjoying!

Recipe Notes

• To make the icing on top, stir together about 1 cup of powdered sugar with about 1 tablespoon of milk, adjusting as needed for your desired consistency.
• If you use a 9 inch by 9 inch baking dish then the coffee cake will be thinner than shown in the pictures and you may need to reduce the baking time and start checking if it’s done at around 40-45 minutes, and then continue checking in 5 minute intervals.
• The milk and vinegar will look a little weird, or even slightly chunky after letting it sit for a few minutes. We mix these ingredients together to mimic a buttermilk.

A Few Notes Before Baking

• Use a light hand when mixing the batter. Over mixing can make the cake a little tough instead of tender.
• The batter is thick, so when you add the top layer over the cinnamon filling, spoon it in small dollops across the pan first. Then gently spread it out with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
• Check the cake at 40 minutes. Every oven is a little different, your beautiful coffee cake can go from perfectly baked to a little dry if left too long.
• Let the cake cool before cutting. Warm coffee cake is lovely, but if you slice it too soon, the cinnamon layer and crumb topping may crumble apart more than you’d like.
• Measure out all your ingredients and read the recipe before starting.

How To Make This Cinnamon Coffee Cake

How to Store Coffee Cake

• Store the cooled coffee cake in an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly.
• At room temperature, it will keep well for about 2 days.
• If your kitchen is warm, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let the slices come to room temperature before serving, or warm them briefly in the microwave.
• To freeze, cut the cake into squares and wrap each piece individually. Place the wrapped slices in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.