This is truly the very BEST streusel coffee cake recipe you’ll ever find. It’s so moist and buttery with rich streusel filling in every bite. You’ll never make another coffee cake after trying this one!
If you love streusel, then this incredibly moist coffee cake that is full of streusel will be your favorite to make for breakfast, brunch, the holidays or to take to an office meeting. It feeds a crowd and never disappoints.
This Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe has all the streusel!
There are certain foods that you like because of what you remember eating as a child. My mom made biscuick coffee cake which I loved with a cinnamon brown sugar streusel but there was never enough streusel. This streusel coffee cake recipe has so much streusel that you might miss the incredibly tender cake surrounding it.
You’ll find some streusel coffee cakes are a little dry with just a sliver of streusel, that is not this recipe. With all the butter, I promise this will not be dry! While Starbucks streusel coffee cake is good, it can’t hold a candle to this coffee cake.
If streusels not your thing, try a moist cream cheese coffee cake.
What is a coffee cake?
Coffee cake is a cake that you can enjoy with coffee or tea, generally served for breakfast or brunch. It typically does not have a frosting and is less sweet than a traditional layer cake, although some coffee cakes like cherry and raspberry coffee cake has a powdered sugar drizzle.
Why you’ll love this Streusel Coffee Cake
This recipe is my “go to” coffee cake recipe. It has tons of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon on the top that oozes down into the cake so that you get some in every bite. While I love the streusel part, others love the cake part, it’s super moist.
You really can’t mess this up, so feel safe ,making it for breakfast or brunch especially when you have a crowd. It makes a lot and is pretty rich from all the butter, so it will go a long way.
I’m not sure why, but sometimes the streusel falls to the bottom and sometimes it hangs out in the middle, and sometimes it stays on top. Despite all the times I’ve made this I can’t figure out why. I promise, it’s fabulous where ever it ends up.
I’ve researched this issue and it could be do to the amount of flour. Some think that more flour will keep the streusel from falling, who knows. If I liked it one way more than another, I might do more experimentation but it makes no difference in this recipe.
Moist Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake ingredients
- Butter – lots of it, one and a half sticks softened
- Whole milk – you need the real deal for a moist cake
- Egg whites
- Pantry items – flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
What you’ll need for buttery streusel
- Butter – another stick and a half for a total of 3 sticks
- Pecans – we can’t make anything in the South without pecans, but they’re totally optional or you could use walnuts.
- Pantry items – brown sugar, flour, cinnamon
How to make this Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe
Step 1:
First make the batter which has plenty of butter and whole milk to keep it moist. Cream the butter and then alternate flour and milk and fold in egg whites.
Step 2:
Prepare the amazing streusel topping. Nothing unusual, just butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans. The Streusel goes on the top and as it cooks it falls into the batter or sometimes stays on top.
Step 3:
Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes. The center should not be jiggly.
I’ve made this several times, and never managed to get a photo. When I took it to work last week and had several requests for the recipe, I thought it was time to share it on the blog.
I made this the first time for Natalie when she was in high school and having a review session with her Euro class. I sent it in with the caveat that they had to get some good shots with their phones. Everyone was too busy eating to take a photo. At least I had an excuse to make it again. Which I have over and over again because everyone is always asking for it.
If you like coffee cake with a brown sugar butter streusel, you can stop searching for the perfect recipe. This coffee cake is great to take to work for a morning meeting or to serve at your next brunch. It’s great slightly warm but still delicious at room temperature.
How to serve Pecan Coffee Cake
Streusel coffee cake can be served warm or at room temperature. It is best served with coffee or tea.
Storing this Streusel Coffee Cake Recipe
You can store a coffee cake at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for about a week although it will dry out quicker in the refrigerator. It will easily freeze and will stay fresh for 3 months.
Can you freeze a streusel cake?
Absolutely, this makes a lot so let it cool to room temperature and then freeze. To serve, let it thaw and serve at room temperature or microwave for about 10 seconds.
How long does cinnamon coffee cake last?
Coffee cake can last up to three months if frozen in an airtight container. After that it will tend to dry out.
Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake FAQs
I believe the reason that sometimes the streusel sinks and sometimes it doesn’t is do the amount of flour. A little more flour should keep the streusel on top, so if you prefer it that way, be generous with your flour measurements.
By gently adding them to the cake batter it helps make a light and moist cake.
A cinnamon cake is typically a cake with frosting while a coffee cake may have cinnamon but is not meant to be frosted.
Coffee cake does not contain coffee, thank goodness, I’m a tea drinker. It is just meant to be served with coffee or tea at breakfast or brunch. It is not meant to be served as a dessert.
More coffee cake recipes
- Peach Streusel Coffee Cake using fresh or frozen peaches
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake uses strawberry jam, great when there’s no fresh fruit around
- Cherry and Raspberry Coffee Cake, has no streusel but is delicious
Breakfast recipes to feed a crowd
- Try a batch of blueberry streusel muffins
- Sheet pan pancakes are a great way to serve pancakes to everyone at the same time
- Make a batch of orange sweet rolls
- Crispy French toast sticks are a big hit in our house
- Try an overnight casserole with brie
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
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Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1½ sticks butter softened (¾ cup)
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups whole milk
- 3 egg whites beaten until stiff
TOPPING
- 1½ sticks butter softened (¾ cup)
- ¾ cup flour
- 1½ cups brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 1½ cups pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Butter a large 9 x 13 baking pan.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat egg whites and set aside
- Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add flour mixture and milk alternately until combined. Don’t over beat. Fold in egg whites with a rubber spatula. Spread into pan.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. With a pastry cutter add butter and combine until crumbly. Sprinkle all over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until no longer jiggly.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Sometimes the streusel sinks to the bottom and sometimes it doesn’t, it’s great either way.
- Do not over mix the batter and gently fold in the egg whites.
- You can leave out the pecans or use walnuts instead.
- Don’t over cook this, all ovens are different so remove when the center no longer jiggles.
Nutrition
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This looks so delicious!
Tastes as good as it looks!