Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Want the ultimate streusel coffee cake? This easy recipe has a little cake topped with an unholy amount of sweet and spicy cinnamon streusel. A sugar coma is guaranteed with this coffee cake recipe, so I only bring it out on special occasions.
This recipe, adapted from The Foster’s Market Cookbook, is everything a coffeecake should be: copious amounts of crumb topping nestled into a little bit of cake and then liberally dusted with powdered sugar. I’m not talking meh-equal-parts crumb: cake here. I’m talking about a 2:1 ratio. Two parts crumb to one part cake! Like my grandmother’s fried dough, it’s not an everyday treat.
In fact, think of the cake solely as a delivery method to get the crumb to your mouth.
Table of Contents
- 1 Why you’ll love this cinnamon streusel coffee cake
- 2 Ingredients needed for streusel coffee cake:
- 3 How to make the cinnamon streusel topping:
- 4 How to make the coffee cake batter:
- 5 Pro-Tip:
- 6 Swaps and Variations:
- 7 FAQ’s
- 8 More coffee cakes (with and without streusel) that you’ll love:
- 9 Cinnamon Pecan Crumble Coffee Cake
Why you’ll love this cinnamon streusel coffee cake
- It’s a simple streusel coffee cake that delivers big on the cinnamon streusel topping.
- It uses all the sugars: granulated, brown sugar, and powdered sugar.
- It can be made ahead of time.
- It freezes well.
- The recipe can be doubled.
Ingredients needed for streusel coffee cake:
- All Purpose Flour
- Light Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Butter (a lot of butter)
- Pecans
- Granulated Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Eggs
- Canola Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Confectioners Sugar
There are two sticks of butter in the topping alone. But it’s the holidays. We don’t do this all the time, so a sliver of over-the-top indulgence is worth it!
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Seriously, how often are you rendered speechless by cinnamon streusel coffee cake?
What is streusel topping made of?
In this case, sugar, flour, spices, and butter. A lot of butter. Many streusel recipes use cold butter and cut it into a flour and sugar mixture giving it more of a crumbly vibe. This recipe uses melted butter to coat the flour and give the cinnamon streusel topping more of a New York crumb cake feel.
How to make the cinnamon streusel topping:
- In a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter to it.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to mix the ingredients together, then add the pecans and mix together with your clean hands.
How to make the coffee cake batter:
- Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Mix milk, oil, egg, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. (You don’t even need a hand mixer).
- Pour the coffee cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Layer the cinnamon streusel topping evenly across the top of the batter.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
- Let the streusel coffee cake cool for a few minutes in the pan before removing it.
Pro-Tip:
To make it easier to get the cinnamon streusel coffee cake out of the pan for serving, line it with parchment paper that overhangs the sides of the pan. Just lift the ends and transfer the cake to a cutting board or cake dish when it’s cooled.
Swaps and Variations:
- Use walnuts instead of pecans in the topping or go sans nuts for pure cinnamon streusel indulgence.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for the other spices called for in the cinnamon streusel topping.
- Instead of dusting the streusel coffee cake with powdered sugar, drizzle on a glaze made with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of cream.
FAQ’s
Yes. You can bake the streusel coffee cake a day ahead of time. You can keep it well-wrapped on a counter at room temperature.
Yes. Wrap the cake well and freeze for up to 2 months.
When kept at room temperature, you can nibble on leftovers for several days (3-4). It takes longer if you’re storing it in the refrigerator. If you keep it in the fridge, I recommend letting the streusel coffee cake rest for 20 minutes at room temperature before enjoying — to give the flavors of the buttery cinnamon streusel a chance to be fully appreciated. (Cold temperatures mute flavors).
I mean look at that! It’s cinnamon streusel coffeecake nirvana! And just in time for your holiday morning.
This cake is perfect as is, but if you want to gild the lily even further — powdered sugar will amp up the festive-factor!
Serve steaming cups of hot coffee and flutes of chilled mimosas (or both) to wash down this heavenly confection while watching the kids tear into their presents!
More coffee cakes (with and without streusel) that you’ll love:
- Cranberry Coffee Cake with Leftover Cranberry Sauce
- Glazed Cherry Almond Coffee Cake
- Mixed Berry Buckle (Streusel Coffeecake)
- Pineapple Coconut Streusel Cake (a.k.a. Buckle Cake)
- Lemon Strawberry Crumb Cake
- Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Braid
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Cinnamon Pecan Crumble Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS:
For Topping
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2¼ teaspoons cinnamon ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon allspice ground
- 2 sticks unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup pecans chopped
For Cake
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Prepare a 8×8 inch square baking pan by spraying with vegetable spray and lining the bottom and sides of a pan with parchment paper. (Cut the paper 8″ wide and about 12″ long so that the bottom and two sides are covered and there is overhang on either side of the pan). Spray the parchment paper with vegetable spray and set aside.
Make the topping
- in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and whisk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the melted butter to it. Mix to combine, then add the pecans and use your clean hands to thoroughly mix them in. Topping should have a loose, crumbly consistency. Set aside.
For the cake
- Add the flour sugar, baking powder and salt to a small bowl – and whisk to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Add the crumble topping evenly across the batter. (It will look like you’ve got WAY TOO MUCH topping — but use it all.)
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake rises and the topping bakes into the dough.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the pan. Run a knife along the edge to loosen the cake and lift it from the pan to a cutting board. Cut into 9 equal squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
NUTRITION:
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This needs to be baked for much longer than listed. Baked for the recommended 40 minutes, let it cool, cut into it and it is still gooey. Going to put it back in the oven for longer now.
Good morning. This looks almost too good to be true. However, am I missing something? I don’t see any pecans listed as an ingredient in either topping or cake, and I see comments about 1 stick of butter in topping alone, while I see in the ingredients, that two sticks of butter are called for. I wear glasses but I hope I’m not that blind. Please advise. Thanks, Barry
Sorry about that Barry! You are correct. Use one cup of chopped pecans for the topping.
Can you use pecans instead of walnuts
Absolutely! I think that would go very nicely! Let me know how it works — but let your Mom know this is a sugar bomb!
Mmm I love cakes with a crumble topping like this, this one looks life a perfect mid morning snack
Oh my, I need to make this and pray very hard that I will not eat it all on the same day! 😀
One piece will put you in a food coma… no worries on overdoing it with the whole thing.
why would you review a recipe before you’ve tried it, throws off the ratings
This is my kind of coffee cake, the more crumb the better. The crumb is the best bit, right? 🙂
That coffee cake is speaking my name! I feel more virtuous when I only use a little crumb topping, but this is the cake I really want. 🙂 I need to put this on my holiday baking list.
Yes, this is the cake that everyone secretly wants…
Your pictures are incredible! I love the in-motion ones. And this cake looks pretty tasty–but it would in any light 😉
Thank you, Ashley! I appreciate that!
I don’t even care that there is a full stick of butter just in the topping. That topping looks incredible and is my favorite part of coffeecake crumbles. I need this cookbook and to get this recipe started. I know I would love it!
The topping is absolutely the best part — but boy is it rich!
I’m completely with you on the ratio… give me all the crumbs! This looks fantastic and would make a wonderful addition to a holiday brunch!
That’s the plan!
This has to be the best looking coffee cake I’ve seen in a while. Perfect to serve for a Holiday breakfast 🙂
Thank you Stephanie! We don’t have coffee cake often, but when we do….
This sounds crazy delicious! I’ll have to try this. Would be lovely with afternoon tea!
But it’s not Gluten Free Amanda — though I have one coming soon that is!
I’d love nothing more than to wake up to this on Christmas morning! Now I’ve got to run to the store!
I’ve been to the store at least 8 times so far this week!
I love pecan pie and I love cinnamon, so this sound like heaven!
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Give it a try and let me know how you like it! Merry Christmas!
This looks so moist and delicious and the perfect dessert for Christmas dinner!!! An entire stick of butter in the topping? Yep, sounds like my kind of once-a-year indulgent dessert!
We don’t have the willpower to wait until Christmas dinner – that’s why it’s eaten for brunch!
I have the Foster’s Market Cookbook too – it’s such a great source of inspiration. Love what you have done with this Cinnamon Pecan Crumble Coffeecake – it looks amazing. I would love to have your coffeecake for breakfast on Christmas morning. Cinnamon, Pecans, Crumble – it’s everything I love!
You and me both!
Sounds perfect for a holiday breakfast (or any breakfast, for that matter). 😉 I love how simple it is. I might have to try it gluten-free!
I’d be curious to see how you do that… let me know.
I could dive head first into this coffeecake! Divine with the pecans, brown sugar, butter, and spices, all on top. OH BOY!
I DID dive head first!
Anything with cinnamon is a yes for me! This looks so yummy!
It’s everything you look for in a coffee cake!
Wow, umm when can I come over??? This looks amazing!
Thanks, Amanda — it really IS!