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    Home » Cakes And Cheesecakes

    August 2, 2023

    The Best Coffee Cake With Coffee

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This is a moist and tender coffee cake with coffee in it, topped off with a cinnamon coffee streusel and a simple coffee icing. The recipe is incredibly simple, and takes only 20 minutes of active work. And if you're wondering why I have to say "with coffee in it", it's because the traditional "coffee cake" in the US doesn't have any.

    slices of Coffee cake with coffee streusel topping and coffee icing on a marble serving board, with one slice turned sideways to reveal moist and soft interior and more streusel inside
    slices of Coffee cake with coffee streusel topping and coffee icing on a marble serving board, with one slice turned sideways to reveal moist and soft interior and more streusel inside; hand removing 1 slice
    Jump to:
    • THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE CAKE
    • INGREDIENTS REQUIRED
    • HOW TO MAKE COFFEE CAKE WITH COFFEE
    • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
    • COFFEE CAKE WITH COFFEE RECIPE

    THE STORY BEHIND THIS COFFEE CAKE

    I wonder if all expats can relate to this experience of having coffee cake for the first time in America: we get excited when we hear there's coffee cake, we eat said coffee cake, we realize that the coffee cake doesn't actually have coffee in it, and is just a cinnamon streusel cake. Cue the disappointment. Not to say that the cinnamon version of a coffee cake isn't delicious, it's just that a cake called "coffee cake" should have coffee in it.

    So when I kept getting requests to make a coffee cake, I felt like I couldn't just make a cinnamon cake and potentially disappoint people. But I also wanted to retain the yummy texture of an American coffee cake. So I decided to create a recipe that had the best of both worlds, and this was the result!

    I recently taught this recipe in a live baking class, and everyone loved it. Someone even said this tastes like the Bombay Bakery coffee cake, which I have never eaten myself, but have received countless recipes to recreate, so I take that as a compliment.

    INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

    Here are the ingredients you will need to make this cake (be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the quantities):

    coffee cake ingredients placed in small bowls next to one another

    Coffee Streusel:

    • All purpose flour
    • Light brown sugar
    • Instant espresso powder - I like to use Nescafe
    • Cinnamon powder
    • Unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
    • Salt

    Coffee cake:

    • Granulated sugar
    • Unsalted butter, melted
    • Oil - the use of both oil and butter makes this cake ultra moist
    • Eggs - if you want to skip the eggs, you can use flax seed eggs instead
    • Vanilla
    • Cake flour - you can make your own using a mixture of all purpose flour and cornstarch. Using cake flour leads to a much more tender cake
    • Salt
    • Baking powder
    • Baking soda
    • Sour cream - if you don't have sour cream, you can use a mixture of heavy cream and full fat yogurt, or make your own sour cream
    • Hot, brewed coffee. I use a French Press coffee for this, but you can also make this using hot water and instant coffee / espresso powder

    Icing:

    • Powdered sugar
    • Brewed coffee - or replace with water and instant coffee powder

    HOW TO MAKE COFFEE CAKE WITH COFFEE

    Before we get into the details, check out this quick video which walks through the process:

    Now let's walk through the steps one by one.

    1. Make the coffee streusel / crumb

    Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350F (conventional) and line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper.

    Mix the all purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and espresso powder in a bowl. Add cold cubed butter, and rub it in with your hands until the mixture starts to resemble crumbs. You don't need to keep doing this for too long as the crumble will become more like dough, which we want to avoid! You can also do this step in a food processor, if you don't mind the extra dish washing.

    streusel dry ingredients in a bowl
    streusel dry ingredients mixed together
    cold cubed butter added to streusel ingredients
    crumbly coffee streusel mixture in a bowl

    Place the streusel mixture into the fridge while you work on the remaining recipe.

    2. Make the coffee cake batter

    First, whisk the butter, oil and sugar in a bowl for 1-2 minutes until they become almost white in color and take on a fluffy texture. I do this by hand but you can also use an electric hand mixer.

    butter oil and sugar in a bowl
    butter oil and sugar whisked together

    Then, add the eggs, egg white, and vanilla, and whisk for another minute or so until fully combined.

    eggs added to butter and sugar mixture
    butter sugar and eggs whisked together

    Now, sift in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold until combined. The batter will be quite thick at this point, but don't worry, we still have more ingredients to go!

    coffee cake batter after flour is added

    Lastly, add the sour cream and hot coffee. Whisk or fold gently until combined. You might need to press down with your spatula to get rid of lumps of sour cream, but be careful not to overmix the batter so it doesn't become rubbery.

    coffee cake batter in a glass bowl

    And that's it - the cake batter is done!

    3. Assemble the coffee cake

    First, pour half of the cake batter into the pan, and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle over half of the coffee streusel mixture (if it becomes solid in the fridge, gently break it apart into crumbs first).

    half of coffee cake batter in a baking pan
    coffee streusel crumbs spread over cake batter in pan

    Spoon over the remaining half of the cake batter, and spread it gently. This step is a bit tricky as it is difficult to spread batter on top of a dry streusel, but spooning it in a layer helps. Lastly, sprinkle over the remaining streusel mixture.

    second layer of coffee cake batter in cake pan
    coffee streusel crumbs spread over cake batter in pan in second layer

    4. Bake the coffee cake

    Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Baking time may vary depending on the pan you use.

    Let the cake cool down in the pan for 15-20 minutes before gently removing it from the pan. Place on your serving stand.

    5. Drizzle with coffee icing

    This is optional, but I love to serve this cake with a simple coffee icing. Simply mix the powdered sugar and coffee until a thick icing forms, and drizzle it over the cake using a spoon.

    baked coffee cake on marble serving stand
    Coffee cake with coffee streusel topping and coffee icing on a marble serving board, a few slices seen next to each other

    Slice up the cake and serve!!! I like to eat this cake while it is still warm.

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    How to store coffee cake?

    You can store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or up to a week in the fridge.

    What is a substitute for sour cream in coffee cake?

    You can substitute the sour cream with a 50/50 mixture of heavy cream and full fat yogurt. You can also use homemade sour cream by mixing 1 cup of heavy cream, ¼ cup milk, and 2 tablespoon lemon juice, and keeping at room temperature in an airtight jar for 1 day.

    Why is my streusel / crumble looking more like a dough?

    This can happen if you over mix the crumble / streusel mixture, causing the butter to melt. The idea is to keep the butter cold and break it into very small chunks by massaging it into the dry ingredients. If your streusel becomes like dough, don't worry. Refrigerate it, and then break it into smaller chunks once its cooled down again.

    What is a substitute for brewed coffee?

    You can make black coffee using hot water and instant espresso powder, following the instructions for the type of coffee you are using to determine how many teaspoons need to be added.

    slice of coffee cake with coffee streusel on a plate with more seen in the background
    Print
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    slices of Coffee cake with coffee streusel topping and coffee icing on a marble serving board, with one slice turned sideways to reveal moist and soft interior and more streusel inside

    COFFEE CAKE WITH COFFEE RECIPE


    ★★★★★

    4.9 from 12 reviews

    • Author: Zoha
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: 12 servings
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    A moist and tender coffee cake with coffee in it, topped off with a coffee streusel and coffee icing


    Ingredients

    Coffee Streusel:

    • ¾ cup all purpose flour (98g)
    • ¾ cup light brown sugar (150g)
    • 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder
    • ½ tsp cinnamon powder
    • 6 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes (85g)
    • Pinch of salt

     

    Coffee cake:

    • 1 cup granulated sugar (220g)
    • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (75g)
    • ¼ cup oil (50g)
    • 2 eggs + 1 egg white, room temperature
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 ¾ cup cake flour (225g), or use 200g all purpose flour + 25g cornstarch
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
    • ¼ tsp baking soda
    • ½ cup sour cream (120g)
    • ¼ cup hot brewed coffee (60g)

     

    Icing:

    • 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
    • ½ tsp vanilla
    • 2 tbsp brewed coffee

    Instructions

    Coffee streusel:

    • Mix the flour, brown sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl
    • Add the cold cubed butter, and use your hands to rub it in until the mixture resembles crumbs. It's ok to have a few larger crumbs. You can also use a food processor for this step
    • Place in the fridge while you prepare the cake

     

    Coffee cake:

    • Preheat oven to 350F (conventional) and line a 9x9" baking pan with parchment paper
    • Mix the sugar, melted butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl for 2 minutes using a hand whisk
    • Add the eggs and egg white and whisk for another minute
    • Sift in the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and use a rubber spatula to gently fold until combined
    • Lastly, add the sour cream and hot brewed coffee, and fold until a smooth batter forms. Do not overmix
    • Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Then sprinkle over half of the coffee streusel. Gently spoon over the remaining half of the batter, spreading it out with a spoon or spatula, and top off with the remaining streusel
    • Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs attached
    • Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before taking it out1

    Icing:

    • Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla and coffee in a bowl until they form a smooth icing
    • Once the cake has cooled, drizzle over the icing, cut into squares, and serve!

    Notes

    This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for up to 1 week

    • Prep Time: 30 min
    • Cook Time: 35 min
    • Category: Dessert
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: Coffee cake with coffee

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @bakewithzoha on Instagram!

    Note: This post contains affiliate links.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Zee says

      August 02, 2023 at 2:40 am

      This was truly incredible!!! Thank you for the fantastic recipe

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Parul says

      August 02, 2023 at 7:05 am

      I love all your recipes, and the way you record your videos. Sending lots of love to you and prayers for your success ❤️

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:44 pm

        Thank you so much, Parul! All the best wishes and love to you as well <3

        Reply
    3. Saima Yasin says

      August 02, 2023 at 11:50 am

      Definitely going to try.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    4. Saima Yasin says

      August 02, 2023 at 11:52 am

      Looks delicious. Will try soon

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:44 pm

        You will love it! <3

        Reply
    5. Saeeda Zaman says

      August 02, 2023 at 3:03 pm

      Love all your recipes ❤️

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    6. Tahreem says

      August 02, 2023 at 3:21 pm

      Amazing recipe!! Also thoroughly explained and well written.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Thank you, Tahreem! Means the world to me.

        Reply
    7. Safiyya says

      August 02, 2023 at 3:54 pm

      This Coffee Cake is sooo yummm, the perfect balance of cruch on the outside & soft, spongy on the inside.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Aww thank you so much! I am glad you like it

        Reply
    8. Zainab Ghani says

      August 02, 2023 at 6:11 pm

      This recipe was so yummy and easy to follow. Definitely going to be a staple in my household. Tasted like the coffee cake at Starbucks but better.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Omg, that is such high praise 🙂 Thank you so so much, Zainab! <3

        Reply
    9. Nawaal says

      August 02, 2023 at 6:29 pm

      This tasted awesome and was so flavorful. I would definitely make something like this again! Thank you ✨

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Wuhu!! Thank you Nawaal 🙂

        Reply
    10. Rabiya shah says

      August 02, 2023 at 10:15 pm

      Asslma o alikum zoha,i have taken your free class and it was amazing.in shaa Allah soon i will try your cake.thank you for the free class and looking forward to more classes ahead.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:42 pm

        Thank you for joining my class, Rabiya! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Uvaima Mahful says

      August 04, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      It's an amazing new method
      .I think we will get more& more new ideas from you.

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:39 pm

        Thank you so much, Uvaima!!

        Reply
    12. Suma says

      August 05, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      Made this cake today..Amazzzzing
      Thanks Zoha. One question though 60g of brewed coffee how much of coffee powder to be added?

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:39 pm

        It depends on what coffee you're using to be honest... I would do maybe 1-2 tsp max depending on how strong you want the flavor to be!

        Reply
    13. Rekha says

      August 07, 2023 at 4:07 am

      Hi, is there an alternative I can use instead of sour cream . Thanks . The recipie is simply amazing !

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:38 pm

        You can use a mixture of heavy cream and yogurt 🙂

        Reply
    14. Jessica ghazi says

      August 14, 2023 at 7:40 am

      i loved this recipe!
      I made this for my whole office and we loved it!!!

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        August 14, 2023 at 1:37 pm

        SO glad you liked it, Jessica! <3

        Reply
    15. Aabida says

      August 23, 2023 at 2:01 pm

      It's soft ,it delicious and I love the crumbly and soft texture of the cake but it's a bit too sweet for my taste otherwise it's an awesome recipe.

      ★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        September 08, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        Thank you so much, Aabida! You can definitely reduce the sugar a bit if you find it too sweet 🙂

        Reply
    16. Kiran says

      August 25, 2023 at 9:17 am

      We all loved it . It turned out so good 😊 so easy to follow !!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        September 08, 2023 at 9:12 pm

        Thank you!! ❤️

        Reply
    17. Usma Dawjee says

      September 01, 2023 at 2:08 pm

      Was feeling for something different and attempted this . Thank you , my family enjoyed it so much .

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        September 08, 2023 at 9:09 pm

        Yay! Glad to hear that ❤️

        Reply
    18. Iqra says

      October 26, 2023 at 4:53 am

      Tried coffee cake ,turns out so good ,Thank you for this recipe

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        November 09, 2023 at 4:29 am

        Thank YOU Iqra!

        Reply
    19. Luz says

      November 17, 2023 at 5:13 pm

      bookmarked!!, I love your web site!

      Here is my blog :: clexane na sprzedaż w Kielcach

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Zoha! Self taught home-baker, massive sweet tooth, lover of all things baked and content creator behind Bake With Zoha.

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