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Home ยป Cakes

The Best Coffee Cake With Coffee

Published: Aug 2, 2023 ยท Modified: Aug 28, 2024 by Zoha ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท 53 Comments

โ†“ Jump to 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
  • RELATED RECIPES
  • 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:

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="QNx5QrlP" upload-date="2023-08-02T08:58:37.000Z" name="Coffee Cake With Coffee" description="How to make coffee cake with coffee in it" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]

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, ยผ 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.

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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


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 17 reviews

  • Author: Zoha
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12 servings
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Description

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


Ingredients

Coffee Streusel:

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

 

Coffee cake:

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

 

Icing:

  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
  • ยฝ 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

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review and tag @bakewithzoha on Instagram!

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

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Comments

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  1. 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 โค๏ธ

    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
    • THANDIE CHOICE says

      March 30, 2025 at 6:55 pm

      This is really a great recipe! I tried it with adding baking soda n another one without adding baking soda. The one with baking soda came out very well . It raised better than the one without baking soda. So from now onwards, I will always be adding baking soda together with baking powder or self raising flour.
      I am very much grateful to the wonderful recipe which I have tried for the very first time n came out really good ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ˜Š
      I Baked It For My Husband A Welcome Back Home Who Had Traveled Out Of State ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฅฐ

      Reply
  2. Saima Yasin says

    August 02, 2023 at 11:50 am

    Definitely going to try.

    Reply
  3. 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
  4. Saeeda Zaman says

    August 02, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    Love all your recipes โค๏ธ

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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 ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you so so much, Zainab! <3

      Reply
  8. 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 โœจ

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      August 14, 2023 at 1:43 pm

      Wuhu!! Thank you Nawaal ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  9. 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! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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 ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Yatsi says

        June 24, 2024 at 3:27 am

        Can I substitute it for creme fraiche?

        Reply
        • Zoha says

          July 10, 2024 at 12:40 pm

          Should be okay!

          Reply
        • Reese says

          June 24, 2025 at 6:03 am

          I was so surprised with how amazing this turned out! My mom and I loved it, and the actual coffee taste was incredible, better than anything store bought!! The crispness, the crunch, the coffee flavor, all so perfect. I will definitely be making this again and again, and experimenting with different flavors of coffee to see how it affects the cake. 11/10!!

          Reply
          • Zoha says

            June 30, 2025 at 4:43 am

            AWWW I am so so so happy to read this - thank you SO much!

  13. 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
    • Marvi says

      May 17, 2025 at 10:19 pm

      The most perfect recipe MashaAllah. You're a magician, Zoha!

      Reply
      • Zoha says

        May 27, 2025 at 8:31 pm

        Aww thank you SO much!

        Reply
  14. 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 ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  15. 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!! โค๏ธ

      Reply
  16. 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 โค๏ธ

      Reply
  17. 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
  18. Ahmed says

    December 15, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    Hi Zoha,
    I tried this cake today, and it is delicious! I made a slight tweek and added tiny chocolate morsels on top of coffe streusel. We enjoyed it thoroughly with our cappuccino ๐Ÿ™‚
    My only concern is the texture of your cake looks firm while mine appeared more airy, less firm. What could be the reason?

    Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe! Reminded me of Bombay Bakery Cake I had from Hyderabad, Pakistan.

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      January 05, 2024 at 2:27 pm

      This is such a kind comment, thank you so much Ahmed! It sounds like your cake texture turned out even better than mine to be honest ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  19. Alex says

    February 20, 2024 at 4:58 am

    is the baking soda really required? I get that it would react with the sour cream to make CO2 and potentially leaven the cake, but between the amount of time it would take to mix in the sour cream, adding the batter in 2 stages, and adding the struesel, it seems like any bubbles made by the baking soda would pop before they could solidify in the oven

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      February 21, 2024 at 3:08 am

      Hi Alex! Good question, but baking soda doesn't finish reacting so quickly, so it will continue to react and rise in the oven. I don't recommend skipping it

      Reply
  20. Laiba Ansari says

    March 08, 2024 at 11:04 am

    just loved your coffee cake recipe it turned out so good my whole family its a shows topper recipe???

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      March 10, 2024 at 5:21 am

      Thank you so much, Laiba! Glad you like it ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  21. sanette Van Der Merwe says

    August 02, 2024 at 12:08 am

    Zoha Its simply the Best ! I added walnuts to the icing drizzel at the end . ๐Ÿฉต

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      September 03, 2024 at 11:52 pm

      YUMMMYYY!!

      Reply
  22. Lacey says

    October 05, 2024 at 10:17 am

    I was so excited to try this recipe. it's been baking for 35 minutes and still not cooked in the center. maybe I did something wrong ๐Ÿค” im worried it's not going to turn out. I'll have to try it again.

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      October 07, 2024 at 5:29 pm

      That's really strange! Perhaps an issue with your oven?

      Reply
  23. Wania Khan says

    November 02, 2024 at 3:44 am

    Made this cake for the 3rd time for a large gathering of ladies. They went crazy for it! Also, when I make it at home, my husband and I finish it in two days ๐Ÿ™ˆ
    Quick question: do you reckon it would turn out okay if I added some walnuts to the streusel?! I was having this cake today and I thought โ€œOoh this flavour go so well with some walnuts in it!โ€

    Reply
    • Zoha says

      November 04, 2024 at 2:10 pm

      AWW thank you Wania! And yes, walnuts should be so good! Just make sure to toast them first so they have a better flavor and texture ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  24. Anum sohail says

    January 15, 2025 at 11:56 am

    today i made your recipe ..it was good but glaze was too sweet ....i tried your 1 hour scratch cake too it was sooper duper ....ur recipes are simple and easy to make...

    Reply
girl (zoha) sitting with arm propped on counter, smiling at camera, muffins and brownies in front of her

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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