Triple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
If you’re looking for the perfect sweet treat to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee, look no further than this classic cinnamon coffee cake recipe. With its tender crumb, layers of cinnamon swirl, cinnamon streusel, and a moist cake base, this cake is bound to become a favorite in your home.
The cake itself is superb- moist, buttery, and tender. In the middle is a gooey, cinnamon filling- imagine the best part of a cinnamon roll in a thick ribbon throughout this cake. On top is a crispy crumble and a sweet cinnamon glaze. It’s really too good to be true.
Ingredients for Cinnamon Coffee Cake:
- All Purpose Flour
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa Powder (for color not taste, you can leave it out of you don’t have on hand)
- Buttermilk (Sour cream or Greek yogurt work too)
- Powdered Sugar
- Eggs
- Unsalted Butter
- Milk or cream
Supplies needed for Cinnamon Coffee Cake:
- 10-inch ring pan, one 9×13 pan or two round cake pans. (I wouldn’t use a bundt pan for this recipe)
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
Instructions:
- Prepare the Oven and Pan:Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your pan or pans and dust with flour. Set aside.
- Make the Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the melted butter and stir until a crumbly topping forms.
- For the Cake Batter:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter, salt, and sugars Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sprinkle the 1/3 of the flour over the batter and then sprinkle the baking powder on top. Beat on low until just combined. Add half the buttermilk. Add another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk and end with the last of the flour, being careful not to over mix.
- For Cinnamon Swirl: In a small bowl stir together the cinnamon, sugar and cocoa powder- set aside.
- Assemble the Cake:Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the filling over the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the cake.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.
- Glaze: If you desired- whisk together the cinnamon and powdered sugar with a small amount of milk or cream. Add more as needed for a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over entire cake.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once cooled, cut the cake into individual slices. Serve warm or at room temperature. For best results, store any remaining slices in an airtight container or wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them fresh.
Tips for the Best Coffee Cake:
- For a crumbly cake texture, ensure your butter is at room temperature.
- If you prefer lots of streusel, feel free to double the streusel topping recipe.
- This cake also freezes well. Wrap individual slices in aluminum foil or place them in a freezer bag for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.
Enjoy this moist and perfect coffee cake with a warm cup of coffee, an afternoon snack with a cold cup of milk, and for whatever special occasion you may bake it for- Christmas Morning, Mother’s Day, Easter, or any time you want a special breakfast treat!
Other Favorite Cinnamon Breakfast Recipes:
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Brioche French Toast Casserole
Triple Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Delicious coffee cake with a perfectly moist texture, a thick gooey cinnamon ribbon inside, a crumbly topping, and a sweet cinnamon glaze.
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (for color not for taste- you can leave it out if you want.)
Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
- 2 cups of flour
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Glaze:
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoons milk or cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 10-inch ring pan, 9x13 pan or 2 9-inch cake pans* Set aside.
For the Filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together the filling ingredients. Set aside.
For the Batter:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream together the butter, salt, and sugars Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sprinkle the 1/3 of the flour over the batter and then sprinkle the baking powder on top. Beat on low until just combined. Add half the buttermilk. Add another 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk and end with the last of the flour, being careful not to over mix.
For the Topping:
- Melt the butter in a heat proof bowl and stir in the flour, sugar and cinnamon until crumbs form.
To Assemble the cake:
- Pour half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and spread evenly with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter, trying to keep it away from the edges if possible. Spread the remaining batter over the filing and smooth with the spoon. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes** or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
For the Glaze:
- Stir together the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add the milk or cream and stir together until smooth. add a splash more milk if needed until the glaze is a good drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle glaze over cooled cake (or slightly warm of you prefer.)
Notes
Recipe adapted from King Arthur's Flour
*When using the ring pan, the cake ends up being taller but more narrow. The filling proportion is thick, gooey, and perfect. If you are using a 9x13 pan, the filling won't be as thick but it will still be a delicious ribbon through the cake. Double it if desired.
**Baking time will vary based on pan size. My cake baked in about 55 minutes.
Ah this looks amazing! And that coffee date sounds perfect to me. Miss you!
What a wonderfully delicious cake!! The more cinnamon, the better!
Your coffee cake date sounds like a lot like mine, so maybe we should get together and enjoy the fun chaos together — I’ll bring the coffee if you bring this cake! ;)
I love coffee cakes, this one looks incredible! Baby proofing can get so overwhelming; I remember using rubber bands on every door in the beginning!
This looks incredible! That thick layer of filling and that streusel topping are totally doing it for me, and the glaze…I can totally get behind this.
This looks so amazing! I will definitely make this.
I met someone in LA who loves your blog. It was so cute, we were discussing baking and I brought up one of your recipes on my phone, and she was like I love that blog, I make her chocolate chip cookies all the time!
Another side note… Not hiding your coffee cup is coming soon. Leo will touch it, say milk HOT and then leave it alone. (: it feels good to not have two police our beverages. You are only six months away! (:
I’m so glad the grabbing coffee cups phase is coming to an end soon. What about the sleeping phase? When does that come? ;)
I’ve decided to make this for this eve sounds great, however I’d like to know if I add the filling before I add 1/2 of the topping in the center?
I had left out one instruction- I think I fixed it! Let me know if you have other questions!
Never mind .
Audra, can you please check this recipe? I think it says topping where is should say filling? And then there is no topping section.
I want to make it for Easter as it looks absolutely incredible, I just want to be sure I get it right!
Thanks for letting me know! I left out the part where you sprinkle the filling on top. It should be fixed now!
I’m a bit confused on the brown sugar myself. I’m assuming the 1/3 cup of brown sugar goes into the topping, which leaves the 1/2 cup of brown sugar to go somewhere else. Does the 1/2 cup go into the cake batter? Step 3 just says “sugar” so I took that to mean singular as in the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. I’m assuming too much and most likely this is pilot error on my part, but if you could clarify this for me I would really love to make this recipe! It looks amazing!!
Dear Audra,
I made it for the ladies and gents from church tonight and they thought it was delicious and my husband thought it was better than delicious. Thank you!
Best wishes, Nancy
I’m so glad. Thanks for letting me know!
I do not have a ring pan, but I prefer the circular shape vs a 9×13. Would a bundt pan or an angel food cake pan work as well? This recipe looks soooo yummy. Can’t wait to give it a try.
The thing about the Bundt pan is that the crumb topping would be on the bottom since you invert it know what I mean? If you are Ok with skipping the crumb and maybe doubling the glaze that could work! Ring pans are good for this because the bottom is the bottom and top is top if that makes sense.
Thanks for the clarification. I think I’m going shopping!
This coffee cake looks delicious! As a lover of coffee cakes, I’ll definitely have to try this one!
I am totally down for toddler entertaining and CAKE. That swirl has my heart.
Ok please come over then!
I made this in a 9×13 pan. After cooling, I noticed that the middle sunk down a little bit. Has anyone else had this happen? Did I overmix batter?
It sounds like the middle may not have been cooked through. Did you notice that?
Hi! Quick question…I want to make for a co-worker who’s on maternity leave and looooves cinnamon-sugar stuff. I don’t have a bundt pan but love the circular shape for this and the taller cake. Do you think this would work in a 9-inch springform instead? Regular 9″ cake pans are really shallow and my springform is a lot deeper, but didn’t know if it would still be too much batter. Thank you!
I think that pan will be a bit small. You could make one in that and then make the rest into muffins though!
I would love to try this recipe in the round cake pans. Love the idea to bring one to a friend! Can you give me a better estimate on cooking time in those pans?
Hello from Brunei! Stumbled upon your blog while I was looking for banana bread recipes; tried your recipe and love it! Have made it for events several times since and have gotten good reviews. Question about the batter – should I still mix on low speed after adding the second 1/3 of flour and the buttermilk and then the remaining flour or should it be left layered?
Thank you!
Fina
Want to try this cake! Just wondered – is a ring pan the same thing as a springform pan? Thank you!
No it’s similar to a bundt pan but just more simple :)
This looks and smells delicious right out of the oven, but I’m contemplating how exactly to get it out of the pan and keep it looking beautiful. Any tips would be helpful. Cheers!
My husband likes super gooey coffee cake. Should I add butter to the filling ingredients? All filling recipes have butter and I’m curious why your filling doesn’t and if there is a science behind not adding butter to the filling? I want to make this morning, please let me know!
I made this coffee cake because I wanted one that used buttermilk and didn’t have nuts. This one fit the bill. The cake part was delicious – moist and flavorful. However I had problems with the rest. I personally would leave out the unsweetened cocoa next time (it was optional anyway). I feel like it gave the filling a funny flavor. Instead I would have maybe added cloves for more flavor complexity. Also, there was way too much topping. I could have used half or even just a third. I made the glaze after baking and used half the proportions. Your glaze looks nicer – mine came out kind of tan from the deep brown cinnamon. This took a long time to make and unfortunately I don’t think it was worth it.
What is a ring pan?
Hi! It is shaped like a donut. YOu can also use a 9 inch springform or round pan!
This looked so good, but I wish I’d read the instructions and all comments before diving in. I know I’m getting old but I got completely mixed up the way these were written. Made in 2 9 inch cake pans. One for a neighbor for a family event and one for home, completely forgetting that the topping should have been on the bottom because it didn’t say that anywhere. In addition, I was so confused when it said to pour the batter under the topping section. Just think this could have been organized a little better. Now I don’t know how I’m going to get the cake out of the pan for my neighbor. This was jus a little confusing to me…going to blame it on my age though.
I’m really sorry and I will check the recipe to see if I can make it more clear.
It’s so incredibly cold in NYC right now. Last night especially, making it the perfect night to cook something comforting for breakfast, like this coffee cake. Mine came out absolutely HUGE, not really looking like the pictures. I used a ring pan. I think I would have preferred a cake that was more dense and smaller in size, and more moistness. But it was still relatively moist and bursting with cinnamon flavor.
Something’s not quite making sense. I wound up with such a massive amount of crumb topping. I’ve also seen posts that refer to adding the topping to the filling when assembling the cake. Am I missing something? I didn’t add any topping to the filling.