Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Everyone needs a good coffee cake recipe, and this is the kind of coffee cake I picture when I hear the words "coffee cake."

This Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake is tender, lightly sweet, and layered with a cinnamon, brown sugar, and walnut streusel. The streusel goes through the middle of the cake and covers the top, so you get that delicious cinnamon crunch in every bite.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Sour Cream

Name: Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 9 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup sour cream, light or full fat; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts; 2 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

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A piece of cinnamon swirl coffee cake made with sour cream on a white plate.

Best of all, this is an easy homemade coffee cake. You can have it assembled in about 15 minutes and baking in the oven while you make your coffee.

Why You'll Love This Coffee Cake

Jump to Recipe

It's quick and easy to make. You don't need a stand mixer or any special equipment. A hand mixer is all you need, and the cake takes about 15 minutes to assemble.

The cake is tender and lightly sweet. Sour cream gives the coffee cake a tender texture, while the brown sugar in the streusel adds a deeper sweetness.

There's streusel inside and on top. I love a coffee cake with plenty of streusel, so this recipe puts half of the cinnamon-walnut mixture in the middle of the cake and the rest on top.

It makes generous servings. Bake the cake in a 9-inch square pan and you'll have nine generous pieces.

You can enjoy it warm. Since the cake only takes about 35 minutes to bake, you can make it in the morning and have warm coffee cake with your coffee.

It freezes well. If you don't need the whole cake at once, cut it into individual portions and freeze them for an easy breakfast or snack later.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For the Coffee Cake

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sour cream, light or full fat

For the Streusel

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

How to Make Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1. Prepare the Pan and Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan well with solid shortening. I use Crisco. Taking a few extra seconds to grease the pan well will make removing the finished coffee cake much easier.

2. Bring Your Butter and Eggs to Room Temperature

If you decide in the morning that you want homemade coffee cake for breakfast, don't worry if you forgot to take the butter and eggs out of the refrigerator.

Here's my shortcut.

Place the stick of butter in a glass bowl and microwave it on high for 20 seconds. Then leave the bowl sitting in the microwave while you assemble the rest of your ingredients.

For the eggs, place them in a bowl of warm water and let them sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

These simple tricks get your ingredients ready without having to wait for them to come to room temperature naturally.

3. Mix the Cake Batter

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Now add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately. Start with half of the flour mixture, then add half of the sour cream. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream.

The finished batter will be quite thick. That's exactly how it should look.

4. Make the Cinnamon Streusel

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and finely chopped walnuts.

Add the vanilla extract and mix everything together.

A Tip for Finely Chopping Walnuts

If you've ever tried to chop walnuts very finely with a knife, you know they have a tendency to go everywhere.

I love using a small manual nut grinder for this job. It makes quick work of finely chopping the walnuts without making a mess.

You don't need perfectly uniform pieces. I like the walnuts chopped into small bits so that they are easy to spread throughout the streusel.

5. Layer the Coffee Cake and Streusel

Spread half of the cake batter into your prepared 9-inch square pan.

The batter is thick, so an offset spatula makes spreading it much easier. A spoon will work, too.

Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over the batter.

I actually like to put a little more of the streusel toward the center of the cake because that's my favorite part.

Now add the remaining cake batter in small dollops over the streusel layer. Distribute the batter as evenly as you can, then use your offset spatula to gently spread it over the pan.

Don't worry if a little of the streusel mixes into the batter as you spread it. There's no need to fuss over it. You're going to add more streusel on top anyway.

Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top of the cake.

6. Bake the Coffee Cake

Place the coffee cake in your preheated 350°F oven.

Bake for about 35 minutes.

The coffee cake should be puffed and nicely browned. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean.

Let the cake cool slightly before cutting.

You can serve this coffee cake warm or at room temperature.

My Tips for Making This Coffee Cake

Don't have room-temperature butter? Put the butter in a glass bowl and microwave it on high for 20 seconds. Let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Don't have room-temperature eggs? Place the eggs in a bowl of warm water while you assemble the recipe.

Use a hand mixer. There's no need to get out a large stand mixer for this coffee cake.

Expect a thick batter. The batter is supposed to be thick. An offset spatula makes it easier to spread.

Don't fuss with the layers. When you're spreading the second layer of batter, some of the streusel may get mixed into the batter. That's perfectly fine. The finished cake will still be delicious.

Finely chop the walnuts. A small manual nut grinder makes this quick and easy.

Can You Freeze Coffee Cake?

Yes. This coffee cake freezes well.

If you have leftovers, cut the cake into individual portions. Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap and place the wrapped pieces in a zip-top freezer bag.

Then you can take out one piece whenever you want a quick breakfast or snack.

What to Serve With Coffee Cake

A warm piece of coffee cake and a cup of coffee make a simple breakfast or afternoon treat.

If you're putting together a breakfast or brunch, you might also enjoy:

Watch Me Make This Coffee Cake

Want to see exactly how I make this Cinnamon Streusel Sour Cream Coffee Cake?

In the video, I show you the simple techniques I use to get the ingredients ready, make the thick batter, layer the streusel, and know when the coffee cake is done.