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    Home ‣ Recipes ‣ Breakfast

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe

    Apr 4, 2020 · Modified: Dec 20, 2021 by Sara · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    A Classic Coffee Cake recipe that is perfect for a weekend or holiday breakfast. Overnight and make ahead friendly. The crumbly oat topping is delicious!

    Originally published September 5, 2017.

    Classic Coffee Cake Recipe

    A childhood favorite of mine is Classic Coffee Cake, also known affectionately as "Breakfast Cake". The coffee cake is similar to a yellow cake, but the cinnamon, oat, and nut crumbly topping is what makes it addicting. It has a more open crumb that is perfect for soaking up milk poured on top of it warm from the oven.

     wet ingredients for coffee cake in a blue bowl, mixing together wet and dry ingredients, sprinkling oat/nut topping over raw batter.

    Ingredients for Coffee Cake

    Here are the basics of what we're using. Most are basic pantry items!

    • Milk - 2% or whole preferred
    • Sour Cream or plain greek yogurt
    • Egg 
    • Vanilla extract
    • Flour - all purpose
    • Baking Powder
    • White granulated sugar
    • Salt 
    • Oats - old fashioned
    • Walnuts
    • Butter, salted
    • Cinnamon 
    • Brown Sugar

    Baked Coffee cake unsliced with strawberries, spatula, and white dishtowel..

    How to make homemade coffee cake

    To use less dishes, I make the batter in one bowl.

    • Combine wet ingredients
    • Combine dry ingredients
    • Make the crumbly topping (SO GUD) and sprinkle it over the batter.
    • Bake!

    This coffee cake is SO EASY to make ahead overnight and bake in the morning. There is quite a bit of vegetable oil in the original recipe my family used, but I replaced it with plain greek yogurt (or sour cream) and it's so much better.

    I like a big slice in a bowl with milk poured over it, almost like cereal. The milk soaks into the cake and it's delicious! It's also good just served warm with a big glass of milk on the side, and strawberries.

    Baked classic coffee cake in a glass pan with strawberries.

    Here are some tips to make coffee cake THE BEST:

    • Greek yogurt or sour cream is a must. It makes the coffee cake extra soft. I like to use plain greek yogurt for the extra protein, and there's no difference in taste.
    • Always always always use milk, not water in the batter. 1%, 2%, or whole milk is great. I won't recommend skim milk unless it's for a deliberately wannabe skinny recipe.
    • DON'T over mix once you add the dry ingredients. Over-mixing results in less fluffy, more chewy cake when it's baked.

    Other great breakfast recipes:

    Need some weekend breakfast cake ideas? I got you!

    • Banana Coffee Cake
    • Best Homemade Orange Rolls
    • Cranberry Orange Almond Cake
    Slice of classic coffee cake on a white plate with strawberry.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Classic Coffee Cake

    A Classic Coffee Cake recipe, perfect for a weekend or holiday breakfast. Easy to make ahead overnight!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time40 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: classic coffee cake, coffee cake, coffee cake recipe
    Servings: 9
    Calories: 313kcal
    Author: Sara

    Ingredients

    Cake:

    • ½ cup milk (1%, 2%, or whole may be used)
    • ½ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
    • 1 egg
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ¾ cup granulated white sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder

    Crumble topping:

    • 1 cup rolled oats
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 2 Tablespoons flour
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
    • 4 Tablespoons melted butter (½ stick)
    • ½ cup chopped walnuts

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9X9 inch pan.
    • In medium sized mixing bowl whisk together milk, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt, egg, vanilla, white granulated sugar, and salt. Mix well.
    • Add flour and baking powder, mix together until fully combined and no flour pockets are left but do not overmix.
    • Place batter in prepared 9X9 inch pan. 

    For the oat crumble topping:

    • In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix well, then spread over cake batter evenly to cover.
    • Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes (glass pans may take a few minutes longer), until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

    Notes

    Can be doubled in a 9x13 inch pan. Simply increase baking time to 50-60 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 
    To make overnight: 
    1. Make recipe as directed.
    2. Place in refrigerator overnight, and when ready to bake increase baking time by 5-10 minutes. I
    3. Insert toothpick every 2-3 minutes after 40 minutes to check doneness. 
    Recipe adapted from an old edition of  Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 313kcal

    More Breakfast

    • Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole
    • Banana Cinnamon Rolls
    • Apple Cider Baked Donuts
    • Apple Cinnamon Scones
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    Hi! I'm Sara. Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

    More about me →


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