It’s the dream, right? Eating cake first thing in the morning as you sip your coffee. Well today we’re making dreams come true with this easy coffee cake recipe.
Coffee by its very nature is meant to be enjoyed slowly. Morning coffee time is one of our favorite times of day. Huddled on the couch with our 3 kids. Careful not to sit on the dog, Turbo (he’s an itty-bitty little guy), who is undoubtedly snuggled under the shared blanket for warmth. And then the Pavlovian beep of the coffee maker draws us to the kitchen for our morning cup (or two). It’s a welcome time of day when things move a little slower. Before the hustle and bustle of the day spins up. The only thing that could make this fleeting time of the day better? Well…cake, of course.
It only seems natural that the coffee drinkers of the world would eventually say, “Hey, what can I have to go with this?”. Enter coffee cake. The only cake that’s socially acceptable to have for breakfast. Which isn’t to say I haven’t occasionally indulged in a slice of leftover heath bar cake or oatmeal cake with my coffee (shhh!).
Coffee cake comes in various forms but they all arise from one simple idea…the desire for some sort of delicious pastry or cake-like item to enjoy with your morning coffee. An idea we can all get behind! Just be sure to get your behind in motion later in the day to work off some calories.
In a 3 kid house, coffee cake is dangerous. Our kids already think that Mommy and Daddy stay up and eat candy every night after they go to bed. And on those nights when they do wander down after their bedtimes and find us eating dessert there’s always a look of betrayal in their eyes. Now, they’re going to come down in the morning and find us eating coffee cake? Ah well, their feelings of betrayal will quickly give way to elation when we tell them they can have a slice.
This coffee cake isn’t an every day treat, but it is a really perfect comfort food for holidays and special occasions. It’s very popular at coffee hours at work (how to make one of those long work meetings go better–coffee cake) or after church get-togethers. The only thing is…if I’m hosting a big meal later in the day I don’t always have extra energy for a complicated recipe which is why I LOVE this easy coffee cake recipe.
The Secret to an Easy Coffee Cake Recipe
Duh, don’t take on anything overly complicated. That’s why I love that this easy coffee cake recipe uses a yellow cake mix. There are times when it is nice to bake things from scratch and there are times when easy wins the day. And so sometimes an easy coffee cake recipe means using a boxed cake mix. Others may call it cheating, I call it winning! 🙂
I’m sure you can find at least a few complicated recipes in this list of next level coffee cakes, but the goal with this coffee cake is making things easy. Mix up the cake mix, mix up the topping while the cake starts baking, then top with crumb topping, and bake for a little longer. Then it’s, ready to go! It even tastes delicious when you freeze it and save for another time. Just slice it up and store tightly wrapped in the freezer and pull out a day before (or night before) you are going to serve it and it’s ready to go.
So go ahead and give this easy coffee cake recipe a try. I’m thinking of making it again (why not?!) and pairing it with this delicious looking slow-cooker pumpkin spice latte I found over on the Kitchn.
Time to dig in!
Easy Coffee Cake Recipe
easy coffee cake
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Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 9
Calories: 682kcal
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix plus ingredients for to make mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the topping
- 2 sticks butter cold
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 c flour
- 3/4 c brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 dash white powdered sugar for sprinkling on top after baking
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Make cake mix according to directions on the box and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Pour cake batter in greased 13x9 inch pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.
While cake is baking, mix together remaining ingredients until clumping together (I used food processor)--similar to a crisp or crumb cake texture.
Remove cake from oven and sprinkle crumb topping all over top of cake.
Return cake to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with white powdered sugar and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 3.2mg
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FAQs
So be sure to cover it well, and that coffee cake will taste just as good after being frozen for a few months as it did when it was first made. Although it will still be safe to eat after the three-month mark, the flavor might start to degrade if it's left in there much longer than that.
How long does coffee cake last in the freezer? ›
Freezing can keep coffee cake fresh for up to three months, but it needs to be done right to preserve the flavor and moisture while also preventing freezer burn. Frozen coffee cake should be stored the same way you would at room temperature, by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or foil, to retain moisture.
How do you increase the flavor of coffee in a cake? ›
Stir vanilla or almond extract into a coffee-scented batter or mix ground spices in with the dry ingredients. Or simmer equal amounts of brewed coffee and sugar together to make a coffee syrup. You can also infuse hot coffee with spices or dissolve instant in vanilla rather than water for an extra flavour hit.
How do you keep coffee cake moist? ›
Melted butter is key for moist coffee cake, but this dessert tends to get drier over time. If you want to prevent coffee cake from getting stale for as long as possible, storing it in an airtight Tupperware is your best bet.
How do you freeze a cake without it drying out? ›
Once the cake(s) cools completely, wrap it in Press & Seal. This is the best product for wrapping cakes. Thin plastic/saran wrap is incredibly clingy and frustrating. Regular plastic wrap definitely works, but Press & Seal is so much easier to use and I've honestly found that it keeps my food fresher.
How do you thaw frozen coffee cake? ›
Frozen Coffee Cake Can Be Defrosted Or Baked Before Eating
If you are organized enough to plan ahead, the fridge is also a good option, but will take up to eight hours, so it's best for defrosting overnight.
Can you freeze my grandmas coffee cake? ›
It will taste as fresh as just baked! Also, our cake is quite good when eaten cold, or even frozen - try it!
How do you defrost a coffee cake? ›
The cake is best defrosted by opening the heavy duty freezer bag in which it was frozen and storing the cake at room temperature for a few hours. It will taste as fresh as just baked!
What makes coffee cake taste like coffee cake? ›
No, coffee cake does not taste like coffee. There is no coffee or caffeine in this cake despite its name. This streusel cake tastes like a lightly sweetened cake and oftentimes has spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Why my coffee cake doesn t taste like coffee? ›
Basically, it's a case of not looking at coffee exclusively as a dry ingredient - try adding it to your cake mix in its liquid form. And don't be afraid to keep it nice and punchy, as the rest of the ingredients will dilute the flavor significantly.
A dry cake is usually the result of one of the following pitfalls: using the wrong ingredients, making mistakes while measuring or mixing the batter, or baking the cake too long or at too high a temperature. Once you understand which common cake-baking blunders to avoid, you'll know how to bake a moist cake every time.
Can I use both butter and oil in cake? ›
If you were to use exclusively oil, the cake would turn out much denser than you may have intended. If you're unsure, it's safest to use a 50/50 combination of butter and oil instead of replacing the butter completely.
Why is my coffee cake raw in the middle? ›
Why Did My Cake Sink In the Middle? (And How to Fix It)
- Using a Cake Pan That's the Wrong Size or Shape. ...
- Baking in an Oven That's Too Hot or Cold. ...
- Using Too Much Baking Powder or Baking Soda. ...
- Undermixing the Cake Batter. ...
- Over-Aerating the Batter. ...
- Underbaking Your Cakes. ...
- Rotating the Cake Pans at the Wrong Time.
Your cake is often subject to sinking in the middle due to various factors, including inaccurate oven temperature, excessive or insufficient leavening agent, overmixing of the batter, or premature opening of the oven door. Moisture loss or incorrect ingredient ratios may also play a role.
How do you freeze and reheat coffee cake? ›
Place frozen coffee cake in a cold oven, then heat it at 250 F, and ensure it gets warm enough to enjoy but not so hot that it's overcooked and dry. The dish should be heated for around 10 to 20 minutes depending on your oven. You can also opt for the microwave for a quick defrost.
How do you thaw a frozen coffee cake? ›
The cake is best defrosted by opening the heavy duty freezer bag in which it was frozen and storing the cake at room temperature for a few hours. It will taste as fresh as just baked!
How long can you keep a homemade 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.
