Welcome to fall baking, we love it here! This Cinnamon Coffee Cake is the perfect way to begin the fall season. This soft and moist cake is the perfect vehicle for the delicious cinnamon filling and cinnamon crumb that take this coffee cake to a whole new level. If you love coffee cakes as much as I do, you will absolutely fall in love with this recipe. It’s the perfect companion to your cup of coffee this fall, and comes can be made quickly with just a few simple ingredients.
It’s September, which means it’s officially “fall” season. Although I’ve always lived in the sunny middle east where the only season we have is summer, I have always loved the idea of fall. The autumn leaves, the cozy vibe, and most importantly, all the sweet cinnamon-y treats. I love the idea of cozying up on the sofa under the blanket and enjoying a cup of coffee with a slice of delicious coffee cake while a cool breeze blows past the window, and even though it’s 40 degrees here and the only “cool breeze” we get is through the AC, I wanted to recreate that feeling with this absolutely delicious coffee cake.
Honestly? I think this is one of the best things I have ever made. Believe me, there’s no one pickier about their tea and coffee cakes as I am, but this one just ruined every other cake for me cause it’s absolutely perfect. It’s so moist that I don’t even mind saying the word “moist” 😆.
Before we move ahead, I think there’s something I should clarify – a coffee cake is not a cake that is flavored with coffee, but one that’s eaten with coffee/tea. It’s similar to other tea/coffee cakes like pound cakes that accompany your hot beverages perfectly.
Okay, I know what you are thinking right about now. This doesn’t look like a simple cake. How do you get the cinnamon filling inside? That crumb looks complicated. There are 3 components, it’s surely not an easy cake to me, right?
Wrong. It’s a super easy cake to make. And yes, there are three components in this cake – the cake batter, the cinnamon filling, and the cinnamon crumb, but each component is so easy to make that you can barely even count them as separate components. Don’t believe me? Then let’s dive in a little deeper into each component.
The Coffee Cake Batter
Coffee cakes are more reminiscent of pound cakes than sponge cakes. The cake is denser than a regular sponge cake and has defined golden brown edges. This means that the batter is also made a little differently than a regular sponge cake. The secret behind the moistness of this coffee cake though is a special, and very unexpected ingredient – yogurt. Yes, yogurt.
You might have not heard of yogurt as a part of cake batters before, but it’s actually quite a common baking ingredient. Yogurt plays many different roles in baking – its creaminess makes the cake super moist, its tangy flavor adds an old-school kick to the taste of the cake, and its acidity helps the baking soda in cakes activate better and results in a cake that rises better.
This cake batter uses quite a lot of yogurt. When it’s whisked into the batter, it appears to split and you might think that you’ve ruined the batter. But hold up! Don’t give up just yet. Once you fold the dry ingredients into the batter, it will come together beautifully and result in a thick, creamy texture.
The Cinnamon Filling
Okay, I really don’t have much to say about this filling because it’s really that simple. The cinnamon filling is a dry filling that’s made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and a tiny bit of flour. The filling is added to the cake by sprinkling a layer of it in between two layers of the batter. In simple terms – add half of the cake batter into the baking pan, then sprinkle the cinnamon filling on it and top it with the remaining flour. This creates that delicious cinnamon layer in between the cake.
The Cinnamon Crumb
Okay, this. This is the real star of the show. This is what takes this cinnamon coffee cake to the next level. It’s crunchy, it’s cinnamon, it’s sweet, it’s salt. It’s absolute perfection. It’s made with 4 simple ingredients – brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter. The key to creating a ‘crunchy’ crumb is using cold butter. The dry ingredients have to be ‘cut’ into the butter (which means that the dry ingredients are mixed with the cold butter using your hands or a fork). The cold butter helps create clumps of crumbs that bake to crisp perfection and pair perfectly with the soft cake. The crumb is added on top of the cake batter, I like to add a thick layer of it cause I absolutely love how it tastes, and I would recommend you do that, too!
So, now that we know that this cake is super simple to make and tastes absolutely delicious, are we ready to make it and fall into the season of fall? (I’m sorry, please don’t leave 😬)
Let’s begin!
Cinnamon Coffee Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Loaf Pan/ 9×11" baking pan, I prefer using a loaf pan as it results in better slices, but you can use a 9×11" cake pan if you don't have one.
- Stand or electric mixer
- Silicone spatula
Ingredients
Cinnamon Filling
- 120 gs packed brown sugar
- 25 gs all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Cinnamon Streusel Crumb
- 120 gs packed brown sugar
- 110 gs all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 gs unsalted butter, cold
Cake Batter
- 270 gs all-purpose flour
- 30 gs cornstarch
- 2.5 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 170 gs unsalted butter softened
- 150 gs packed brown sugar
- 150 gs white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 240 gs full-fat yogurt, whisked
Topping Glaze
- Icing sugar
- Full-fat milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Filling
- Mix all the ingredients in a bowl using a whisk or spoon until well combined and set aside until ready to use120 gs packed brown sugar, 25 gs all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Cinnamon Streusel Crumb
- In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: brown sugar, flour, cinnamon powder, and salt until well combined.120 gs packed brown sugar, 110 gs all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- Cut the cold butter* into small cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Rub the mixture using your hand or a fork until the crumb reaches a wet sand-like mixture. Don't overwork the mixture or the butter will become too soft and the crumb will not crisp up while baking.100 gs unsalted butter, cold
Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Prepare the baking pan by lining it with baking paper. Make sure to leave an overhand on the sides to make it easier to remove the cake from the pan after baking.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl using a hand whisk: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.270 gs all-purpose flour, 30 gs cornstarch, 2.5 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp salt
- In a bowl, add the softened butter and both the sugars, then whisk for 3-5 minutes on high speed using an electric or stand mixer until the mixture becomes pale and creamy.170 gs unsalted butter softened, 150 gs packed brown sugar, 150 gs white sugar
- Add the eggs into the batter, one at a time, and whisk on low speed for 30 seconds after every addition. Then, add the vanilla essence and whisk for another 30 seconds until well combined.3 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the yogurt into the batter and whisk for 1-2 minutes on medium speed until it's fully combined. The batter may appear split at this point but it will come together once you add the dry ingredients.240 gs full-fat yogurt, whisked
- Add the dry ingredients and fold in the batter slowly using a silicone spatula and mix until just combined. Don't rush this process, you want the batter to retain as much air as possible.
- In the prepared pan, pour half of the cake batter, then top it with the cinnamon filling. Pour the remaining batter on top of the filling, then top it with the cinnamon streusel crumb.
- Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes*, until the top is golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool, then top it with an an icing sugar and milk glaze and serve.
Notes
- Using cold butter for the cinnamon streusel crumb: if the butter is not cold, the crumb will not hold its shape properly and will not crisp up while baking.
- Baking time: The bake time mentioned in this recipe (45-60 mins) is for a loaf tin. A loaf tin requires longer baking time as it is deeper than a regular 9×11″ baking pan. If you are using a 9×11″ baking pan, you should reduce the baking time to 30-45 minutes.
I’m so excited for you to try this recipe! It’s the perfect fall dessert 🍂.
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments! And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time!
