Buttery Coffee Cake
This homemade coffee cake is taken to the next level with a thick layer of DOUBLE the crumble and a moist and buttery cake base. Inspired by a New York style crumb cake, this treat would suit any bakery. It’s decadent, delicious, but not overly sweet.
What makes this coffee cake recipe so good?
Let’s be honest, the best part of any good coffee cake recipe is the crumble on top. Especially one that’s sweet and buttery and not too firm. That’s exactly what to expect out of this coffee cake…but DOUBLED.
The first step of this recipe is to make the crumble as it uses melted butter. This creates a thick but soft crumble that turns into the perfect consistency once chilled.
To ensure it doesn’t turn too firm once baked, a bit of cornstarch is added to this mix. Combined with both brown sugar and white sugar, this crumble topping has the perfect consistency.
Below that is a layer of delicious and buttery cake. So buttery that this cake stays moist and delicious for days after.
But the overall secret to this recipe is to use really good quality butter as it plays a big role in this cake. Go for a butter that’s grass-fed, rich and creamy, and has a beautiful golden color. This will provide the biggest payoff for this cake in both texture and flavor.
And if all of this isn’t enough to convince you, my husband always takes my desserts to work with him for his coworkers to enjoy. One of his coworkers is from New York and claimed that this was the best coffee cake he has ever had, and that’s comparing it to the coffee cake his dad used to buy every single day from a local bakery.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Baking Tips
To ensure your cake turns out just right, here are a few crumb cake baking pointers:
- Butter – Use a really good quality butter for the best results. I like Kerrygold because it’s common at most grocery stores and is made from the milk of grass-fed cows. It’s truly incredible quality and makes this cake taste so delicious.
- Sugar – When mixing the butter and sugar, make sure to really beat the two together until light and fluffy. This will create little air pockets to help lift the cake.
- Room Temp Ingredients – The butter, eggs, and sour cream should all be at room temperature before starting. Otherwise, the batter can turn lumpy and struggle to bake all the way through.
- Mixing – Once the flour is added, mix gently but thoroughly. It’s important that the batter is well combined, but over working can lead to a tough cake.
- Sour Cream – The only other substitute for sour cream would be full fat Greek yogurt. Don’t substitute with milk or anything liquid as this will create a very thin batter that will not hold up well against the thick crumble on top.
- Pan – I always recommend using a light colored aluminum baking pan. Dark pans tend to create really dark edges on your cake and a glass pan will likely result in an uneven bake.
Coffee Cake FAQs
This classic cake gets its name not from what’s in it (because there’s no coffee involved in making coffee cake), but from what it’s best served with. Coffee cake tastes delicious with a cup of warm coffee.
Unfortunately I don’t think this recipe would hold up well if doubled. The reason being, double the recipe would bake in a 9×13 dish but since the crumble layer is so heavy, I think the middle of the cake would really struggled to bake through.
The cornstarch is there to lighten the texture of the crumble topping. I don’t suggest replacing this as it can change how the crumble bakes.
If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp of kosher salt to the crumble and add a total 1/2 tsp of kosher salt to the cake batter.
Expect this cake to sink very slightly in the center, but if it completely collapses this is likely due to over mixing, expired baking soda, or not whipping the butter and sugar enough.
Since this coffee cake is so moist, it stays that way for a quite a few days. This cake will still taste good for up to 5 days.
Keep the coffee cake in a container at room temperature. I suggest reheating a slice in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.
For more coffee cake recipes, check out my:
- Banana Coffee Cake
- Carrot Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make this buttery coffee cake. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Watch how to make this buttery coffee cake:
Buttery Coffee Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices
Description
This coffee cake is inspired by the New York style version, with EXTRA crumble on top and an incredibly rich and buttery cake on the bottom. It’s so decadent but not overly sweet – just coffee cake perfection.
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1 2/3 cup (215g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
- 1/2 cup (105g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (180g) salted Kerrygold butter, melted
Coffee Cake
- 1/4 cup (55g) salted Kerrygold butter, room temp
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temp
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
*NOTE: This recipe makes a rich and dense cake. If you prefer a fluffier cake, use 3/4 cup (180g) of sour cream instead and add 1/4 tsp baking powder.
Crumble
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Pour in the butter and mix, ensuring all of the crumble is evenly hydrated with no patchy dry spots. It should be very thick and clumpy.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator while we make the cake batter.
Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and arrange the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Grease and line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to reach up and over the sides for easy removal once the cake is baked.
- In a mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until creamy, light, and fluffy.
- Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and mix to combine.
- Now mix in one egg, scrape down the bowl, and mix in the other egg along with the vanilla.
- Once smooth, mix in the sour cream followed by the baking soda and salt.
- Last, mix in the flour. When it appears to be fully mixed in, switch to a rubber spatula to gently mix the batter a couple times by hand just to ensure everything is evenly combined.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Taking the crumble from the refrigerator, sprinkle an even layer over the cake batter and ensure absolutely no cake batter is peaking through.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cake has an even rise with golden brown edges.
- Allow the cake to cool for 30-45 minutes, then release it from the pan.
- Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
BUTTER – Since butter plays a huge role in this coffee cake, it’s important to use a rich and flavorful butter. Kerrygold is my favorite as it’s SUPER creamy with a strong butter flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cooling Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Join Our Community
Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
Could I substitute with gluten free all purpose flour?
Hello! Could you kindly help me understand where do I need to include the Coffee and how much? I couldn’t find it in the ingredient list. Thank you!
I was curious if you could use a 9” springform pan for this coffee cake? I’m planning on making it for Easter. Thanks!!!
I recently made this using Irish butter from Aldi’s and it was so delicious! The cake texture is lovely! I baked it in an 8×8 glass baking dish, well greased since I didn’t use parchment paper and it turned out perfectly. It is a big cake so I was cautious with the baking time, and added minutes as needed. It is a new family favorite (your blueberry coffee cake is a very close second!) I did recently buy some Kerrygold salted butter at BJ’s so I look forward to making this recipe with that in the future.
Absolutely amazing!! If you follow the instructions diligently, it will turn out perfect. The recipe made more crumble than I needed (even after putting 3 layers on!) but I threw the leftovers in a ziplock bag and put in the freezer to use for another recipe. This was a big hit amongst friends and will definitely be made again. (Also, I enjoyed nuking slices in the microwave for about 15 secs.)
Made this today and it was amazing. Mine was taller and fluffier than your pictures. Could I melt the butter next time if I want a slightly denser cake?
Made this today! It is super yummy and balanced—not too sweet. Extremely moist and a heavenly ratio of cake to crumb topping
Made this for the extended yesterday and it was a hit!! Doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan and it worked great.
I couldn’t wait to make this after I saw the picture on Instagram. No surprise that it’s one of the best coffee cakes I’ve ever made. Maybe THE best? Probably. It’s not too dense, flavor is great, and it came together quickly. I also like the 8X8 pan. I almost reached for my 9X9 because my only 8X8 is glass, but the glass worked fine, and the cake is nice and tall. Love!
Hi Jenna. Love your recipes and looking forward to baking this coffee cake.
Question, can I use Danish Creamery European style butter instead of Kerrygold?
Thanks.