Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake (Printable)

A tender coffee cake featuring cinnamon swirl and buttery crumble topping, perfect for breakfast or snack.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1 cup sour cream
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1/4 cup milk
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Swirl

11 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
12 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Crumble Topping

13 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
15 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
16 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
17 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x9-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract until combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just incorporated.
05 - In a small bowl, mix light brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
06 - Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture on top. Spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon layer gently.
07 - Combine flour, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in melted butter until coarse crumbs form.
08 - Sprinkle the crumble mixture evenly over the assembled batter.
09 - Bake for 38 to 42 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in 20 minutes of actual work, then the oven does the heavy lifting while you pour coffee.
  • The sour cream keeps it impossibly moist for days, if it lasts that long.
  • One bowl of crumble topping beats any frosting for texture and flavor without extra fuss.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the cake in the pan; I learned this the hard way when I got impatient and the first slice crumbled into a jumble of warm cake pieces.
  • If your crumble topping looks too wet or greasy after stirring in the butter, you've added the butter all at once; next time, add it slowly and mix between additions for better texture.
  • Sour cream is non-negotiable here; Greek yogurt works in a pinch but will give you a slightly denser cake.
03 -
  • Use a toothpick or thin knife to test for doneness rather than tapping the cake; you're checking if the crumb is cooked, not the crumble topping.
  • If your crumble is browning too fast before the cake is done, loosely tent the pan with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
  • Room-temperature sour cream and milk mix more smoothly into the batter than cold dairy straight from the fridge.

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