This moist and buttery Sour Cream Coffee Cake Loaf has a ribbon of cinnamon sugar in the middle and crunchy cinnamon streusel on top. It’s a great recipe to have in your back pocket for weekend brunches and holiday gatherings.

Coffee cake is an easy grab-and-go breakfast or snack, and it allows me to have something on hand for early risers. You won’t be able to resist this coffee cake loaf and neither will your guests!

“The BEST coffee cake I have ever made! Super moist , delicious flavour, the perfect amount of cinnamon and crumble on top. We made it for guests but unfortunately they had to reschedule, my family had no problem finishing it off! This recipe’s a keeper!“ – Emily, So Much Food reader

This Is the BEST Coffee Cake I’ve Ever Eaten

There’s something so satisfying about a warm slice of coffee cake in the morning. It’s filling without being too sweet and pairs so perfectly with a cup of coffee (or Irish coffee, if it’s the holidays!). It’s my go-to order when I’m hanging out at a coffee shop, but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home.

This moist and tender coffee cake loaf is an easy brunch or holiday recipe that you’ll turn to over and over again! You don’t need any fancy equipment, just a hand mixer and a quality loaf pan.

The cake base for this sour cream coffee cake is super moist and dense, almost like a pound cake but a bit lighter. Then, add some brown sugar-cinnamon swirl and top with the most glorious crumble ever! All the elements come together into crumb cake perfection.

Jenny’s Tip: Despite having “coffee” in the name, there’s not actually any coffee in coffee cake. The name comes from the tradition of serving a warm slice of cake with coffee.

Tools Needed

• Hand Mixer
• Mixing Bowl
• 10 x 5 Loaf Pan

Key Ingredients (+ Substitutions)

• Butter. Butter always makes the richest-tasting cakes! I don’t recommend replacing it with oil because we’ll be creaming together the butter and sugar to trap some air in the batter, which creates a lighter, airier crumb.
• Sugar. This easy recipe calls for both granulated and brown sugar (the brown sugar adds such great flavor and richness, don’t skip it!).
• Eggs. Bring your eggs to room temperature before mixing into the batter. To do this, submerge them in a bowl of warm tap water for about 5 minutes.
• Vanilla. Use high-quality vanilla here for best flavor results.
• Sour Cream. Sour cream is the secret ingredient in this coffee cake loaf recipe! Using sour cream adds so much flavor and great moisture to the cake. Don’t skimp on the fat and go with a low-fat version, fat = flavor!
• Leaveners. The combination of baking powder and baking soda make a moist and light cake with the perfect crumb texture.
• Milk. Just a little bit of milk helps loosen the batter and keep it from being too dense.
• Cinnamon. Cinnamon in the streusel and the swirl in the middle adds the perfect amount of warmth.

The 5 Steps to Making a Sour Cream Coffee Cake Loaf

1. Make the cinnamon streusel. Always do this first, because the streusel mixture needs to chill in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the batter. This brief chill time solidifies the melted butter and creates a more crumbly streusel (vs one that melts into the top of the coffee cake and disappears).
2. Whisk together the cinnamon swirl. It’s a simple combo of brown sugar and cinnamon, so just whisk to remove any big clumps of sugar. That’s it!
3. **Super important** Cream together the butter and sugar. The most important thing to remember is to first beat the butter and sugar until very light, fluffy, and almost doubled in size. This will take a couple minutes, so don’t skimp on time here! The idea is to whip air into the mix and that takes time.
4. Add the wet ingredients, then the dry. After the butter and sugar have almost doubled in volume, add the wet ingredients to the mixing bowl, stir to combine, then whisk in the dry ingredients.

Jenny’s Tip: Don’t over mix! When I add my dry ingredients, I always switch from the mixer to a rubber spatula. Being able to mix the dry ingredients by hand keeps me from over-mixing the batter and ending up with a dense and dry cake.

5. Assemble and bake. To create that yummy ribbon of cinnamon sugar, add just half of the batter into the parchment-lined loaf pan, then sprinkle in all of the cinnamon sugar before topping with the remaining batter. Take the streusel topping out of the fridge and pry it out of the bowl with a fork to create extra large crumbles on top of the coffee cake.

Don’t Have a 10×5 Loaf Pan? Here’s What to Do

Using the right size and color pan is everything in baking! The type of pan you use can either make or break your recipe. My favorite pans for baking are the USA Bakeware brand baking pans. They’re totally non-stick and light in color which guarantees your baked goods bake evenly.

(This isn’t sponsored, I just have so many of their pans and they’re durable and high quality.)

This recipe calls for a 10×5-inch loaf pan, but some are actually 9×5. In that case, you’ll need to bake the cake a little longer. Use visual judgement when baking and adjust times accordingly.

Jenny’s Tip: Always use a cake tester to make sure the inside of the cake is baked all the way through!

If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Sweet Brunch Recipes for a Crowd

• Banana Coffee Cake
• Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
• Bananas Foster French Toast Casserole
• Apple Pie French Toast Casserole
• Giant Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

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