I’m not sure how this could be, but this is only my second coffee cake recipe I’ve ever shared. A few years ago I shared a pumpkin coffee cake, but that’s my entire repertoire of coffee cakes on HBH. You see, growing up coffee cakes were not a thing at our house. You all know the story, if it wasn’t chocolate, it wasn’t something my mom was baking. So we never enjoyed coffee cake as kids. However, when I was in middle school, I slept over at a friend’s house (which was SO rare of me to do). The next morning, we were served a chocolate chip coffee cake. I don’t recall questioning the coffee cake name, but I do remember thinking it was pretty delicious. And that was my first experience with any kind of coffee cake. And for a long time, it was also my last. Pretty sure I didn’t enjoy another coffee cake until that pumpkin cake I created a few yes back. So until recently, coffee cake was rather new to me, which makes this recipe feel especially fun to share. (cream cheese layer in the middle of the cake before baking)
The Idea.
The idea is simple. I’ve never understood why they would call coffee cake, coffee cake, if there wasn’t even a splash of coffee in the cake. Yes, I understand that it’s meant to be enjoyed with coffee. But still, why call it coffee cake if there’s no coffee inside? It just never made sense to me. And that brings me to this cake. It’s coffee cake, but with actually coffee in the batter…and even in the glaze. So it’s extra special coffee cake.
Here are the details.
There are three steps to this cake, the batter, the streusel, and the glaze. The batter is pretty simple, but the two special ingredients are the coffee (of course), and a bit of sour cream to give the cake the perfect moist crumb. Simply mix the wet ingredients, then add the dry…simple simple, nothing fancy. For the swirl of the cake, you’ll need to make a streusel and you’ll need some cream cheese too (though the cream cheese can be optional if you prefer). I swirled the middle of the cake with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar, then a layer of cream cheese. It’s a little decadent, but oh so delicious. And it’s March, a little decadence is needed to keep things fun and exciting until those flowers pop up. Then, for the very top of the cake, I made a more classic streusel with sweet brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. It’s so delicious and perfect atop this coffee cake.
Now on to that glaze…it might just be my favorite.
I don’t love a straight powdered sugar glaze. I find it to be pretty bland and re ally, it’s just too sugary for my taste. With this glaze, I wanted it to be exciting, but not overpowering. I wanted the flavors within the glaze to help highlight the flavors in the cake. And naturally, I thought the glaze needed to be flavored with coffee. The perfect pairing for a coffee, coffee cake! I used my favorite espresso powder, a nice splash of vanilla, and just a touch of powdered sugar, to create a coffee glaze. Not too strong, not too sweet, but just right. Especially when drizzled over this warm cake. Delicious. When you put everything together, you have a truly special coffee, coffee cake. This is going to be so perfect for all the upcoming spring holidays from Easter Sunday to Mother’s Day. But my suggestion? Test this cake out this week, or maybe this weekend. Enjoy it with your favorite steaming latte for a sweet morning…or afternoon treat. Such a perfect way to keep the week feeling fun! Looking for other springtime brunch recipes? Here are some favorites: Herby Everything Cheddar Swirl Buns Berry and Cream Cheese Croissant French Toast Bake Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Coffee Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
