The Best Coffee Cake Recipes are those that are tried and true cakes that you’ll want to make again and again. In this collection of favorites, you’ll find classic streusel coffee cakes, fruit coffee cakes, holiday coffee cakes and unique varieties too.
April 7th is National Coffee Cake Day! Celebrate by eating coffee cake! Bake a coffee cake from this collection of best coffee cake recipes, or go to your favorite coffee shop or bakery and order a slice to have with your coffee. Share your coffee cake on social media using the hashtag #NationalCoffeeCakeDay or #CoffeeCakeDay.
Coffee cake (rather than being a cake that has coffee as an ingredient) is any sort of cake that is intended to be eaten with coffee. It’s (usually) an unfrosted, single layer cake that contains fruits, nuts and/or spices and is topped with a streusel or glaze.
“Coffee makes it possible to get out of bed. Cake makes it worthwhile.”
-Unknown
History of Coffee Cake:
In the 17th century, Northern Europeans are thought to have come up with the idea of eating sweet cakes while drinking coffee (since that’s right about the time coffee reached Europe). German women brought the idea of kaffeeklatsch (a gathering where coffee is served) to America, and sweet cakes were probably served with coffee. By 1879, coffee cake was well known in America, and that’s when recipes for coffee cakes began appearing in cookbooks.
Classic Crumb Cake by Recipe Girl. This is a delicious snack cake with a thick crumb layer on top.
Toffee Almond Streusel Coffee Cake by Life, Love and Sugar. This cake is super moist and full of toffee, almond and cinnamon flavors.
Strawberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake by The View From Great Island. The crust of this cake is crisp and sweet, and the inside is moist and creamy.
Copycat Starbucks Coffee Cake by Your Home Based Mom. The base of the cake is tender and light with a heavier, crunchy, sugary topping.
Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake by Recipe Girl. This is a sour cream coffee cake with fresh blueberries inside the cake, and it’s topped with a simple glaze.
Cranberry Bliss Coffee Cake by Let the Baking Begin. This is a a delicious coffee cake loaded with cranberries, white chocolate, and a cream cheese frosting.
Raspberry Coffee Cake by Just So Tasty. This is a rich, buttery, perfectly moist cake with streusel topping and vanilla glaze!
Lemon Cream Cheese Coffee Cake by Lord Byron’s Kitchen. This is an extra lemony cake with a creamy filling and crumbly topping.
Keto Coffee Cake by Stylish Cravings. This is a sugar free cake with great texture and flavor without all of the carbs.
New York Style Crumb Coffee Cake by Smells Like Home. This is a soft buttery cake with big crumbs.
Banana Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping by Recipe Girl. This is a delicious banana cake with a cinnamon sugar streusel.
Banana Cream Cheese Coffee Cake by Carlsbad Cravings. This banana cake is riddled with chocolate chips and walnuts with a cream cheese filling and cinnamon walnut streusel.
Caramel Cinnamon Roll Bundt Cake by Recipes for Holidays. This delicious cinnamon cake is topped with the most amazing caramel icing.
Cherry Coffee Cake by Pear Tree Kitchen. This easy-to-make cake uses pie filling as a topping.
Lemon Dream Coffee Cake by Recipe Girl. This cake is a thin pastry drizzled with sweet glaze and topped with toasted almonds.
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake by Beyond the Butter. This cake has 2 layers of soft and fluffy chocolate chip coffee cake topped with cinnamon sugar.
Coffee Cake Donuts by Baker by Nature. Baked, not fried, these donuts are ready in less than 30 minutes.
Candy Cane Coffee Cake with Raspberry Filling by Recipe Girl. This festive cake is the perfect addition to a holiday brunch.
Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake by Baker by Nature. This cake is moist, rich, and so decadent!
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Go Go Go Gourmet. This cake is moist, buttery, and full of cinnamon flavor.
Lemon Zucchini Coffee Cake by From Valerie’s Kitchen. A burst of fresh lemon and shredded zucchini combine to create this moist and tender cake.
Pear Coffee Cake by Reluctant Entertainer. This is a moist breakfast cake made with Bosc pears, molasses, and cardamom!
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake by Handle the Heat. This cake features a moist sour cream pumpkin cake loaded with brown sugar streusel and topped with a maple glaze.
Coffee Cake Muffins by What Molly Made. These muffins have a crumble topping, and they’re easy and delicious.
Easy Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake by Cake’s Cottage. It’s a simple and quick recipe for delicious, homemade coffee cake from scratch, with ingredients that you already have in pantry.
Fun Facts about Coffee Cake:
- Coffee cake is often made in a bundt pan since the hold in the middle breaks up a dense cake batter. These coffee cakes are sometimes called “coffee rings.”
- Sour cream coffee cakes became popular after WWI when pasteurization was invented.
- Coffee cake can be served for breakfast, but it’s a popular choice for coffee break time too.
- In England, coffee cakes are sponge cakes that are made using coffee as an ingredient.
- There is most often a streusel on top of a coffee cake (though sometimes the streusel baked inside of the coffee cake).
- “Streusel” is German for “sprinkle,” and it’s made up of a mix of butter, sugar and flour.