No other way to kickstart a day than with coffee. To make it even better, have it with a great-tasting coffee cake.
Coffee cake can mean two things. It can either be a coffee-flavored cake or a sweet cake intended for consumption with coffee or tea.
It is a great partner to coffee because the sweetness complements the bitter flavors. But to have the best experience, you must get yourself the best.
Lucky for you, I’ve compiled a couple of great recipes for you to try for your next coffee session.
1. Coffee-Flavored Coffee Cake
Because a coffee cake can mean different things, not all actually have coffee flavors in them. But it’s best to start this list with one that actually tastes the name, right?
Bold coffee flavors fill this cake from base to buttercream. This ensures you don’t miss that punch of caffeine that is the highlight of this dessert.
You can use decaf or regular instant coffee powder or granules. The author uses so because it’s the most efficient way to bring out and add flavor.
2. Classic/American Coffee Cake
As I’ve said, the best coffee cake can mean anything to anyone.
For most Americans, a great coffee cake needs no caffeine in it. Instead, it’s usually a soft cake with a glaze or streusel topping.
For this recipe, I’ve chosen one that’s basic but has all the essence of our special dessert. Thus, it uses simple ingredients like cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, eggs, baking powder, and butter.
The fluffy texture and sweet taste make coffee cake great for a cup of coffee in the morning.
3. Cinnamon Coffee Cake
A favorite among Starbucks fans is the chain’s cinnamon coffee cake.
This sweet cinnamon treat makes a great partner for your regular drink order. However, Starbucks recommends it for their Breakfast Blend to energize your morning.
It has a Greek yogurt cake base and cinnamon streusel. While you can waltz into the nearest Starbucks and order one for yourself, it’s a great experience to make it from scratch.
Fortunately, Starbucks did not gatekeep their recipe, so you can have your own cinnamon coffee cake in less than an hour.
4. Mocha Coffee Cake
Mocha is a kind of coffee. Thus, the name of this recipe is quite redundant in some way. But it does encapsulate the concept of this dessert.
This recipe uses instant espresso powder. Espresso has intense flavors, so you can expect the caffeine kick in every slice.
It also has some cocoa powder for a hint of chocolate, which nicely complements the coffee flavors. It is present in both the topping and cake.
There’s also ground cinnamon, so you can expect the cake to have a beautiful complexity of flavors that work well.
5. Chocolate Coffee Cake
As I’ve said, chocolate and coffee complement each other really well. That’s why you’ll find several chocolate cake recipes with a bit of coffee in them.
But for this recipe, the coffee isn’t hiding among the layers of cocoa flavors. It’s as bold as the classic and indulgent chocolate itself.
This cake has several layers and is excellent for events as well. It has a moist chocolate-coffee base, coffee mascarpone cream, and chocolate ganache.
All the flavors are so delicious and well-balanced. It’s even up for the running for the best coffee cake recipe.
6. Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Yes, sour cream coffee cake is an actual thing. It’s a tender crumb cake with a crunchy pecan topping.
Served as small squares on a plate, they look and taste great with a pair of coffee. They also work as a breakfast, and not just dessert.
Ingredients for this cake are easy-to-find. These include butter, sugar, egg, sour cream, flour, and vanilla extract.
Preparation and baking time take around one hour only. You can make it ahead of time, as well!
7. Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Cheesecake and coffee cake in one? You got it!
This delicious and moist coffee cake has a layer of cream cheese as its filling. It also has a cinnamon and sugar streusel topping for added flavor and crunch.
It’s effortless to make and only takes an hour or so. The ingredients you’ll need are common and likely in your cupboard already.
So, what are you waiting for? Make yourself a cream cheese coffee cake now!
8. Apple Coffee Cake
Fruits are also a common theme in American coffee cakes. Of course, apples aren’t lost when we talk about American fruit-flavored desserts.
This moist crumble with sugar glaze has a similar profile to an apple pie. That’s because it’s loaded with granny smith apples and homemade apple pie spice.
It’s perfect for a relaxed fall afternoon. You can sit on your porch with a slice of cake and a hot cup of coffee.
You can make it extra by topping it with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
9. Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
If apple cake is great for fall, well, this one is best for the summer – right when juicy blueberries are bountiful.
Each slice holds a fresh pop of blueberry surprise as you bite into them. It’s especially great when loaded with lots of blueberries.
Thus, this dessert is perfect for certain seasons. But if you have no fresh blueberries, don’t worry – you can use frozen berries, too.
Like most coffee cakes, there is a streusel topping made from cinnamon, sugar, flour, salt, and butter.
10. Applesauce Cake
This American coffee cake variety exudes apple flavor while staying soft and moist.
Like the apple coffee cake, it’s a great treat during autumn. It’s also a creative way to transform your homemade applesauce.
What’s more, it’s pretty healthy. It’s low on fat because there are no oils or even eggs, so it’s perfect for people avoiding fats.
You can put a twist on its toppings as well. Some go for whipped cream, frosting, ice cream, or cream cheese.
But, you can simply top it with some sugar or glaze. It’s great by itself already.
11. Pineapple Coffee Cake
Pineapples on pizza aren’t the only thing out there because these cakes also exist.
This cake has bright, sweet flavors from the pineapple chunks in the batter. You also get some crunch from topped walnuts.
The recipe is simple and straightforward. You’ll need a handful of ingredients, but they’re all likely in your pantry already.
You can have this cake any time of the day with a hot coffee to pair.
12. New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake
Most coffee cakes are like crumb cakes, primarily because of the crumbly toppings. For this recipe, you’ll find that the cinnamon sugar layer on top is the highlight.
This New Jersey bakery favorite brings together cinnamon, buttermilk, and vanilla flavors. There’s also that distinct sweetness you can only get from brown sugar.
When following the recipe, the author recommends you start with the topping. Doing so avoids letting the batter sit, which can affect quality.
Serve this cake with some powdered sugar.
13. Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Several of the recipes I’ve had here mentioned streusel toppings. But what exactly is a streusel?
It’s a crumbly topping made from flour, butter, and sugar. Usually, it has cinnamon in it, like this recipe.
In this recipe, the cinnamon flavors are present from the filling up to the topping. It is also beautifully complemented by brown sugar.
At this point, I think you can imagine the heavenly smell this cake brings into your kitchen. So, why don’t you get into it?
14. Pumpkin Coffee Cake
I know I’ve mentioned a lot of fall-themed flavors here. But this one might give the other autumn cakes a run for their money.
This has the ultimate fall flavor profile: pumpkin puree, maple syrup, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Plus, it has a brown sugar cinnamon topping and vanilla icing.
All the spiced flavors come together in this dessert. The end product is soft, moist, and delicious.
There are three components to this treat: cake, topping, and icing. While it may seem intimidating, you can get it done in an hour.
15. Coffee and Walnut Cake
Walnut is a classic pair to coffee cake. You’ll find many recipes that use it as a topping, but I’m here to show you one with walnuts in the base.
I also like that this recipe uses black coffee granules. It really imparts a strong and distinct coffee taste to the cake.
It’s served with mascarpone frosting and icing sugar. This gives the cake a sweet and creamy texture, making it a delight for many.
16. Maple Walnut Coffee Cake
Do you know what coffee cake is great for fall? Maple Walnut Coffee Cake.
This recipe has a streusel topping made of cinnamon and California walnuts. It also has icing made from maple syrup and powdered sugar.
The recipe lets you instill the walnut and maple flavors in the base. That’s because you add in chopped walnuts and maple syrup and extract.
You wouldn’t want to miss the experience of watching bright leaves fall to the ground with a delicious maple walnut cake in your hand.
17. Salted Caramel Coffee Cake
Salted caramel and coffee are great flavors that are awesome when they come together. Betty Crocker must have thought of that because they came up with an easy-peasy salt caramel coffee cake recipe.
Because this recipe uses ready-made cake and icing mix, this makes prep so much easier. It’s ideal if you’re busy or need to whip a cake immediately.
But that doesn’t mean it’s any less great. This cake has the whole set: delicious base, sweet caramel and coffee icing, and a garnish of caramel sauce and walnuts.
18. Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
Being gluten-free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a sweet treat with your coffee. Thus, I’ve included this gluten-free recipe.
This one is as moist, sweet, and delicious as the usual coffee cake. The streusel topping isn’t missed either.
The essential component is sour cream. This ingredient provides tang and moistens the cake, which goes well with the crumbly top.
18 Amazing Coffee Cake Recipes
These are 18 of the most amazing coffee cake recipes you have to try:
Ingredients
Coffee-Flavored Coffee Cake
Classic/American Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Chocolate Coffee Cake
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Apple Coffee Cake
Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake
Applesauce Cake
Pineapple Coffee Cake
New Jersey Crumb Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Coffee and Walnut Cake
Maple Walnut Coffee Cake
Salted Caramel Coffee Cake
Gluten-Free Coffee Cake
Directions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a coffee cake in 30 minutes or less!