Thick Cream Cheese Coffee Cake has a layer of cheesecake and is topped with a crunchy Cinnamon Streusel. You’ll love the moist texture with ribbon of cream cheese!
This classic breakfast cake is what I serve guests during the holidays. But it’s also delicious and simple enough for a weekend breakfast.
This recipe was originally published in June 2013. The photos were updated in August 2023 and I’ve improved the recipe notes in February 2025.
Aimee’s Recipe Notes
Taste & Texture: Moist and tender cake with a rich cream cheese layer, topped with a crunchy cinnamon streusel.
Ease of Making: Involves multiple layers but straightforward steps; this cake is worth the effort.
Cooking Method: Baked in the oven in a 13×9-inch pan or two 9-inch round pans.
Top Tip: Ensure all ingredients, especially butter and cream cheese, are softened to room temperature for a smooth batter and filling. I love using homemade buttermilk to give the cake’s flavor and texture a rich tang.
I love coffee. Maybe I may have mentioned this once or twice on the blog?
From dalgona coffee to pumpkin cream cold brew, I love a cup of joe!
I’m not much of a breakfast eater though. Unless of course it involves some sort of pastry or baked good. Then I’m all. over. it.
And to be honest, this Cream Cheese Coffee Cake is one of my favorites, with it’s thick filling and crunchy streusel topping!
Similar to my streusel bundt coffee cake, today’s recipe has a moist texture, and I’ve added in a layer of cream cheese and topped it with a generous helping of cinnamon streusel.
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – You’ll need regular all-purpose flour for today’s coffee cake. Be sure to measure the flour correctly.
- Butter – I use and prefer unsalted butter for my baking, but salted will be fine. Omit half of the kosher salt if using salted butter.
- Sugar – The cake and filling uses regular granulated sugar while the streusel on top calls for both granulated sugar and light brown sugar.
- Vanilla – Make sure to use real vanilla extract (NOT imitation). Try my homemade vanilla extract for amazing flavor in your baked goods!
- Buttermilk – This adds to the rich and tangy flavor. You can make your own buttermilk if needed.
- Cream Cheese – Be sure to buy the block cream cheese, not the tub. And it needs to be softened at room temp for at least 15 minutes for this recipe.
How to Make Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese
Prep the pans. Grease and flour your 13×9 baking dish. I use homemade cake release, but a baking spray works too! Or make this recipe in two 9-inch cake pans (same oven temperature and bake time).
Make the cake batter. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Beat in softened butter until mixture is crumbly. Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and beat until fully combined and fluffy.
Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan.
Make the cream cheese filling. Beat the cream cheese with sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Pour the cream cheese filling over the coffee cake batter. Top with the remaining coffee cake batter.
Make the topping. Mix the sugars with cinnamon and salt. Add in the butter and combine fully.
Add the flour and mix with your hands until fully combined.
Sprinkle the topping all over the cake.
Bake and cool. Bake the cake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for about 45 minutes, until fully cooked. Cool completely and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- You can use a 13×9 baking pan or two 9-inch cake pans. They will use the same oven temperature and baking time.
- Be sure to let the butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature before you make this recipe.
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the first layer of cake batter into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
- The second layer of cake batter that goes on top of the sprinkled streusel can just be spooned on. It doesn’t need to be spread out.
- Cool the cake completely before you slice it. It’s hard to be patient, but this allows it to set up properly.
- For added delicious flavor, whip up an easy icing to drizzle over the top!
- Once cooled, store the coffee cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Place slices of the cake in a ziploc freezer bag. Label and date the bag then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature and enjoy!
More Breakfast cake ideas
- No matter the time of year, this Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake is always a huge hit at our house!
- Make a quick and easy batch of this Cinnamon Coffee Creamer to go along with your coffee and cake! It’s a treat, and perfect to keep on hand.
- I love banana muffins! Especially these delicious Cinnamon Glazed Banana Streusel Muffins!! Perfect for a weekday breakfast, weekend brunch, or after dinner treat!
- Love streusel? You’ve got to try this homemade Instant Pot Apple Crisp with it’s ridiculous amount of streusel on top! PERFECTION!
- Delicious Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Bread recipe tastes like a coffee cake with a cinnamon glaze. Two freezable loaves!
- If you love coffee cakes, my sour cream coffee cake is also delicious. or give my blueberry buckle a try, bursting with blueberries in every bite!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section below!
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Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
For the Filling:
- 2 packages cream cheese, softened 8 ounce each
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
For the Streusel:
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- For the cake, grease and flour a 13×9 baking dish and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low until combined. Beat in softened butter until mixture is crumbly. Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk and beat until fully combined and fluffy! Pour half the batter into baking dish, spreading evenly.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Pour over batter. Top with remaining half of cake batter.
- For the topping, mix sugars with cinnamon and salt. Add in butter and combine fully. Add flour and mix with hands until fully combined.
- Pour crumb topping over batter, sprinkling with hands until evenly distributed.
- Bake cake in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until fully cooked. Cool completely and serve.
Notes
-
- You can use a 13×9 baking pan or two 9-inch cake pans. They will use the same oven temperature and baking time.
-
- Be sure to let the butter and cream cheese soften at room temperature before you make this recipe.
-
- Use an offset spatula to smooth the first layer of cake batter into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
-
- The second layer of cake batter that goes on top of the sprinkled streusel can just be spooned on. It doesn’t need to be spread out.
-
- Cool the cake completely before you slice it. It’s hard to be patient, but this allows it to set up properly.
- For added delicious flavor, whip up an easy icing to drizzle over the top!
- Once cooled, store the coffee cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
I used a bundt pan. I put my streusel in first. Then piped half of my batter in. Then piped cream cheese filling. And finally piped in remainder of batter.
It is stated in the directions that this cake can be left out at room temperature, but because it has a cream cheese layer it must be refrigerated. I’m excited to try this. It sounds delicious.
How do you use the butter milk power?
I made this cake today and it’s delicious…I wait until the final 15 minutes for the topping so it’s not as crunchy. It came out wonderful…thank you for this recipe! Can it stay on counter and if so, how many days shelf life???
Cake doesn’t cook in 45 minutes. Took about an hour. Edges turned out dry and topping very dried out by the time the middle was cooked. I wouldn’t make again.
This coffee cake is delicious. I’ve baked plenty this recipe takes the cake. It is very moist with a tender crumb. The flavor is simple but divine. I have a few go to recipes this will be among them.
Easy to make, do not over bake. I use parchment paper. Refrigerate and cut the next day. Serve warmed gently or at room temperature.
I just made this and it is wonderful! Thank you so much for including the nutrition information — that is not always included in recipes. It’s really important for me because my son has T1 diabetes and we need to know the carb count to correctly dose his medicine.
I’ll be definitely using your recipes in the future!
I made this for family and they loved it. My cheesecake layer didn’t get as thick as pictured-don’t know why. Also I ran out is sugar so made 1/2 topping with all brown sugar. I didn’t have buttermilk but I learned years ago to add tablespoon of cider vinegar to milk and let sit for a few minutes. Works great. I will be making this again.
How do you use that Buttermilk powerd?
The container of buttermilk powder shows you what the measurements are 🙂 Use as directed.
Can I cut the receipe in half.
Can you substitute buttermilk with something else?
You can use whole milk.
So you think this would work in a springform pan? Like the lemon one?
It’s called Coffee cake, but I can’t see any coffee in it, is that correct?
Coffee cake because you enjoy it with coffee.
Coffee cake is a breakfast cake enjoyed with coffee 🙂
If in a hurry, could a boxed cake mix be used in place of mixin up from scratch?
I love this, made it and my entire family loved it.
How can I convert this to cupcakes? My son is a truck driver and it would be great if he could just take a couple cupcakes. Thank you in advance!
Do you think i could convert this recipe into mini cupcakes?
OMG. THE BOMB!!!! I made this Gluten Free by using King Arthur’s Gluten Free Measure to Measure Flour. So moist. Love that crumb topping. Family loved it. Can’t tell it’s Gluten Free!!! I definitely give it 5 STARS!!!! LOVE LOVE ❤️ ❤️😋. Thanks for sharing your recipe!!!
So happy you loved it 🙂
I just made this and it was terrific!
Definitely something to make again!
For some reason it took much longer in my oven, though.
It is a bit too much for three (after all, this year somehow wasn’t made for lots of visitors) – do you think I could cut it and then freeze it?
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
This cake freezes well. I suggest wrapping the portion you want to freeze in plastic wrap, then slide into a ziploc freezer container 🙂
Did you make the topping with GF flour too?
I plan in making this coffee cake this weekend, but the recipe calls for 3 cups flour for the stussel. Is 3 cups amusprint, it seems like it is too much flour. But I maybe incorrect. I just won’t to make sure before I make it. Thank you
This is correct, it’s a very thick streusel. Some people have preferred to cut the streusel ingredients in half.
How many bars does this recipe make?
Never mind I didn’t see the yield at the bottom! 🙂
How long of a shelf life does this have?
Sounds delicious, do you think I could add bananas to this recipe? If so would I have to adjust cake mixture?