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!
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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.
mmm…this coffee cake looks so good. i love that it has cream cheese in it!
I love coffee and my Keurig. I make espresso using my k-cup, and I make a latte every day. I have to have two coffees a day or it isn’t a day. I’m a sucker for cream cheese filling (as my latest post proves), so this looks like my kind of coffee cake! I do like breakfast. I’d gobble this up!
haha, two coffees or it isn’t a day. CUTE 🙂
I would love to brew a white hot chocolate.
I drink coffee throughout the day. We have a Keurig at work, and I’ve been saving my pennies to have one at home, too 🙂
Hi, Aimee! I would LOVE a Keurig! I’d definitely be brewing some iced coffee & lemonade (yes, they have lemonade to ‘brew over ice’) to beat the summer heat.
Tracey @ The Kitchen is My Playground
I would look forward to brewing my morning coffee.
iced coffee!
Your coffee cake looks amazing. I love cream cheese in pastries!!!
love coffee as well! and this cake sounds so good! especially with that cream cheese filling!!!
I’m not a coffee person. My version of coffee is a cup of English Breakfast Tea in the morning. Look forward to it every morning.
Your cake is gorgeous! I have made an adaptation of that CI coffee cake recipe and that cake base can do no wrong. Same with those streusel crumbs, gorgeous!!
Coffee. Any time, any way, would be just fine 🙂
You are so right. The base and crumbs alone would be delish!! The swirl of cream cheese just takes it to another level. Thanks for stopping by Averie, good luck in giveaway!!
Iced coffee sounds amazing right now!
Hot cocoa! And maybe trying some some mocha!
Cream cheese AND streusel? it must be good!
I haven”t tried the iced coffee yet, sounds good!
Oh the iced is fantastic!! Good luck Stephanie!!
this cake looks great
I already have a keurig at home, but I’d LOVE to have one at work! I’d love to be able to make a cup of coffee right at my desk (no one else I work with likes coffee, so the actual coffee maker is hot-water-only, LAME!)
Hot water? Totally LAME! Good luck Kelly!!
Coffee gets me through life! And love my Keurig! I don’t discriminate — I would brew all the coffee! 😛 – MBC
Vanilla lattes!!!
I would love to have a Keurig – I love coffee in a hurry! I had a Bunn, but it broke. This would be awesome – especially to eat with that scrumptious coffee cake!
Would love to brew both coffee and coffee!