A cinnamon coffee cake that doubles as breakfast and dessert! This Streusel Bundt Coffee Cake will win you over with its layers of cinnamon sugar and creamy vanilla icing.
Did you know in some parts of the world a “coffee cake” is a cake that actually has coffee in it? A British friend informed me of this when describing her coffee cake recipe to me and it blew my mind.
Where I’m from, coffee cake is a cake meant to be eaten with coffee.
Iced with a drizzle of sweet glaze rather than a thick buttercream or ganache, it’s perfect for sharing with friends over a pot of fresh brewed java.
Cinnamon Coffee Cake
The Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake I’m sharing today is the pinnacle of coffee cakes!
The cake itself is sweet, moist and delicious all on its own. But what really puts it over the top is the cinnamon streusel crumb on top paired with a dreamy vanilla glaze.
It’s rich enough to serve for dessert but because it has the word “coffee” in it you can 100% justify a slice of this for breakfast, too. It’s the kind of morning treat that’ll actually motivate you to get out of bed!
My favorite way to enjoy this cinnamon swirl bundt cake is with company. Put on a pot of coffee, slice the cake and catch up over a leisurely afternoon chat. Doesn’t that sound lovely?
Bundt Coffee Cake
There are two types of bakers in this world:
- those who love decorating cakes
- those who don’t
If you’re in the latter category, bundt cakes were made for you.
There’s no messing with frosting bags or attempts to spread frosting evenly with a spatula and a prayer.
Bundt cakes are iced with a simple glaze poured on top. It creates a beautiful waterfall of sweet frosting that’s allowed to look a little imperfect; that’s part of its charm.
The round bundt shape also makes cutting the cake into even pieces extra easy. Just one quick slice with a knife and you’re good to go.
Secret Ingredients
I use a boxed cake mix for my Cinnamon Coffee Cake. It’s not only convenient, but the texture comes out perfectly every single time–and why mess with perfection?
Along with vanilla extract, I like adding just a tiny bit of butter flavoring to my coffee bundt cake. That extra note of buttery taste helps bring out the cinnamon flavors from the streusel beautifully.
(If you’ve never baked with butter extract before, you can find it in the baking aisle right next to the vanilla extracts! Most well stocked grocery stores will have it or you can order it online.)
What You’ll Need
{Recipe at a glance; scroll down for full printable recipe with ingredient amounts}
To make the batter for the cinnamon bundt cake you need:
- Yellow cake mix (whatever brand you like!)
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Vanilla
- Butter flavor
- Eggs
- Oil
- Water
Grease a bundt pan and preheat the oven.
For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping you need:
- Nuts (I like walnuts, pecans or a blend)
- Cinnamon
- Granulated sugar
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
For the Vanilla frosting you need:
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Heavy cream (or milk)
- Vanilla
- Salt
Whisk together all frosting ingredients and set aside.
Storage tips
This coffee cake keeps well covered for several days, staying moist and tender!
It also freezes well whole OR sliced into individual portions. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Easy Desserts
- Cake Mix Cookies
- Gooey Butter Cake
- Apple Nachos
- Cinnamon Breakfast Muffins
- Amish Bread
- Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Streusel Bundt Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix 5.1 oz
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup water
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
For the Streusel:
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the Vanilla Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream milk may be used as well
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a bundt or 9 x 13 pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, blend all cake ingredients for 2 minutes.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the pan. Combine streusel ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture on top of the cake batter layer. Pour the other half of the cake batter into the pan and spread it evenly to cover the first layer. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture on top.
- Bake about 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick or knife comes out clean.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, turn out onto a large cake plate or serving platter.
- In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for vanilla icing and drizzle over the top of the cake.
Notes
- This coffee cake keeps well covered for several days, staying moist and tender!
- It also freezes well whole OR sliced into individual portions. Let thaw at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Leftovers of this Cinnamon Coffee Cake make a delicious breakfast, dessert or snack! Enjoyed with a cup of coffee, an ice cold glass of milk or just on its own, you can’t beat the cinnamon-y goodness of coffee bundt cake.
My icing came out very runny…. Used exact measurements? Any help for getting thick icing like pictured? Thank you!
Did you spoon and level the powdered sugar? If so, maybe this powdered sugar was scooped resulting in more of that and a thicker icing.
Hi Karen,
This looks so yummy! Is it possible to use stick butter opposed to butter extract? If so, would it also be 1 teaspoon and would melting it in the microwave be ok?
Thank you!
Sorry this question is for Aimee. 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️Sorry about that Aimee. Up too late 🤣🤣
If you don’t have butter extract, just omit it, don’t replace with butter 🙂
I have another question. how many ounces is the cake mix? Since they reduced the size of cake mixes, I have been confused.
Hi Aimee,
This cake looks delicious. I cannot use nuts in my cakes. Do you think mini chocolate chips would be a good substitute?
Hi Karen, I’ve been making this for more than 30 years and my mum has been for even longer. I would just leave the nuts out, as the cinnamon sugar works just fine in its own. I’ve tried making this with chocolate chips and wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be. Enjoy!
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