Quick and Easy Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe

This quick and easy cream cheese coffee cake recipe is a crowd favorite! Light and airy coffee cake swirled with cream cheese and topped with a crunchy brown sugar streusel topping. This cake is light and airy, with hint of cinnamon and vanilla. Serve warm with a cup of coffee and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful treat! This bakes up perfectly in a 9×13 pan making it convenient to store and travel with.

Highlights of this recipe:

• Light and airy texture: this cake has a spongy texture and tender crumb, it is not dense at all like some cakes can be.
• Crunchy streusel topping: this coffee cake is topped with a buttery, cinnamon and brown sugar streusel. The butter melts into the cake while baking and sets back up into a perfectly crunchy topping! I like to add spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to my topping for extra flavor.
• No chill time: luckily this cake takes no chill time so you can pop it in the oven right away!
• Perfect for gatherings: this recipe makes one 9×13 pan, making this perfect to take with you to potlucks or a weekend brunch.
• Simple ingredients: this coffee cake is made with mostly pantry ingredients you already have on hand like all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Butter, eggs, and vanilla are also common ingredients. Make sure you have cream cheese and sour cream on hand for this recipe!

This coffee cake is best served warm as the cream cheese is soft and melty. I love the combination of the sweet cake and buttery streusel with the creamy cream cheese filling. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean or pecan ice cream and enjoy! This cake is also delicious with a simple powdered sugar glaze or frosting drizzled over top.

If you like this easy cake recipe, try my other Cake and Cupcake Recipes or check out all of my Dessert Recipes!

Tools I used for this easy cake recipe:

• Rubber Spatula – a must have! I like these because they don’t come apart so I don’t have to worry about water getting inside the spatula and causing mold.
• Pyrex Mixing Bowl Set – I love this set of nesting bowls. I use them for everything, Pyrex glass does not break easily so you can trust on these bowls for years, plus they come in 3 useful sizes and can be stacked!
• USA Pan 9×13 Square Pan – another USA Pan product I love! The corners of my bars and cakes never stick and I love the squared of edges this pan creates. This makes is convenient to bring cakes and bars to events or gatherings.
  

How to make this Quick and Easy Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe (with step by step instructions):

Let’s talk a little about how to make this coffee cake (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Combine wet ingredients.
• Add dry ingredients into the wet and combine.
• Transfer cake batter into greased pan.
• Top with a layer of cream cheese and streusel.
• Bake and enjoy!

1: Melt butter in a large mixing bowl.

2: Add in sugar and whisk to combine.

3: Mix in milk, vanilla extract, sour cream, and eggs.

4: Whisk until evenly combined.

5. To the wet ingredients add in flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

6. Mix until combined, the batter will be a little lumpy.

7. Transfer cake batter to a prepared pan.

8. Top with dollops of the softened cream cheese.

9. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter for streusel in a small bowl. Combine until small crumbs form.

10. Top cake with the streusel topping and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

11. Let cool on a wire rack, slice, and enjoy!

Ingredients & Ingredient Notes:

• Unsalted Butter: if using salted butter, omit adding more salt later in the recipe. Do not substitute margarine.
• Milk: any type of milk will work for this recipe. Dairy milk like whole milk and 2% milk or non-dairy like almond milk and oat milk work. You could also use heavy cream or half and half for a rich texture.
• Sour cream: this adds moisture to the cake without changing the flavor.
• Granulated white sugar: I do not recommend swapping any other type of sugar for this recipe. Other sugars can impact the dough differently and change how the cookie bakes and rises.
• Brown sugar: make sure to pack your brown sugar. Light or dark brown sugar works.
• Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this cookie. Let your eggs come to room temperature for this recipe.
• Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, almond extract can be added for additional flavor is desired.
• Cinnamon: I love adding spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to my cakes. You can leave this out or add as much as you want.
• All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.
• Cream cheese: I recommend using full fat cream cheese here.

I love the cream cheese layer combined with the crunchy crumb topping! This sour cream coffee cake is always a hit, especially served warm. This is best fresh out of the oven with fresh whipped cream or ice cream and a spoonful of macerated strawberries or fresh berries! If you’re looking for a breakfast cake or an addition to your next Sunday brunch, this coffee cake is it!

If you like this Quick and Easy Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe, you’ll love these other easy recipes…

• Egg Nog Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble – a fun seasonal dessert!
• Easy One Bowl Moist Banana Cake Recipe with Oil – a quick cake recipe that doesn’t require a mixer!
• Easy Coffee Cake Banana Bread – easy banana bread layered with a cinnamon streusel.
• Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe – the best part of coffee cake in cookie form!
• Cinnamon Snacking Cake with Maple Frosting – another quick cake with a simple maple buttercream.

Tender cake base with a cream cheese swirl topped with a crunchy topping! This can be fun for a baby shower, tea party, Sunday coffee with friends, or a holiday get together! Best thing, this buttery cake is made with melted butter so no stand or hand mixer is needed! Individual slices can be plated and served with different toppings and sauces.

Tips and tricks for perfect coffee cake:

• Don’t overmix cake batter, mix until just combined, the batter will be lumpy.
• Grease and flour baking dish so cake easily releases from the pan. Focusing on the edges of the pan.
• Spread crumble layer evenly on top of the cake, covering every inch.
• Allow to cool before slicing for cleaner slices.
• Serve topped with fresh whipped cream, homemade glaze, or ice cream.

Recipe FAQ’s:

What can I add to make my cake moist?

Adding sour cream to this cake ensures it stays light and moist, while still staying airy and not to dense.

Should cream cheese coffee cake be refrigerated?

Yes, since this cake contains cream cheese it should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container.

Why is it called coffee cake?

Coffee cake is a sweet dessert bread common in the United States, so called because it is typically served with coffee. Coffee cake does not always contain coffee.

Try these other coffee cake recipes, like Egg Nog Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Crumble, Easy Coffee Cake Banana Bread, or Coffee Cake Cookies Recipe!