Easy Coffee Cake Recipe - Easy, Tasty, and Freezable! (2024)

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It’s the dream, right? Eating cake first thing in the morning as you sip your coffee. Well today we’re making dreams come true with this easy coffee cake recipe.

Easy Coffee Cake Recipe - Easy, Tasty, and Freezable! (1)

Coffee by its very nature is meant to be enjoyed slowly. Morning coffee time is one of our favorite times of day. Huddled on the couch with our 3 kids. Careful not to sit on the dog, Turbo (he’s an itty-bitty little guy), who is undoubtedly snuggled under the shared blanket for warmth. And then the Pavlovian beep of the coffee maker draws us to the kitchen for our morning cup (or two). It’s a welcome time of day when things move a little slower. Before the hustle and bustle of the day spins up. The only thing that could make this fleeting time of the day better? Well…cake, of course.

Easy Coffee Cake Recipe - Easy, Tasty, and Freezable! (2)

It only seems natural that the coffee drinkers of the world would eventually say, “Hey, what can I have to go with this?”. Enter coffee cake. The only cake that’s socially acceptable to have for breakfast. Which isn’t to say I haven’t occasionally indulged in a slice of leftover heath bar cake or oatmeal cake with my coffee (shhh!).

Coffee cake comes in various forms but they all arise from one simple idea…the desire for some sort of delicious pastry or cake-like item to enjoy with your morning coffee. An idea we can all get behind! Just be sure to get your behind in motion later in the day to work off some calories.

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In a 3 kid house, coffee cake is dangerous. Our kids already think that Mommy and Daddy stay up and eat candy every night after they go to bed. And on those nights when they do wander down after their bedtimes and find us eating dessert there’s always a look of betrayal in their eyes. Now, they’re going to come down in the morning and find us eating coffee cake? Ah well, their feelings of betrayal will quickly give way to elation when we tell them they can have a slice.

This coffee cake isn’t an every day treat, but it is a really perfect comfort food for holidays and special occasions. It’s very popular at coffee hours at work (how to make one of those long work meetings go better–coffee cake) or after church get-togethers. The only thing is…if I’m hosting a big meal later in the day I don’t always have extra energy for a complicated recipe which is why I LOVE this easy coffee cake recipe.

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The Secret to an Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

Duh, don’t take on anything overly complicated. That’s why I love that this easy coffee cake recipe uses a yellow cake mix. There are times when it is nice to bake things from scratch and there are times when easy wins the day. And so sometimes an easy coffee cake recipe means using a boxed cake mix. Others may call it cheating, I call it winning! 🙂

I’m sure you can find at least a few complicated recipes in this list of next level coffee cakes, but the goal with this coffee cake is making things easy. Mix up the cake mix, mix up the topping while the cake starts baking, then top with crumb topping, and bake for a little longer. Then it’s, ready to go! It even tastes delicious when you freeze it and save for another time. Just slice it up and store tightly wrapped in the freezer and pull out a day before (or night before) you are going to serve it and it’s ready to go.

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So go ahead and give this easy coffee cake recipe a try. I’m thinking of making it again (why not?!) and pairing it with this delicious looking slow-cooker pumpkin spice latte I found over on the Kitchn.

Time to dig in!

Easy Coffee Cake Recipe - Easy, Tasty, and Freezable! (6)

Easy Coffee Cake Recipe

easy coffee cake

4.38 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 9

Calories: 682kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 box yellow cake mix plus ingredients for to make mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tsp vanilla

For the topping

  • 2 sticks butter cold
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 c flour
  • 3/4 c brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 dash white powdered sugar for sprinkling on top after baking

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.

  • Make cake mix according to directions on the box and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.

  • Pour cake batter in greased 13x9 inch pan.

  • Bake for 20 minutes.

  • While cake is baking, mix together remaining ingredients until clumping together (I used food processor)--similar to a crisp or crumb cake texture.

  • Remove cake from oven and sprinkle crumb topping all over top of cake.

  • Return cake to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

  • Sprinkle with white powdered sugar and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 682kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 114mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 3.2mg

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Easy Coffee Cake Recipe - Easy, Tasty, and Freezable! (2024)

FAQs

Can you make a coffee cake and freeze it? ›

Freezing can keep coffee cake fresh for up to three months, but it needs to be done right to preserve the flavor and moisture while also preventing freezer burn. Frozen coffee cake should be stored the same way you would at room temperature, by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap or foil, to retain moisture.

How long will homemade coffee cake stay fresh? ›

Placing the coffee cake in a well-sealed container and putting it in the refrigerator can further prolong its shelf life. Coffee cake can last up to a week in the fridge, though it's worth noting that the cold could cause it to dry out, even if it's still technically good to eat.

How do you increase the flavor of coffee in a cake? ›

Add Instant Coffee to the Batter

We recommend dissolving 2-3 tablespoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Then add this mixture to the batter along with the other ingredients. This method will give the cake a stronger coffee flavor and a richer color.

What is coffee cake made of? ›

Though the cakes varied, they all contained ingredients such as yeast, flour, dried fruit, and sweet spices. However, over time, the coffee cake recipes have changed as cheese, sugared fruit, yogurt, soured cream, have been used, leading to a denser, more cake-like structure.

How do you freeze a cake without it drying out? ›

The cakes are wrapped in two layers: Press & Seal, then aluminum foil. The first layer keeps the cake tight and fresh and the aluminum foil ensures no condensation will seep in. This is also how I wrap banana bread and other quick breads, too. Double layer = maximum freshness and no freezer burn.

Can you freeze coffee cake before baking? ›

Her recipe, she said, makes two cakes — one to bake right then, and the other to freeze, unbaked. That way, when a coffee cake hankering strikes, simply pop the frozen cake directly into the hot oven and — ba-bam! — fresh coffee cake.

How to thaw a frozen coffee cake? ›

The cake is best defrosted by opening the heavy duty freezer bag in which it was frozen and storing the cake at room temperature for a few hours. It will taste as fresh as just baked!

Why is my coffee cake so dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard.

How do you reheat a frozen coffee cake? ›

Bundt cakes, Coffee Cakes, Cornbread

Refrigerated up to 2 days or in the freezer for 2 months, microwave for 15-30 seconds and enjoy!!

What makes coffee cake taste like coffee cake? ›

No, coffee cake does not taste like coffee. There is no coffee or caffeine in this cake despite its name. This streusel cake tastes like a lightly sweetened cake and oftentimes has spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.

What coffee is best in cake? ›

A dark roast or robust espresso will give rich, hearty treats plenty of depth, while a lighter, fruitier variety won't overpower a delicate dessert. Follow the recipe's instructions for coffee temperature, too.

Which coffee is best for baking? ›

Instant espresso is great for adding a hearty coffee flavor while maintaining a smooth texture. The powder doesn't contain any water to dilute the flavor or make your baked goods too wet, so it's great for many different recipes where you want a strong, rich coffee flavor.

What is the real name for coffee cake? ›

Thus, it became commonplace in these countries to have a small sweet served alongside a coffee. It wasn't until 1763 before coffee cake was first mentioned, though technically even then by another name, the German “gugelhupf”.

What is a substitute for sour cream in coffee cake? ›

Here are the top 10 sour cream substitutes you can use in the kitchen.
  1. Yogurt. Yogurt is your best substitute for sour cream. ...
  2. Mayonnaise. Mayo is a great sour cream substitute. ...
  3. Buttermilk. ...
  4. Crème Fraîche. ...
  5. Cream Cheese. ...
  6. DIY Sour Cream. ...
  7. Kefir. ...
  8. Mexican Crema.
Feb 21, 2023

Why is a coffee cake called a buckle? ›

A buckle is a funny name for an old fashioned fruit studded coffee cake. Like many other desserts in the extended cobbler family buckles take their name from their appearance—grunts grunt as they cook, slumps slump when served, buckles—you guessed it—buckle.

How do you store coffee cake in the freezer? ›

The ideal way to save a coffee cake from drying out or getting freezer burn is to cover it with a double layer of protection. So be sure to swaddle it up in either foil or plastic wrap first before sliding it into a heavy-duty freezer bag or airtight freezer-safe container.

How do you defrost a frozen coffee cake? ›

The cake is best defrosted by opening the heavy duty freezer bag in which it was frozen and storing the cake at room temperature for a few hours. It will taste as fresh as just baked!

How do you thaw frozen coffee cake? ›

Once your coffee cake is frozen you have a few options for defrosting, depending on your schedule. The best bet is to simply let your cake defrost on the counter at room temperature, as this will be faster than defrosting in the fridge, and leave you with the most tender result.

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