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Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a delicious buttery cake made with a cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel crumble. Made from scratch, it is fluffy, moist, and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
My family calls this the best-ever sour cream coffee cake and requests it all the time.
This recipe is one of the most popular on Mama Needs Cake, and my readers make it again and again.
Why I Use Sour Cream
Most coffee cakes disappoint me because they are either dry or heavy on cinnamon. Sour cream fixes that. It keeps this cake super moist, and the spices stay balanced instead of overpowering.
For a fall twist, try my pumpkin streusel coffee cake, or keep it classic and browse our most popular recipes when you want another easy breakfast or dessert idea.
If you love the cinnamon swirl in this cake, my vanilla cinnamon sugar swirl cupcakes have the same twist in a single-serving size.
How to Choose Your Pan Size
I used an 11x15 inch baking pan, which gives roughly 30 slices and bakes in about 45 minutes.
You can use a 9x13 inch pan instead. It bakes about 10 minutes longer and gives fewer, thicker slices.
Either way, check the center with a toothpick to know when it is done.
TIP: Line the pan with parchment paper. It makes the coffee cake lift right out and prevents sticking.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar & Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Baking Powder & Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream
- Milk
- All-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- Cinnamon
- Confectioner's Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
How to Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking pan, or line it with parchment paper.
- Make the batter: Beat the softened butter with the granulated and brown sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients and milk just until incorporated.
- Assemble: Spread half the batter into the prepared pan.
- Make the filling: Mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and flour, then sprinkle it in an even layer over the batter.
- Add the rest: Spread the remaining batter over the filling.
- Make the topping: Stir the melted butter into the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour until crumbly. I use a fork to get it crumbly before sprinkling it evenly on top.
- Bake: A 9x13 pan takes roughly 45 minutes, and an 11x15 pan takes roughly 55 minutes. Check the center with a toothpick.
- Cool completely before drizzling the glaze. If the cake is warm, the drizzle melts right into it.
More Coffee Cakes
Looking for your next coffee cake? Try my chocolate chip sour cream coffee cake, my blueberry cream cheese coffee cake, or my cherry crumb coffee cake when you want a new variation, and browse our most popular recipes for more family favorites.
📖 Recipe
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- 1 cup butter - unsalted, softened
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs - room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup milk
- 3 ¾ cup flour
Cinnamon Filling
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar - packed
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup flour
Crumble Topping
- 6 tablespoon butter - melted
- 1 cup brown sugar - packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 cup flour
Drizzle Topping
- 4 tablespoon milk - give or take
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Coffee Cake Mix
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Prepare baking pan by lightly greasing sides and bottom. Use parchment paper if you would like.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar.
- Add in room temp eggs one at a time.
- Mix in salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and sour cream.
- Stir in milk and add flour gradually.
- After mixed, set aside.
Cinnamon Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.
- Stir well and mix in the 1 cup of flour. Make sure to blend well.
Crumble Topping
- Melt 6 tablespoon of butter.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and flour.
- Mix well and add in melted butter. Mix well. Set aside.
Assembling the Coffee Cake
- Pour half of the cake mix into the cake pan.
- Pour the cinnamon filling evenly over top of the coffee cake mix. You can the back of a spoon to carefully spread the filling.
- Pour the remaining amount of coffee cake mix over the filling.
- Take the prepared crumble topping and sprinkle it over the coffee cake batter. Make sure to spread it evenly across the top.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes for an 11x15 pan and about 50-55 minutes for a 9x13 pan.
- Check the center of the cake with a toothpick to check for doneness.
- Remove cake from oven and let cool completely.
- Make sure the cake is cool completely before adding the drizzle topping. If the cake is warm then the drizzle with melt into the cake.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
The whole family LOVED this cake!!!
I made it for afternoon tea and we have hardly any left!
The whole family LOVED this cake!!!
I made it for afternoon tea and we have hardly any left!
The whole family LOVED this cake!!!
I made it for afternoon tea and we have hardly any left!
So happy to hear that your family enjoyed it! 🙂
I make one similar to this but when I put the topping on it burns. How do you keep it from butning?
Placing aluminum foil on top of the cake for the last 15 minutes of baking should help prevent burning. Is it possible that you are baking your coffee cake on the upper rack?
This coffee cake is my idea of a perfect dessert. I love your flavors. I am definitely making this. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!
Coffee cake is ALWAYS a hit. Perfect for brunch or dessert. Heck, I eat it for breakfast too. I just made my mom's recipe on the weekend. Very similar to this one.
This is such a classic treat. Your coffee cake looks so buttery and rich, I would love a square with my afternoon coffee.
This cake was superbly delicious. Loved the crisp cinnamon topping as well as the wonderfully moist cake. Will definitely make this again.
This cake looks so moist and tender. I just love recipes that use sour cream – always so perfect!
Wow! I never tried a Sour Cream Coffee Cake before. This would be the first and it's making me drool right now.
Wow, this coffee cake looks fabulous. I love that crumb and all the flavors. I must give your recipe a try this weekend. Can’t wait.
This really was outstanding! I made it for a work brunch meeting, and it flew off the table. I had several requests for the recipe, so I passed on your link. Have a great weekend.
You're right. It looks so fluffy and moist just by looking at your photos. The flavors sound wonderful.
Question for you. In the directions you have baking a 9x13 for 50-55 minutes, but above the recipe you have 45 minutes. I will start checking it at 45 minutes. Thank you
Can this be frozen? Does it come out as moist on the reheat?
This is my 14 YO's sons FAVORITE cake. Has been for the past few years. He asks for it frequently. I have also made 2 and brought 1 to work - it was a huge hit. Many requests to make it again!
Can this be made in a Bundt pan?
Can you halve this recipe?
I haven't done it, but I don't see why you couldn't. If I were to do it, I would put it in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes less than the recipe calls for, and check it with a toothpick to make sure it is done.
Easy enough but lots of bowls making this recipe. Old school me I added one extra egg yoke. Also added frozen blueberries last minute. Better to use the bottom of the bag frozen fruit instead of throwing it out. I really like blueberry with cinnamon flavors along with the tang of sour cream.
Thank you for sharing