Cake Mix Coffee Cake
Savor a coffee shop treat right at home with this semi-homemade Cake Mix Coffee Cake, using a simple yellow cake mix and topped with delicious cinnamon streusel. Perfect as the best moist and flavorful option for breakfast or dessert, it makes every moment a little sweeter.
This is the best coffee cake you’ll ever make! It might be tough to decide which is your favorite part. Is it the moist cake? Or is it the topping? Or maybe you’ll love that the cake is made with a box of cake mix. Seriously, you’ll love how easy it is to make a fancy coffee cake.
There are just three parts to this cake – the cake, the crumb topping, and the glaze. For the cake, the dry ingredients involve just a box of yellow cake mix – that’s it!
But the best part of this delicious coffee cake recipe is the buttery crumb topping. You’ll make that from scratch with flour, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a few other ingredients. Then, it’s all topped with a sugary glaze that ties it all together.
Why You’ll Love Cake Mix Coffee Cake
- Moist Cake. The sour cream adds the perfect balance of moisture to the coffee cake.
- Incredible Crumb Topping. This is what sets it apart from other types of cake.
- Easy ingredients. Using boxed cake mix saves you from measuring out flour and other dry ingredients.
- Shows Off. Even though it has a few shortcuts, it looks like a stunning homemade coffee cake.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
Yellow cake mix coffee cake is made with simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Yellow Cake Mix. Use your favorite brand of cake mix.
- Vanilla Extract. This rounds out the flavor in the cake.
- Sour Cream. The sour cream adds much-needed moisture and gives you a soft coffee cake.
- All-purpose Flour. This is for the crumb topping.
- Butter. Use unsalted butter to prevent the topping from being too salty.
- Salt. This enhances all the other flavors.
- Cinnamon. An essential spice for making the coffee cake taste amazing.
- Brown Sugar. This adds caramel notes to the topping.
- Chopped Pecans. These are optional but add a delightful crunch.
Optional Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar. This is the perfect sweetener for making a glaze because it dissolves perfectly.
- Milk. Use your favorite kind of milk, as long as it is unflavored.
- Vanilla Extract. This makes the flavor deeper and more complex.
How to Make Cake Mix Coffee Cake
- Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step Two: Grease and line a 9×13-inch pan with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Step Three: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined. Then, set aside.
- Step Four: In a medium bowl, add the flour, melted butter, salt (if using), cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or spoon, stir the ingredients together until they’re all well combined. Set aside.
- Step Five: Add half of the cake batter to the prepared 9×13 pan.
- Step Six: Add half of the streusel mixture over the top of the batter.
- Step Seven: Spread the remaining cake batter over the top of the streusel layer.
- Step Eight: Finally, sprinkle the remaining streusel topping over the top.
- Step Nine: Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
- Step Ten: Allow the cake to cool for 45 minutes before serving.
Optional Steps:
- Step Eleven: Once the cake has finished baking and is cooling, in a bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Using a fork or spoon, stir to combine.
- Step Twelve: Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and serve.
What to Serve with Cake Mix Coffee Cake
Enjoy this delicious cake as an afternoon snack, or serve it as a breakfast cake with a warm cup of coffee. Here are some delicious recipes that will taste perfect with a slice of cake.
Variations and Substitutions
- You can easily substitute the pecans for walnuts. Just make sure they are chopped.
- I used a Betty Crocker cake mix, but you can substitute any yellow cake mix from another brand (like Duncan Hines). If you’re using French vanilla, omit the vanilla extract.
- Change the shape of the cake. Bake it in a bundt pan, square pan, or loaf pan.
- Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This will have a slightly different flavor but still work really well.
Storage Instructions
To store, place a piece of plastic wrap over your casserole dish lid and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days or covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure the cake remains covered or it will dry out.
Cake Mix Coffee Cake Tips and Tricks
- The top layer of cake mix can be tough to spread out. A tip to make it easier to spread is to spray a small amount of non-stick spray on an off-set spatula or regular spatula, then spread it out evenly. The oil will prevent the cake batter from sticking to the spatula.
- You will know it’s finished baking when you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.
- Use a stand mixer. This will save you a lot of energy.
Why is it Called Coffee Cake?
Okay, so coffee cake isn’t named after the drink! It’s more like the perfect sidekick for your coffee break. It’s a sweet, cinnamon-spiced treat that just pairs ridiculously well with a hot cup of joe. It’s basically the BFF of your coffee mug—always there to make your break a little sweeter! This is a great recipe to enjoy at brunch.
What Does Sour Cream Do to a Cake?
When adding sour cream to a cake or cake mix, it makes it more moist than if you just used milk. It’s thicker with a tangier taste, so it also rounds out the flavors in the best way.
Can I Turn Them into Muffins?
Yes, you can make this easy coffee cake recipe into a muffin recipe. Just fill the muffin tin 2/3 full to leave room for the crumble topping. This is a fantastic way to serve the coffee cake to guests instead of making individual slices.
FAQ
If you need it to be gluten-free, use a gluten-free box cake mix. Then, for the topping, use your favorite brand of gluten-free flour.
No, there isn’t any coffee in a warm coffee cake. This name just implies that it will taste delicious with a cup of coffee.
This recipe makes about 12 slices, depending on how big you slice them.
Coffee Cake Recipes
Want to make more delicious coffee cakes at home? Here are some of my favorites:
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Cake Mix Coffee Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup sour cream
- ⅔ cup flour
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Optional Glaze:
- 1½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease and line a 9×13 inch pan with a piece of parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, vanilla extract, and sour cream with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Stir until all of the ingredients are well combined. Then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, melted butter, salt (if using), cinnamon, brown sugar, and pecans. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or spoon, stir the ingredients together until they're all well combined. Set aside.
- Add half of the cake batter to the prepared 9×13 inch pan.
- Add half of the streusel mixture over the top of the cake batter.
- Spread the remaining cake batter over the top of the streusel layer.
- Finally, sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.
- Bake at 350℉ for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center.
- Allow the cake to cool for 45 minutes before serving.
Optional Step:
- Once the cake has finished baking and it's cooling, in a bowl combine the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Using a fork or spoon, stir to combine.
- Drizzle the glaze over top and serve.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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