Butter Crumb Coffee Cake
This Butter Crumb Coffee Cake is soft, fluffy, and tender with a generous crumb layer that is to die for.
I’ve seen a lot of doctored up cake mix coffee cakes recently and while it certainly is easy and convenient, there is just something so much better about a completely homemade cake. This cake is every bit as easy to make as one based on cake mix but so much more delicious.
That crumb layer especially is dangerously good. While the recipe doesn’t call for it, I often like to include finely chopped walnuts to the crumb mixture. That added bit of crunch is just so satisfying and reminds me of my mothers favourite coffee cake recipe.
Want more cake recipes?
Check out some of my favourite cake recipes:
Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Butter Crumb Coffee Cake
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
2 1/2 cup Flour
1 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup softened Butter (cut in 1 tbsp pieces)
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 cup Buttermilk (or 2/3 cup Milk + 1 tsp White Vinegar)
Filling:
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon
Crumb Topping:
1 cup cold Butter (cut in 1 tbsp pieces)
2 1/4 cup Flour
1 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
1 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 9×13″ baking dish or spray with nonstick spray.
Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in mixer bowl.
Gradually add in butter while mixing. Mixture will be crumbly.
Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk while beating until the mixture is combined (scrape down the bowl periodically).
Set batter aside.
Mix together filling ingredients.
Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan and spread to level.
Sprinkle filling on top of the batter.
Pour remaining batter on top.
Use a butter knife to swirl Through batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla.
Cut butter into bowl using pastry cutter or forks until crumbly.
Sprinkle topping evenly over top.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake sets up.
Allow to cool and dust top with powdered sugar.

Butter Crumb Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 2 1/2 cup Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup softened Butter, cut in 1 tbsp pieces
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 2/3 cup Buttermilk, or 2/3 cup Milk + 1 tsp White Vinegar
- Filling:
- 1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- Crumb Topping:
- 1 cup cold Butter, cut in 1 tbsp pieces
- 2 1/4 cup Flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease 9x13" baking dish or spray with nonstick spray.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in mixer bowl.
- Gradually add in butter while mixing. Mixture will be crumbly.
- Add in eggs, vanilla and buttermilk while beating until the mixture is combined (scrape down the bowl periodically).
- Set batter aside.
- Mix together filling ingredients.
- Pour 1/2 the batter into the prepared pan and spread to level.
- Sprinkle filling on top of the batter.
- Pour remaining batter on top.
- Use a butter knife to swirl Through batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Cut butter into bowl using pastry cutter or forks until crumbly.
- Sprinkle topping evenly over top.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake sets up.
- Allow to cool and dust top with powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Liz Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys cooking and baking, food photography, and reading.
Hi Liz ! I have been trying to get your recipe for the Butter Crumb Coffee Cake but every time I try to click on it … it goes into a blank page.
That Coffee Cake looks so delicious ! Can you possibly send me the recipe or tell me how I may get it ?
Thanks so much,
Diane
Wow! This looks amazing!
So delicious! But I had to cook it way longer than instructed. Will just need to plan more time – will make again!
This looks like it should taste like the crumb coffee cake that I get at Starbucks; I’ll give it a try to see.
Went on vacation to Norh Carolina with seven people. We all had to plan a whole day of meals and cook – I chose this crumb cake with fresh fruit for my breakfast. It was a huge hit – everyone wanted the recipe. Takes a while to make, but the end results are amazing! Definitely a keeper for our family.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this yesterday and it came out just like the picture looks. I was thrilled that the taste matched the presentation. I will definitely make this again.
Could this possibly be made ahead and frozen?
Hi when do you add the coffee. It doesn’t say?
That is because there is no coffee in the recipe. It’s coffee cake – as in cake meant to be eaten with a cup of coffee.
Look yummy and I wanna try do it. There is no coffee ingredient,no?
No, Coffe Cake is meant to be eaten with your cup of coffee.
Did you whisk and mix the batter and crumb topping by hand, or did you use an electric mixer? I used the whisk attachment on my mixer the first time I made this coffee cake. I also had to bake the cake a little longer, but it still turned out very yummy!
The batter with a mixer and the crumb topping by hand.
This looks delish, I will be making it for our family Christmas brunch! Thanks for the recipe!
Very moist and buttery sweet! I ran out of brown sugar on the topping so I improvised with succanot and course sanding sugar to achieve the proper measurement. Never, never use anything but real butter, on this or any other purpose!
Absolutely delicious! This was an amazing dessert! I will gladly make this again!
Looks outrageous! I’m just curious; do you think I could use coffee extract instead of vanilla or perhaps one tsp. Of each? Your thoughts?
Thank you!
I am making this for my grandson’s birthday, he is turning 10, after having a piece last week when I made it for my women’s group, he requested it for his birthday dessert. It is really good but then how could it help it with all that butter and sugar in it.
How many servings??
Making this as I type (in oven). Question; did anyone else have problems spreading 2nd half of batter? I could not get it to the edges. I have no idea how it will turn out!
Yes, every single time! That’s normal, and it does still always turn out.
Outstanding!!!
I put hubby and son to work so all three of us finished quicker….made it much easier. It took a little longer to bake…I used slightly smaller glass dish. Next make, I plan to add a few thinly sliced apples.