Coffee Cake Yum Recipe

Prepare oven and pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan or an 8x8-inch square pan, or line it with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt until evenly combined.

Combine wet ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk the 2 large eggs until combined. Add 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled slightly), 1/4 cup vegetable oil, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup cooled strong brewed coffee. Whisk until smooth.

Make batter

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined and no large streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick but pourable.

Layer batter

Spoon about half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Make streusel

In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (if using). Add 4 tablespoons cold cubed unsalted butter and cut or rub the butter into the dry mixture with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces.

Add streusel layer

Sprinkle about half of the streusel mixture evenly over the first layer of batter in the pan. Reserve the remaining batter and streusel for the top.

Top layers

Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the streusel and gently spread to cover (it’s okay if small pockets of streusel peek through). Finish by sprinkling the remaining streusel evenly over the top.

Bake

Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 35–45 minutes for a round pan (or 40–50 minutes for a deeper 8x8 pan), until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding large streusel chunks) comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Cool

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and remove the springform or lift the cake out on the parchment. Allow to cool to warm or room temperature before glazing.

Make glaze

In a small bowl whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1.5 tablespoons milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules (if using). Whisk until smooth, adding more milk 1/4 teaspoon at a time if needed to reach a pourable but thick glaze consistency.

Finish cake

When the cake has cooled to warm or room temperature, drizzle the glaze over the top using a spoon or a piping bag. Let the glaze set 10–15 minutes before slicing. Serve at room temperature with coffee or tea.