This corner bakery cinnamon creme coffee cake is the perfect solution for busy families who want a show-stopping weekend brunch treat that looks like it came from an upscale cafe. Inspired by the famous recipe from Corner Bakery Cafe, this rich, golden cake is marbled with thick ribbons of cinnamon sugar and crowned with the buttery streusel.
This foolproof recipe relies on simple baking staples to produce an incredibly moist crumb that actually tastes even better the day after it’s made, giving you a reliable recipe that you can return to time and time again.
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Jump to:
- What is Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake?
- Key Takeaways
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Corner Bakery Cinnamon Coffee Cake
- How to Assemble Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
- How Long Should I Cook Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Variations and Substitutions
- Storage and Reheating
- Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake
- Other Coffee Cake Recipes You Might Enjoy
When my daughter and I were having lunch at the Corner Bakery, she raved about their Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake. Of course, I ordered a slice, and it is heavenly. Since it’s over $20 for a small cake, she asked if I could recreate it at home.
What is Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake?
Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake is a rich, golden sour cream coffee cake swirled with internal ribbons of cinnamon and nutmeg, then topped with a dense, crumbly brown sugar streusel. Modeled after the signature New York crumb-style cake served at the popular cafe, it is celebrated for it’s moist, dense texture.
Key Takeaways
- Structured, layered cake that yields cafe-style results every single time!
- Made with simple pantry ingredients like flour, butter, and spices.
- Perfect for crowds or just for your morning routine.
- Easy for meal prep because it tastes even better the next day.
Ingredient Notes
Granulated Sugar and Brown Sugar – The sugar combination creates the perfect sweet, caramelized base for the streusel topping. The sugar will again be used in the cake base as well.
Ground Cinnamon and Ground Nutmeg – These warm spices add the signature, aromatic flavors.
All-Purpose Flour – This flour binds with the butter to ensure your streusel is thick and distinct. It is also the foundation for your coffee cake to support the heavy layers.
Salted Butter – Use to make the crumbled streusel topping.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda – A dual-leavening combination to ensure the perfect rise of the coffee cake.
Salt – A small addition that balances out the sugars and enhances the flavors.
Unsalted Butter – Creaming this provides the rich flavor and airy lift of the crumb.
Eggs – The eggs give structure to the layers of the cake.
Vanilla Extract – Provides the flavor profile that you would expect in this cake.
Sour Cream – Adds the acidity needed to activate the baking soda.
How to Make Corner Bakery Cinnamon Coffee Cake
This cake is more moist and delicious the day after it’s made, so you may want to make Cinnamon Coffee Cake the day before you plan to serve it.
Before you start baking, note that you will need a coffee cake pan or a tube pan (affiliate link) to make this cake. The batter will overflow from a regular bundt pan.
Start by making the streusel, which will become the filling and topping for your cake. To make homemade cinnamon streusel, combine white and brown sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour. Drizzle in some melted butter and use a wooden spoon just to combine the streusel. Be gentle here and careful not to overmix, as you want nice big chunks of topping.
Next, make the cake batter. Start by combing the dry ingredients in one bowl and creaming the sugar, butter and shortening with a stand or hand mixer in a separate bowl. The creamed butter should be very light and fluffy when it’s finished.
Add 5 eggs and your extract of choice to the creamed butter mixture, beating well between additions. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the creamed butter mixture.
Start by adding a third of the dry ingredient mixture, then half of the sour cream. Mix those in. Add another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the sour cream, then finish with the last of the dry ingredients. Stir to combine everything fully, but not overmix.
Now you’re ready to assemble this beautiful Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake.
How to Assemble Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
When your cinnamon streusel topping and cake batter are mixed up and your cake pan is greased and ready to go, it’s time to assemble your coffee cake.
First, add half of the cake batter to the prepared cake pan. Then sprinkle half of the streusel on top.
It can be hard to spread out the rest of the batter after you add a streusel layer. So I use an ice cream scoop or disher (affiliate link) to place scoops of batter on top of the streusel. Then, it’s easy to spread the batter out evenly with a spoon or a spatula.
Finally, top off the cake with the last layer of cinnamon streusel. Gently pat the topping in so it sticks to the cake while baking.
How Long Should I Cook Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake?
Because this is such a large, dense coffee cake with a crumbly filling, it has a longer cooking time than you might expect. And the pan you use can also make a big difference in your cooking time. I find that the best way to check for doneness is by taking the cake’s temperature.
The cinnamon coffee cake is ready when a thermometer inserted into the middle registers 210°F. If you find that the top starts browning before the cake is fully cooked, cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.
Let the cake rest in the pan after baking for 30 minutes. This gives the cake some time to set fully. And your slice will still be warm, melty and delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
I chose butter-flavored Crisco for baking recipes like this coffee cake. It comes in sticks, so it’s easy to measure out. You could also substitute the shortening with butter in this recipe, and use 1 cup of butter rather than half a cup of each.
This choice is yours! Either pick your favorite flavor or use a combination of both. I love the subtle nutty flavor from almond, but vanilla is always a classic crowd-pleaser.
If you don’t have sour cream on hand or simply aren’t a fan, you can substitute yogurt. The cake won’t have quite the same tang but it will be a slightly lighter coffee cake.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the almond extract for vanilla extract; either can be used.
- Add finely chopped pecans into the middle filling for a crunchy center.
- Fully cool the cake before slicing.
Storage and Reheating
If you find yourself with too much coffee cake on your hands, first count yourself lucky! If you will be enjoying the cake within the next few days, it stores well on your counter covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
You can also freeze the cake. To do so, cut the cake into portions. Then freeze the slices on a baking sheet to keep them from sticking together. Once they’re fully frozen, you can transfer them to a Ziploc bag for safekeeping. Simply let the slices come up to room temperature before enjoying.
You could also freeze the cake whole after it’s cooled fully. I recommend covering the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil to ensure extra freshness. Remember that the whole cake is quite dense, so it will take some time to defrost fully on the counter.
When you are ready to serve this cinnamon treat, it’s helpful to place parchment paper around the cake before sprinkling the top with the powdered sugar. This will keep the serving platter clean. See the photos above.
This cake is more moist and delicious the day after it’s made, so you may want to make this Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake the day before you plan to serve it.
Coffee cake is one of my favorite ways to start the day. Be sure and check out all my luscious coffee cake recipes, including two of my most popular streusel-topped coffee cakes, Fresh Peach Coffee Cake and Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake.
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Corner Bakery Cinnamon Creme Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Topping and Filling Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 ⅔ cups flour
- 2 sticks salted butter melted
Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp, cut into pieces
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 2 cups sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 10 inch/12 cup tube pan very well. (Do not use a smaller pan or a bundt pan.)
- Combine first five topping ingredients in a large bowl, add melted butter and combine with a wooden spoon. You want big chunks of the topping and filling so don’t over mix.
- Cake: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium size bowl, set aside.
- In a large bowl cream butter, shortening, and sugar until very light. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in almond extract. Add the dry cake ingredients alternating with the sour cream. The batter will be very thick.
- Spoon half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the topping mixture over the batter, then the remaining cake batter, then remaining topping. Press the final topping layer into the cake layer very gently, just to make sure it ’sticks’.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 50 – 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Or when the Internal Temperature Reads 210°F.
- Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Loosen sides of cake with knife and invert onto a wire rack and then invert again on to serving platter. Sprinkle with powder sugar to finish.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Coffee Cake Recipes You Might Enjoy
If coffee cake is your new favorite way to start (or end) the day, like it is for me, give one of these other decadent treats a try:
- Pumpkin Sour Cream Streusel Coffee Cake has the cinnamon streusel you love in this recipe, plus a festive pumpkin flavor.
- Fresh Peach Coffee Cake is a summery take on this classic treat.
- Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake is jam-packed with melty blueberries, zesty lemon and plenty of chunky streusel.
- Apple Streusel Coffee Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake is a classic for fall: soft, gooey apples and cinnamon in a moist coffee cake.
- Classic Banana Streusel Coffee Cake with Maple Glaze from Shugary Sweets marries banana bread with coffee cake in a truly delicious way!
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silvia cardoza
Would you please clarify the measurements for the ingredients for the topping? The recipe calls for 2 2/3 cup flour. Is it 2 cups and 2/3 cup or just 2/3 cup? thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Silvia – it is 2 cups and 2/3 cup
Betty
I live in Chicago and have always gotten a slice of the cinnamon cream cake from Corner Bakery as a pick me up. Love the cake. I baked this cake the other day and while the size and heft of the cake and slice was just like the cafe’s, the crumb was a little tighter and not quite as moist as the cafes. Would a little extra sour cream or oil help, or maybe a little less flour? I’m going to try it again with all butter (instead of shortening), and get a slice of the cafe cake next to it to compare. Still, it is a really really good coffee cake as is.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Betty – before making any changes to the batter, I would try a shorter cook time instead. Let me know about your side by side comparison. Thanks!
Betty
I cooked it for a shorter time, to about 204/205F – total cook time this time was about 1 hr 5 min (I did take it out after 55 min for a temperature/toothpick check). I also split up the filling to create 2 layers of filling (current version at Corner Bakery Cafe has 2 thinner layers/ribbon of cinnamon filling). The cake is definitely more moist after cooling, although the very bottom may be just a tad bit underdone – so maybe will shoot for 206/207F next time, about 1 hour 5 min without interruption.
Cafe cake seems a bit more flavorful – may up the salt to 1/2 tsp on the recipe; I also used BOTH almond AND vanilla extract.
Otherwise, the recipe made a wonderful, nearly identical cake to the Corner Bakery Cafe Cinnamon Creme Cake. If I could post photos, I would post the cafe’s version along w/ the recipe version side by side. I think the cafe’s regulars wouldn’t be able to tell which is which, and I don’t think they would be able to differentiate the two based on taste and texture.
Thank you again for this recipe!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for the follow up. So fun to hear. I’d love to see the side by side photos. You can share them and tag me on Instagram or even Pinterest or Facebook.
Laurie Bauer
My husband made this cake. It is fantastic! A keeper!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Laurie! So glad you loved it.
Joan
I followed your directions exactly. The cake was tasty, BUT it did not rise, or look anywhere like, the cake made by the Corner Bakery. The streusel on the top baked into the cake and was not visible.
Laylah
Hello, what would happen if I were to make this in a bundt pan? I do not have a tube pan.
Barbara Schieving
You can make it in a Bundt pan but you’ll have to serve it upside down so the crumb topping is on top. It also may be more batter than the Bundt pan can hold, so just fill it only 2/3 full and use any extra batter in mini loafs or muffins. Also the cook time will be shorter so check it earlier. Let me know how it goes.
Pett
Very disappointing result. The topping and cake were very dry, although the cake was fluffy. So fluffy, in fact, that it fell apart following the second inversion onto the plate. I agree with the poster above who said that the cake is bland and lacks the bold cinnamon flavor of CB. It needs more butter both in the cake and the topping. I think the batter may need an additional egg and sour cream too.
Barbara Schieving
Sorry you didn’t like the coffeecake. Here’s a couple of recipes that have sour cream in them and may be more to your liking. https://www.barbarabakes.com/2012/11/pumpkin-sour-cream-coffee-cake/ https://www.barbarabakes.com/2012/04/snickerdoodle-coffee-cake/
caroluski
The best! I love this cake my family and friends love this cake. Its the closet to Corner Bakery that I have tasted or made. Thankyou so much for this recipe. I do double the cinnamon. And ass 1/2 almond extract along with 2 tsp really good vanilla. Love it have made it to many times to count gonna try large muffin size today.
Faten Sindawi
I make this cake 3 times and each time come out just perfect
And taste so good .exactly the same taste at the corner bakery .
Thank you so much
It’s an exelant recipe
Michele
My son and I made this cake last night. We had such high expectations, however, we were disappointed this morning when we sat down to try it. The cake was very bland. It was moist, but it had no flavor. The filling was also bland. It lacked the sweetness and bold cinnamon flavor that the Corner Bakery cake has.
And I am not sure that it is really cheaper to make it. I think if I add up the cost of all the ingredients, it would be the same as just going out and buying it. Except for the cost of gas maybe.
cindy
Hi Barbara,
Have you tried making in cupcake pan for s individual version?
Also thought about trying 1/2 recipe in a 8 ” round pan.
Thank you
Barbara
Hi Cindy – I haven’t made it in a cupcake pan, but Claire did http://clairekcreations.com/2012/02/cinnamon-creme-coffee-cake-and-breakfast-pizza/ and it worked. You could try half the recipe in an 8′ round pan and add a heating core to the center. I’d love it if you’d come back and let me know if you try it. Thanks!
cindy
Wow thank you for a quick response. What is shearing core and any ideas how to achieve it?
I do have good quality kitchen equipment.
Barbara
A heating core is cone that you put in the center of a baking pan to help the cake cook faster in the middle. It would help you achieve the coffee cake shape as well as. Some dense cakes don’t bake well in a round shape because by the time the middle is baked the edge is over cooked. I don’t know if that would be the case with this cake or not. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VM82M/ref=s9_simh_gw_p79_d0_g79_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1SEWJN92EYE1GP9ZFRJ6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846
Barbara
Hi Cindy – I assume the recipe uses butter for the great flavor and shortening for a higher, more moist cake. I like the explanation in this post http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2008/04/butter-vs-shortening-in-baking.html. If you aren’t comfortable using shortening you would probably get good results using only butter. Let me know if you try it. Thanks!
Cindy
Barbara,
I noticed the cake recipe has 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter. Have you tried using all butter since it’s more flavorful? I know shortening has a different effect but not sure how. I look forward to making this after I hear back from you. Thank you as many others do love the ice cream scoop idea.
Cindy
Jamie
Love, love, love coffee cake. It looks perfect.
Heavenly Housewife
Anything with cinnamon and crumble is like complete nectar to me. THis is beautiful. I’m putting it in my bookmarks.
*kisses* HH
Rachel @ Bakerita
My dorm mates have been requesting coffee cake incessantly…I’ll definitely have to make this one for them!
It looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it.
Deborah
This sounds and looks delicious! Sounds like I need to hit Corner Bakery to try it out, too. 🙂
kristy
Love this cake. I haven’t been baking much lately. Wish I can have some of yours right now. :o) Thanks for sharing anohter lovely recipe.
Have a blessed day.
Cheers, Kristy
Sylvia@bascooking
I´m droll the cake is beautiful and looks absolutely delicious. I’ll definitely be trying this one
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Wow! This coffee cake looks incredible! I definitely have to give this a try! 🙂
Miriam Barton
Wow, that sounds amazing!!! I’m a sucker for coffee cake :), Miriam@Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
Zoe
I have been to Corner Bakery before and wouldn’t know the taste of this cake. Nevertheless, your coffee cake looks awesome! It looks very moist and delicious.