If you’ve ever wanted the Starbucks coffee cake recipe, this easy copycat version has the same soft, buttery cake and thick cinnamon streusel topping, but it's made right at home.
This is the classic Starbucks-style cinnamon coffee cake: moist, tender, and packed with crumb topping in every bite.
Below, I’ll show you exactly how to recreate it step-by-step with simple ingredients.
What Is Starbucks Coffee Cake Made Of?
Starbucks coffee cake is a soft vanilla cake layered and topped with a thick cinnamon streusel made from brown sugar, butter, flour, and cinnamon.
Why Is Starbucks Coffee Cake So Good?
Starbucks coffee cake is known for its extra thick cinnamon crumb topping and super moist texture from sour cream, which gives it a rich, bakery-style flavor.
How to Make Starbucks Coffee Cake (Quick Overview)
Make the streusel, mix the batter, layer cake and streusel, then bake until golden and set.
Starbucks Coffee Cake Recipe Ingredients
Exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
For the Coffee Cake
- Unsalted Butter: helps with keeping your cake together while keeping it nice and moist.
- Sugar: not only adds sweetness to your cake but also keeps it from drying out.
- Eggs: are added in to help the cake rise and remain moist.
- Vanilla Extract: gives this good coffee cake a warm flavor that pairs perfectly with the warm flavors in the cinnamon streusel.
- All Purpose Flour: is added in as one of the main ingredients to your cake mix. I don't recommend switching up the flour, as it will change the consistency.
- Baking Soda: helps create an airy texture to your cake due to the CO2 being released while baking.
- Salt: enhances all of the flavors together and helps balance out the sweetness.
- Sour Cream: helps keep your cake moist, fluffy, and tender.
For the Cinnamon Streusel
- Brown Sugar: is the perfect rich and sweet ingredient to mix with cinnamon. It also helps give your recipe that authentic streusel flavor.
- Cinnamon: adds a sweet yet woody flavor to your mix. For a little change in flavor, you can add a dash of nutmeg.
- Salt: helps with enhancing the flavors of the cinnamon and light brown sugar.
- All Purpose Flour: helps with binding the ingredients together while also keeping it a crumbly mixture.
- Butter: is added to keep your streusel nice and crumbly. Be sure not to add too much, though, or it may make your topping a little too heavy.
For the Icing
- Powdered Sugar: is the main ingredient in your vanilla frosting. I highly recommend using Trader Joe's powdered sugar because it has Arrow Root instead of Cornstarch and won't have that bad aftertaste!
- Vanilla Extract: adds flavor to your frosting that pairs well with the warm flavors of the streusel.
- Milk: is mixed with powdered sugar to create icing.
How to Make Copycat Starbucks Coffee Cake Recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 F then spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also just butter it.
Streusel Topping
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon salt, and brown sugar to combine.
- Add in the cold cubed butter and mix it in using your hands or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set it aside in the fridge.
Coffee Cake
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix to combine again. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the sour cream and mix to combine. Repeat the process with the rest of the dry ingredients and sour cream just until the flour mixture disappears.
- Next, pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan, and sprinkle half of the streusel on top making sure every area is covered.
- Pour the remaining batter on top and gently spread over with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 43-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the moist cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before pulling it out and allowing it to cool down some more on a cooling rack.
Icing (optional)
- In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until a thick drizzelable consistency forms. Add a little more milk if needed.
- Drizzle on top of the cooled-down cake, let it set, and enjoy!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It's Light. This delicious coffee cake is fluffy and airy, which pairs well with the crunchy topping.
It's Easy. Starbucks's coffee cake is easy to make and uses ingredients that you'll most likely already have at home.
It's Versatile. Coffee cake pairs well with a warm cup of coffee but can also be eaten as a snack or a dessert.
What to Serve this Coffee Cake With
Pair it with any one of these delicious Starbucks copycat recipes:
- Starbucks Honey Oatmilk Latte Recipe
- Starbucks Matcha Latte Recipe (Hot & Iced Copycat)
- Starbucks Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino Recipe
- Starbucks Iced Shaken Espresso Recipe
- Toasted Vanilla Shaken Espresso
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions to help you make the best Starbucks coffee cake at home.
Does Starbucks Coffee Cake Have Coffee In It?
No, Starbucks coffee cake doesn’t contain coffee. It’s called coffee cake because it’s traditionally served with coffee.
How do I get a thick crumb topping like Starbucks?
To get a thick streusel topping, use cold butter and don’t overmix. The mixture should stay crumbly and chunky so it bakes into that signature Starbucks-style topping.
Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream in coffee cake?
Yes, you can substitute sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. It will still give the cake a moist and tender texture, similar to the Starbucks version.
Can I double this Starbucks coffee cake recipe?
Yes, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 pan. You may need to slightly increase the baking time.
Can I make Starbucks coffee cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can make Starbucks coffee cake a day in advance. Store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days to keep it soft and fresh.
How do I store leftover Starbucks Coffee Cake?
I recommend storing any leftovers in an airtight container for up to three or four days. You can also just place plastic wrap right on top of your 8x8 pan. You're welcome to put it in the fridge or place it on the counter at room temperature. I don't recommend freezing this recipe as the streusel will not thaw well.
Starbucks Coffee Cake Copycat Recipe (Classic Cinnamon Crumb Cake)
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 & ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sour cream
Cinnamon streusel
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted cold
Icing (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½-1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F then spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also just butter it.
For the streusel
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon salt, and brown sugar to combine.¾ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 tablespoon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add in the cold cubed butter and mix it in using your hands or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set it aside in the fridge.½ cup butter salted or unsalted
Make the cake
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.1 & ¾ cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix to combine again. Mix in the vanilla extract½ cup butter salted or unsalted, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the sour cream to the large bowl and mix to combine. Repeat the process with the rest of the dry ingredients and sour cream just until the flour mixture disappears.¾ cup sour cream
- Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan, amd sprinkle half of the streusel on top making sure every area is covered. Pour the rest of the cake batter on top and gently spread over with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-48 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before pulling it out and allowing it to cool down some more on a cooling rack.
Make the icing (optional)
- In a medium bowl whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until thick drizzelable consistency forms. Add a little more milk if needed.½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½-1 tablespoon milk
- Drizzle on top of the cooled-down cake, let it set, and enjoy!
JD Easley says
I clicked on the option to double the recipe (for a 9x13” sized pan). The ingr measurements all doubled automatically on the recipe. Even the baking soda/powder, vanilla, cinnamon, etc. some things like these should only be x1.5 when doubling things such as cakes. My cake just hit the 50m @350 degrees mark & its baking so high the streusel is splitting horribly & the cake still isn’t done. Toothpick still showing total liquid in the center. The baking temp & time was not adjusted for the 2x & 3x option like the ingredients are. Could you please tell me how long I should bake a 9x13” when doubling this recipe? As well as how high the batter should reach in the 9x13 b4 baking. Thanks it smells amazing! The entire house!
Chahinez says
Hi! Thank you so much for your comment. For best results, I actually don’t recommend baking a fully doubled batch in a 9×13 pan for this recipe. The cake gets too deep, the center takes forever to bake, and the streusel can split just like you described.
If you want a double batch, the most reliable method is to simply bake the recipe twice in two 8×8 pans. The texture, rise, and bake time all stay perfectly consistent that way.
Thank you again for trying the recipe!