Cappuccino Coffee Cake
Featuring the rich flavors of coffee and cinnamon, this Cappuccino Coffee Cake is a great way to start your day!
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I’ve always loved coffee cake. Maybe it’s tied to my 
Somewhere along the way, I realized the folly in my logic, and a whole new world opened up. A world filled with coffee cake. For me, Christmas morning isn’t the same without a delicious coffee cake. (Oh, and sausage biscuits…but we’ll save the sausage biscuits for another time.) Santa would bring a coffee cake in addition to the presents and leave it in the kitchen. That Santa. He’s one smart dude.
Funny enough, my favorite non-homemade coffee cake is actually from a grocery store down South. A grocery store that happens to not have any locations in my area. So every year, my Mom packs up a coffee cake from said store and mails it to me. It might be for Valentine’s Day. Or perhaps it’s my birthday in July. Or sometimes it’s just for a random October present. Yes, that’s right. My Mom mails me an entire coffee cake from Nashville to upstate New York. And I love it! I’ve seriously debated sticking a candle in that coffee cake and calling it my birthday cake some years. Don’t judge. I just like coffee cake.
It hit me a few weeks back that it might be fun to make a coffee cake that actually tasted like coffee. Say what? A coffee coffee cake? Sure…that’s a real thing, right? Well, maybe a Cappuccino Coffee Cake sounds a little better, but yes it’s a real thing. At least now it is. This is one tasty coffee cake. And you know what? It actually tastes like coffee! But of course, you should still serve this bad boy with a mug of hot coffee. After all, it’s called coffee cake for a reason, right? Hah!
Does Santa bring you a coffee cake every year?
What is your favorite coffee cake flavor?
Cappuccino Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup espresso powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup coffee brewed and cooled
- 1¼ cups sour cream
Instructions
For the Streusel
- Using a medium bowl, add sugars, cinnamon, espresso powder and nutmeg; stir until well combined.
- Add the melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Add the flour; stir until well combined. Set Streusel aside.
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour (or spray with nonstick spray) a standard bundt or tube pan. Set pan aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined; set mixture aside.
- Using a countertop mixer, cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy (~3-4 minutes on medium speed).
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add vanilla, coffee and sour cream; mix on low speed until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low until just combined.
- Pour half of the batter into greased pan. Sprinkle half of the Streusel on top of batter. Pour remaining batter on top. Finally, sprinkle remaining Streusel on top of batter.
- Bake at 350°F for 53-57 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out mostly clean.
- Place cake on cooling rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Looking for more tasty coffee cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Blueberry Coffee Cake
Raspberry Jam Filled Coffee Cake
Overnight Coffee Cake
I cannot believe this, David! Finally, after dozens of deceivingly called “Coffee Cakes”, you posted THE Coffee Cake. I mean a trully coffee Coffee Cake. I mean, Cappuccino Coffee Cake (You’re right, this is the better name). Like I’ve mentioned before, a coffee cake often sounds confusing to me since I always anticipate real coffee in it. And I’m not a 7-year old (Well, I a couple of…years older). Indeed, when I was a boy, there wasn’t such a thing as a coffee cake in Russia – instead those kinds of cake were called “tea cakes”, and as you may assume, they didn’t have any tea either. What a strange way to name recipes, eh? Ok, finally you’ve got the cake which has the right name and fantastic flavor. I will be having this with…a tea hah:) Excellent work, David. P.S. Santa has never brought me a coffee cake. What am I doing wrong?
Hahaha…I finally made everything right for you in the world of coffee cakes, Ben! I told you I’d do it! You know, I’ve never thought about tea cakes, too. There’s another one that makes no sense. I think you need to make some tea cakes with tea in them now! Then our 2 recipes can be friends. 🙂 Thanks, Ben!
This is the perfect way to start the day! I already have my coffee cup in hand….I just need a slice of the cake to start the day off right!
Now you’re talking, Kathy! I have a nice hot mug of coffee in hand right now, too…but sadly this cake is all gone. Looks like it’s time for another one! 🙂
Duuuuuuuude you put the coffee in coffee-cake! This is just so EPIC! If Santa brought me just one slice of this I’d be as jolly as you are when your favorite coffee-cake arrives in the mail from Nashville 🙂
Hey – since you are confessing, your 7 year old self was very similar to my 7 year old self – we used to have these cupcake-sized, “apple-cakes” in Sri Lanka. They were shaped like apples and even had an icing that was colored like apples – but they didn’t have apples in them – which was just fine because my 7-year-old self abhorred apples – though if apples tasted like THAT apple cake, well, I’d eat 10 apples to keep the doc away! Awesome recipe my friend – Happy Monday to ya!
Haha! I’ve always wondered why Santa was so jolly. I assumed it was because he enjoyed giving gifts…but now we know the real reason. Santa ate a slice of coffee cake between each delivery! (This also explains why Santa’s belly shakes like a bowl full of jelly…) I’ve never heard of these apple-cakes, but I’m intrigued now. Why are so many things deceptively named?? Coffee cake. Apple cakes. Ben pointed out tea cakes, too. Crazy I say!
Hi David! You know how I feel about coffee cakes! Any flavor is just fine with me, although I have to say I’m pretty fond of blueberry and apple and peach…..as long as they’ve got streusel on (and in) them! 🙂 On my list for the weekend!
Yup, you and I are coffee cake connoisseurs, Dorothy! (That’s just a fancy way of saying that we’ll chow down on a coffee cake anytime and anywhere…) The fruit ones are indeed some of my favorites, although I think the classic unfilled version is my favorite. As long as there is plenty of crumble, of course! This coffee version is a lot of fun…something different for sure! Funny story: I had this cake in mind, but I apparently had run out of espresso powder. I had to put this one on the shelf for a few weeks while I ordered more. That just made me want a big slice all the more! 🙂
Shut the from door. You are one great baker… After following you for a while now Dave I am always digging’ your baking skills and this sounds fantastic. Plus the cool glaze drizzle had me at first, then a streusel!
Why thank you, good Sir! I do enjoy baking. I enjoy cooking as well, but baking is what first got me interested in learning my way around the kitchen. Well, truth be told, eating said baked goods is what got me interested…but I digress! This coffee cake is certainly a fun one. Thanks, Kevin!
Santa ate my cookies and gave you coffee cake?! What? This looks absolutely amazing! You put coffee in coffee cake- genius! 🙂
That Santa! He’s so rude! I need to leave him a note and tell him to bring you a coffee cake this year, Tonya. 🙂 Then it’ll be a merry Christmas indeed…haha! Thank you!
Coffee Cake is always a great way to start any day, but this beautiful concoction looks like it would super change my day into hyper drive 🙂 I think it’s super cool your Mother mails you an entire coffee cake from Nashville, you have a great Mom. Santa doesn’t bring me Coffee Cake every year, this year I know exactly what I’m asking for
That’s a good point! With the coffee in the cake, now you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone. You can get your cake fix at the same time as you get caffeinated for the day ahead! 🙂 And, yes, it’s rather odd that a get coffee cakes mailed up to me…but my Mom is pretty cool for doing it. Thanks so much for stopping by, Mary!
I never really thought about the fact that coffee cake doesn’t usually taste like coffee. I guess now it does at your house! It does sound tasty and it certainly looks pretty too! How sweet that your mom sends you surprise coffee cakes! Pinned!
Yeah, you gotta look at life through the eyes of a 7-year-old, Rachelle! Then you’ll realize that coffee cake just doesn’t make sense. And cheese cake doesn’t either. (I mean it does…but a 7-year-old doesn’t think about cream cheese…) But yeah, now that we have a cake with coffee in it, all is right with the world. (At least from the viewpoint of a hungry 7-year-old!) 🙂
Coffee is my weakness and this coffee cake sounds amazing. A perfect way to start my day 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing a great recipe.
Coffee is totally my weakness, too! I don’t love the frigid winter days, but at least in the winter I can do a cup of coffee in the mid-afternoon! And now I can add a slice of coffee cake with it. 🙂 (It’s way too hot in the summer to do coffee in the mid-afternoon…at least for me.) Thanks so much for stopping by, Kushi!
wow that’s one amazing looking coffee cake David! I would like a huge slice please!
One huge slice coming right up, Manali! Thank you!! 🙂
Oh man, I get so much ‘hate’ on my coffee cake mug cake recipe asking ‘where is the coffee’. Ironically, it gets answered on Friday ha!
This looks amazing and I love how you stayed true to the name with it- Genius!
No way! I can’t wait to see what you have in store on Friday. Great minds think alike? 🙂 It’s funny how coffee cakes don’t actually have coffee in ’em. But, hey, I’m not complaining. I love coffee cakes in all forms…but at least now I can have my cake and coffee together in one!
Same happened to me with deceiving apple cake in my place. I still love it as i always feel that apple is in there. It looks like apple and i purposefully dont want to accept that it isnt apple.
I liked the way Coffe cake is decorated. Delicious bite on the small plate tempts me
So I just heard about these apple cakes from Shashi in the comments above, Smitha! So interesting…and so confusing! 🙂 I’ve always been a huge fan of coffee cakes…so it’s only fitting that I make a version that actually includes coffee! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I am a big fan of coffee cake too. This coffee cake looks delicious, it would be a start to a perfect day..
Coffee cake lovers unite! I agree, Dawn…now that it’s getting chillier in the mornings, that morning cup of joe just seems to taste so much better! Of course, a slice of coffee cake in the morning is always a good thing, too. Thanks! 🙂
Your Mom sounds like one sweet lady to be sending you those coffee cakes! How awesome is that, especially if you get in randomly! Can’t believe you just mentioned Santa. Believe it or not, it won’t be long, will it? Can’t wait! I love all kinds of coffee cake. My usual go-to is blueberry, but I know I would love this one ’cause girl loves her coffee 😉 Who woulda thunk it to have a coffee flavoured coffee cake, lol 😉 Yum!!
My Mom is indeed one awesome lady…I mean who ships an entire coffee cake just for fun? 🙂 I really do appreciate it! Nothing quite says awesome like opening the door to find your favorite coffee cake sitting there. Now if only I can figure out how to get that drone in the sky to deliver mugs of hot coffee, too! Haha! Thanks, Dawn!
Wait…is it Christmas time already? For real? Doesn’t matter what holiday season you are in, this coffee cake is the ultimate recipe to try. What a perfect treat to start a day with a slice of this yumminess
Haha…not quite yet, Linda! But we can always start making our list for Santa, right? I think I’ve been nice this year! 🙂
I’m going to need to have a chat with Santa, because I’ve never been left a coffee cake. I love this version of coffee cake – and that glaze!!
Also, that childhood logic is perfectly sound…just like how I refused to eat hot dogs for years because I was convinced they were made of dogs 🙁 I’m glad you found out how delicious coffee cake can be!
Oh, you definitely need to have a chat with Santa then, Jessica! That jolly old man owes you a coffee cake or three! 🙂 Oh man…hot dogs! I can’t believe my 7-year-old self didn’t think they were made of dogs, too. Hahaha…good one! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Coffee CAKE!!!! I wish Santa brought me a coffee cake every Christmas, you are very lucky. This recipe looks brilliant, and great photo David. This would be perfect for when one has guests over…. or just when coffee cake is needed. I can’t wait to try it, maybe even give your nice icing work a go!
I am indeed lucky that Santa brings me a coffee cake…but that also means I have to be good for the whole year. It’s a difficult job! And for the record I’m going to go ahead and say that all times are good for a coffee cake! 🙂 Thanks, Matt!
I totally want Santa to bring me coffee cake this year, too! This looks fantastic, and I wouldn’t mind it for breakfast, snack, midnight snack, etc.
Thanks so much, Bianca! That Santa…he’s a great guy. I mean he manages to remember that I need a coffee cake every year. 🙂
A coffee cake that actually tastes like coffee?! I don’t know why I’ve never tried making something like this before, but clearly it needs to happen ASAP (especially since I think we’ve talked before about how I share your enthusiasm for coffee cakes!). Last month I was talking to my boyfriend’s brother (who is 26), and he said he’d never heard of coffee cake and asked if it was a cake with coffee in it. I was flabbergasted!
Yes, we definitely have talked about our mutual affinity for coffee cake! This one is definitely a fun one to make, too. And, hey, I can’t really fault your boyfriend’s brother…I mean I thought coffee cake had coffee in it, too. When I was 7. 🙂 Thanks, Mara!!
I really wish you asked me to do the icing on that cake – hahaha! I don’t know why, I really want to do it! And then SMASH MY FACE into the cake! ha! So maybe it’s a good thing you didn’t ask me to?!
Hey hey hey! You know I would be glad to let you do the icing on the cake, GiGi! Heck, if you want to do the icing, I’ll make you a brand new cake. Then you can ice it up til your heart’s content. And then you can smash your face in it! Robbie’s 1st birthday is coming up soon, and he’ll have a smash cake…maybe you guys can coordinate? 🙂
Yum!! Coffee AND cake! What a way to kick-start the day! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks so much, Yar! Who says you can’t eat your coffee with a fork? 🙂
I had the EXACT same misapprehension when I was a kid about coffee cake. I thought it must have coffee in it. Then when it didn’t, I started chowing down and going to town. Coffee cake is the best, and I do not at all mock you for having your mommy send one up to you. They are worth it, and then some.
Now that I’m an adult who enjoys coffee, this cake is looking like my idea of heaven. You feel like shipping one down here?
Yes! Someone else who shares my confusion about why coffee cake has no coffee in it! Well, my 7-year-old confusion that is! 🙂 Like you, once I realized coffee cake didn’t actually have coffee on it, then I started eating coffee cakes like it’s my job (which it kinda is now)…and I haven’t looked back! I’ll happily ship one of these bad boys down to you, Mir. Can I show up wearing a Santa outfit when I deliver it, though?
If you didn’t first put the streusel in the pan how did it end up on top of the finished cake. How did you invert it out of the pan without making a mess with streusel falling off?
Hey there, Laverne! Good question. Half of the streusel goes inside the cake to create a streusel layer. The other half goes on top of the cake before it gets baked. That top layer mostly “sticks” to the top of the cake as it bakes. You might lose a little bit as you flip the cake out, but you can just sprinkle the pieces back on top. Of course, the easiest way to avoid this problem is to do what I did here…I used a tube pan with a removeable bottom so I just pushed the cake up. A similar idea would be to use a springform pan (like for cheesecakes) and then just pop the outer ring off once the cake is baked. Does that make sense? Thanks so much for asking, and I really appreciate you stopping by! Enjoy!! 🙂
Hi David I think your a good neighbour sharing all your goodies with them😄😄 Anyway I love coffee so this is great. I just want to ask the espresso powder is that instant or can I use just the regular espresso coffee?? Thanks and I’ll have to tell Santa I want coffee cake too😄
Hey Carm! Well, perhaps I’m a good neighbor. Or perhaps I just need a way to keep me from eating all of these tasty desserts myself! 🙂 So the espresso powder I used in this recipe is an actual ingredient. (I usually order mine from King Arthur: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/espresso-powder-3-oz but I see that Amazon has a couple of espresso powders, too.) I have actually tried using ground espresso coffee in this recipe one time when I ran out of powder. The taste was good, but it did have a slight grittiness to the texture since the espresso coffee is not as fine as espresso powder. I’d highly recommend the powder…I try to always keep some in my pantry as it’s a fun addition to all sorts of baked goods! Happy holiday baking…and I hope Santa brings you a coffee cake this year, too! 🙂