This super moist Cinnamon Roll Swirl Coffee Cake is worth making from scratch! Rich, moist coffee cake is swirled with a cinnamon roll filling and topped off with a simple glaze. It is to die for!
The first time we made a cinnamon swirl coffee cake was years ago from a fellow family member’s blog (that’s right, blogging runs in the family). The recipe was called Honey Bun Cake. It was absolutely delicious, and we’ve made it several times since. Her recipe uses a cake mix but we wanted a “from scratch” version, since that’s more The Stay At Home Chef style. We know how easy it is to reach for the cake mix, but trust us, it is worth the extra effort to make coffee cake from scratch.
We’ve all experienced dry, crumbly, sub-par coffee cake. It is usually store-bought and always served at a women’s luncheon of some sort. We make it a rule to avoid the coffee cake at such events because we have simply become so spoiled with this homemade coffee cake. It is super moist, and thick, and decadent….everything a coffee cake should be. The batter is quite thick, much thicker than a cake mix so don’t be surprised by that. That’s exactly how it is supposed to be.
Swirl Options for Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake:
You have a couple of different options for the cinnamon swirl. You can simple swirl it in up top like we’ve done here, or you can layer it by pouring half the batter into the pan, doing a swirl layer, then the remaining half of the batter and another swirl layer. Feel free to do whichever works best for you.
Where is the coffee? Why is it called coffee cake?
Now, before anyone gets mad about calling it a coffee cake, let’s get one thing straight: coffee cake doesn’t have any coffee in it and it isn’t supposed to! It’s called coffee cake because it is meant to be served up with coffee. The sweetness of the cake is a delightful balance to the bitterness of coffee.
Storage Instructions:
This cake stays good for about 3 days before it starts to dry out. Make sure you cover it after it has been sliced into, otherwise it will dry out immediately. Store at room temperature.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious pastry dessert recipes:
- Homemade Glazed Donuts
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
- The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Cinnamon Roll Swirl Coffee Cake From Scratch
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 3 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a hand mixer until creamy. Then mix in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until combined. Beat in 3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
- Make the topping in another mixing bowl by whisking together melted butter, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and cinnamon. Spoon in globs over the top of the cake batter. Then use a butter knife to swirl it into the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in another bowl. Drizzle over the cake while it is still warm.
Nutrition
