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 we will walk you through every step of the recipe with a video demonstration.
I think I would give it 3 1/2 stars because it really is very rich. Lots of sugar so a little goes along way. It is a dense cake and I went back to double check the video and recipe to make sure I did it right. I ended up having to cook it at least 10 minutes longer than recipe called for but maybe it was my oven. I have made several of your recipes and liked but not sure I would do this one again.
This looks amazing…making it this weekend. Do you have any tips for baking this is in high altitude? Would appreciate the help!
Thanks!
Absolutely delicious!!! I love to bake, but trying to lose weight, so I share your yummy desserts with my neighbors… Honey, we got two thumbs up! Thank you for your recipes. I haven’t tried one that wasn’t a success…you’re the best!
I also made it and it was DELICIOUS!!!!
I love your recipes but the Cinnamon roll coffee swirl cake has no coffee in the ingredients. Why no coffee.
Thanks
Frances
Cape Town
Coffee cake gets its name from being served with coffee, it does not traditionally have coffee in it.
A coffee cake is just a sweet cake that goes well with coffee – but of course can be eaten anytime, with anything. The term is used loosely. I have made this and it is wonderful.
I made this cake today it was delicious!!
Can I use less sugar in the bottom layer?
Katy
I made it it was delicious and every love it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I have to eat GF so would use my flour but I’m finding everything I bake is so dry. How can I get the moisture back in my cakes & etc..
Check out bread recipes that are specifically designed to be gluten free. That will definitely help 🙂
It really depends on the flour mixture you use. Several of the gluten free flour options require more moisture and are affected by the local humidity level. My go-to flours for baking recipes like this are Bob’s Red-Mill gluten free flour or Pamela’s Artisan Blend. I use them one-to one, but after mixing the entire recipe, I let them sit for about five or ten minutes and then re-stir. If the batter seems too dry, I will add a bit of moisture; likewise a bit more flour if too wet. Baking gluten free really takes a lot of experimentation, but when you have succeeded in several recipes, you will find that you can bake anything and be more than satisfied with the resulting flavor and textures.
I found if you use gelatin as a binder ( provided you are not baking vegetarian or vegan) the product comes out a little more moist and a little more butter or oil
I find replacing some GF flour with almond meal (ground almonds) keeps cakes moist. Only replace half a cup.
Can cake flour be used instead of all purpose flour, baking powder and salt?
No. Cake flour is not recommended for this recipe. Cake flour is a finely milled flour with cornstarch cut in. It will not sufficiently replace flour, baking powder, and salt.
Can this be made the day before?
Yes, it can.