Coffee Cake Recipe Without Sour Cream (Cinnamon Streusel)
A cozy, classic-style coffee cake made without sour cream, using a simple milk-and-lemon swap for tenderness and a cinnamon brown sugar streusel topping for that bakery-style crumb.
Equipment
- 1 9-inch square baking dish or similar baking dish; 8x8 works with a slightly thicker cake and longer bake
- 1 Parchment paper optional, for a sling to lift the cake out cleanly
- 1 Large mixing bowl for the cake batter
- 1 Medium bowl for the streusel topping and/or dry ingredients
- 1 Whisk for combining the flour mixture evenly
- 1 Electric mixer or stand mixer optional but helpful; if using, a stand mixer fitted with the paddle works best
- 1 Rubber spatula for folding and spreading thick batter without overmixing
- 1 Measuring cups and spoons for accuracy
- 1 Cooling wire rack helps the cake cool without getting soggy underneath
- 1 Toothpick or cake tester to check doneness (look for a few moist crumbs)
Ingredients
For the streusel topping
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 2 room temperature eggs
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (stirred into the milk; rest 5 minutes)
Optional add-ins
- ¾ cup fresh blueberries (optional)
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds (optional, swap for pecans)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking dish and line with parchment paper if desired.
- Make streusel: In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until you have a few moist crumbs and clumps. Stir in pecans if using.
- Combine milk and lemon juice; let sit 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer), cream softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract.
- Whisk dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt) together.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Mix just until combined (thick batter).
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan and spread gently.
- Sprinkle half the streusel on top for the cinnamon sugar layer.
- Add remaining batter, spread carefully, then top with remaining streusel mixture.
- Bake 35–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted (or cake tester) comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool cake (or slice and serve warm).