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Prep time
3 hours
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Cook time
1 hour
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makes
one 13x9-inch sheet cake
Author Notes
It’s true, coffee cake is not as simple to prepare as muffins or scones; nor is it as over-the-top as a gooey, yeasted cinnamon roll. But a tender, plush, vanilla-infused cake with a cinnamon-sugar swirl and crispy, buttery topping is fantastic not only because it is our license to eat cake for breakfast—and for that we will always be grateful—but because it is our license to eat cake all day. A slice of coffee cake is as appropriate at 9 a.m. with black coffee, as it is at lunch with creamy tea, or after school with a glass of cold milk, or at night with Netflix and a nip of whiskey.
The cake must be delicious on its own—but also humble enough to let the spiced sugar filling and crunchy streusel topping shine. This cake is oil-based, making it wonderfully moist (even more so on day two), with a soft crumb and an easy-peasy assembly. The filling must hit the right balance between sweet and spice, as well as be dark enough in color to yield that quintessential curvy ribbon. Twelve parts dark brown sugar to one part cinnamon does the trick nicely.
The ideal streusel topping must be generous, covering the entire cake; but not thickly so, like on a crumb cake, where the topping and cake layers are of equal height. There is some disagreement as to whether the ideal streusel is made with cold or melted butter, but for ease of use I call for melted butter. Streusel enthusiasts also differ over the model ingredient ratio. Mine is similar to a German streusel: more flour than butter or sugar, holds its shape, and is less sweet than most, which works for me when I’m planning on eating cake several times a day. It is crispy but not sandy, the perfect contrast to the fluffy cake.
This recipe makes for an impressively tall, beautiful sheet cake that can be sliced into 24 petite pieces or 16 large ones. Leftovers can be frozen if you’re hosting a smaller group. The cake can also be halved and assembled in a nine-inch square or round baking pan. But if I were you, I’d go the freezer route: Being flush with cake is highly undervalued if you ask me. —Jessie Sheehan
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Ingredients
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Sour Cream Cake:
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3 cups
all-purpose flour
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1 1/2 teaspoons
kosher salt
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
baking soda
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2 cups
granulated sugar
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1 cup
vegetable oil (or mild olive oil)
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1 tablespoon
vanilla extract
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2
large eggs
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2
large egg yolks
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2 cups
sour cream
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Cinnamon-Sugar Filling:
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3/4 cup
packed dark brown sugar
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1 tablespoon
ground cinnamon
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Streusel Topping:
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1/2 cup
packed dark brown sugar
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1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
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6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
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1 1/4 cups
all-purpose flour
Directions
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Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13x9x2-inch pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper long enough to extend up the two short sides of the pan.
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To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
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In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the sugar, oil, and vanilla for about 30 seconds. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, whisking after each.
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Using a flexible spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet in two additions, alternating with two additions of the sour cream. Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears—do not overmix.
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Transfer half of the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top with a small offset spatula.
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Make the cinnamon-sugar filling: in a small bowl, whisk both ingredients until combined. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the first layer of batter and gently press with your hands to adhere. Transfer the rest of the batter to the pan, evenly dolloping it in large clumps and carefully spreading it over the filling.
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Make the streusel topping: stir the sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Add the flour and stir until small clumps form. Evenly sprinkle the streusel over the surface of the cake and then lightly press it into the batter with your hands.
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Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway point. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a moist crumb or two.
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Let the cake cool for an hour, then run a paring knife around the edges. Using the ends of the parchment paper, gently lift the cake out of the pan and place it on a cooling rack. Let it cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Or don’t.
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The cake will keep on the counter, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. You may also freeze it (or half of it!), wrapped in plastic wrap and a sheet of aluminum foil, for up to a month.
Jessie Sheehan is a celebrated cookbook author, recipe developer, baker, and host of Cherry Bombe’s baking podcast, She’s My Cherry Pie. She is the self-proclaimed queen of “easy-peasy baking;” and has contributed recipes and writing to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Epicurious, Food52, Bon Appetit, and more. Her third cookbook, Snackable Bakes: 100 Easy-Peasy Recipes for Exceptionally Scrumptious Sweets and Treats was a New York Times best cookbook of 2022. And its savory sibling Salty, Cheesy, Herby Crispy Snackable Bakes, was published in the fall of 2024.
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