Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

A simple classic Cream Cheese Coffee Cake recipe made with cream cheese and topped with a cinnamon streusel topping loaded with pecans. Easy and perfect dessert for any time.

Who doesn’t love cake for breakfast, like this Chocolate Cinnamon Coffee Cake, Lemon Cheesecake Coffee Cake, or Browned Butter Coffee Cake? This Cream Cheese Coffee Cake recipe is at the top of our list for desserts that live a secret double life as a breakfast food. With a super rich cream cheese batter and a crumbly streusel topping, this breakfast cake is perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee or any time you’re craving something sweet!

If you’re looking for fruitier breakfast cakes, try this Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake or Blueberry Breakfast Cake!

What Is Cream Cheese Coffee Cake?

For starters, it doesn’t have coffee in it. It can and is delicious, but the original coffee cake was a simple cake created to enjoy with coffee or tea. Hence the name coffee cake.

However, in the US, coffee cake isn’t the same as the round sponge-like cake served with tea in Europe. This cream cheese coffee cake and many other coffee cake recipes are sweeter snack cakes meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee, at breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or even for dessert.

Coffee cake is one of those cakes that always tastes amazing, like this Pumpkin latte coffee cake and Sour Cream Coffee Cake, and is a big hit at bridal showers, office parties, and pretty much any excuse to make a cake ever. 

Why you’ll love this recipe

This recipe is super easy to make and tastes just like a dessert but doubles as a breakfast food. Another reason to love this recipe is that it’s convenient! You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry, making this a quick recipe to whip up whenever your sweet tooth starts knocking.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• Unsalted Butter
• Package of Cream Cheese – Use regular full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. 
• Sugar
• Large Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Milk

For the Topping:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Light Brown Sugar
• Pecans
• Cinnamon
• Unsalted Butter

How to Cook

Preheating and Prep

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, grab a 13×9 baking sheet, generously greasing and lightly flouring it. This step ensures our cake won’t stick and will come out perfectly.

Add Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Give them a little mix, and then set the mixture aside.

Beat Butter and Cream Cheese

Beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until they achieve a creamy consistency.

Gradually Add Sugar

While the butter and cream cheese are mixing, slowly add the sugar to the mix. Blend it in well, making sure it’s completely incorporated.

Add the Eggs and Vanilla

One by one, crack the eggs into the cream cheese mixture. Beat each egg in between, ensuring they’re fully incorporated. Then, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to elevate the flavors.

Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients

Incorporate the flour mixture you set aside earlier into the wet mixture, working in batches. Begin and end with the flour; in between, add the milk.

Pour Batter Into the Pan

Pour your batter into the prepared baking sheet, making sure it’s evenly spread. You can achieve this by using an offset spatula to level it out or by giving the pan a gentle shimmy.

Creating the Crumble Topping

In a small bowl, add flour, light brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix them together until you attain a grainy texture, similar to wet sand.

Add the Crumbly Streusel to the Cake

Sprinkle the crumb topping all over the cake batter. Then, slide the pan into the preheated oven, and let it bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool and Enjoy

Once you’ve achieved the perfect cake, carefully take the pan out and let the coffee cake cool down on a wire rack. Once it has cooled, slice it up and serve warm!

What to Serve With Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Having some people over? Serve up this coffee cake with a whole brunch spread with everything from a Low Country Frittata to Tex-Mex Hash Browns. Or, whip up some classic bacon and eggs to serve with your coffee cake. 

Expert Recipe Tips

Make this recipe in a bundt pan using the following recipe instructions:

1. To prepare this cake in a bundt pan, as pictured, follow the steps to combine the ingredients.
2. Sprinkle half of the topping into the bottom of the pan.
3. Spoon half of the batter into the pan. 
4. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the batter and cover with the remaining batter.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Cool the pan on a wire rack before turning out to cool completely.
7. Sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar to serve.

Leftovers & Reheating

If you have any leftover coffee cake, which we highly doubt, place it in an airtight container or plastic wrap and keep it on the counter for 3-4 days. But if you want to enjoy this soft coffee cake for breakfast for a couple of weeks, store it in the fridge. Then, reheat in the microwave for up to 10 seconds if the cake is room temperature and 10-15 seconds for cold cake.

The cake can also be frozen, which is perfect if you don’t think you’ll eat it all right away. The best way to freeze leftover cream cheese coffee cake is to cut it into individual slices and place each slice into a plastic bag. Then, when you’re ready to eat, leave it out on the counter or in the fridge overnight to thaw completely. Then, reheat in the microwave for up to 10 seconds or more. 

Recipe FAQs

More Dessert recipes

After one bite of this easy coffee cake, you’ll become a cake-for-breakfast person. Whether needing a sweet partner in crime for your morning coffee or wanting to try a new dessert, this easy recipe is for you! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card to help out the next reader!