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This Starbucks coffee cake recipe is the buttery sour cream cake, cinnamon crumble swirl, and bakery-style streusel topping I have been chasing every time I walk past the pastry case. It is a true copycat Starbucks coffee cake, same tender crumb, same thick cinnamon stripe through the middle, same crackly cinnamon crumble topping just made at home in an 8×8 pan for a fraction of what one slice costs at the cafe. If you have ever picked one up with your morning latte and thought “I could probably make this,” you can. And it will be better.
Since you’re here I know you will also love this Starbucks vanilla sweet cream cold brew, this Salted caramel cold foam cold brew, as well as this Starbucks pumpkin muffin recipe.
Let’s Chit Chat!
I used to grab a slice of Starbucks coffee cake almost every time I went in for a drink. The cinnamon crumble topping alone is worth the trip, but once I started doing the math on what a Starbucks habit actually costs (drink plus pastry plus tip, three or four times a week), I realized I was basically funding their bakery program one slice at a time.
So I went home and tested it until I got it right. The cake had to be tender but not crumbly, the cinnamon middle had to be a real stripe and not just a dusting, and the streusel had to be the thick, craggy kind that snaps when you press a fork into it. It took a few rounds, but this is the version my husband Kyle and I now make on slow weekend mornings instead of getting in the car for one.
The best part: one 8×8 pan makes 16 servings. That is roughly four Starbucks slices for the price of one.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Starbucks Copycat Coffee Cake
- What Is the Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake?
- Starbucks Coffee Cake Ingredients vs Mine
- Ingredients for this cinnamon coffee cake recipe.
- How to Make Starbucks Copycat Coffee Cake
- Tips for the Best Copycat Starbucks Coffee Cake
- Storage and Freezing
- Frequently asked questions – FAQ
- Starbucks coffee cake copycat recipe Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Starbucks Copycat Coffee Cake
- Tastes better than the cafe version. Fresh out of your own oven, with real butter, real sour cream, and a cinnamon crumble that actually crackles.
- That signature cinnamon stripe. A thick layer of cinnamon-sugar crumble runs right through the middle, the exact thing that makes the Starbucks slice feel special.
- Sour cream = the moistest crumb. This is the unsung hero. The cake stays tender for days.
- Real bakery-style streusel topping. Cold butter, brown sugar, cinnamon. The same combination Starbucks uses in their cinnamon crumble topping.
- One 8×8 pan, 16 servings. About a fifth of the per-slice cost of buying it at Starbucks.
- Make-ahead friendly. Freezes beautifully. I slice mine before freezing so I can pull out a single serving whenever I want one.
What Is the Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake?
The Starbucks coffee cake (officially called the Classic Coffee Cake on their menu) is a buttery vanilla cake with a cinnamon-sugar swirl baked through the center and a thick cinnamon crumble topping. It is not flavored with coffee. The name just refers to a cake meant to be eaten with a cup of coffee. It is one of their most popular pastry case items and a Starbucks staple.
This copycat version captures every part of what makes it crave-worthy: the tender sour cream crumb, the distinct cinnamon swirl in the middle, and the generous streusel top. The bonus is that it is fresh from the oven instead of pulled from a wrapper and warmed in the cafe oven.
Starbucks Coffee Cake Ingredients vs Mine
This is one of the most-searched questions about the Starbucks coffee cake, and it’s a good one. The Starbucks ingredient list is long, with preservatives, dough conditioners, and stabilizers needed for a pastry that has to survive shipping and sitting in a cafe case for a day or two. Mine uses ingredients you already have in your kitchen.
Here’s a side-by-side of what actually goes in:
| Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake | This Copycat Recipe |
|---|---|
| Enriched wheat flour | All-purpose flour |
| Sugar, brown sugar | Granulated sugar, light brown sugar |
| Soybean oil, palm oil | Real butter (salted or unsalted) |
| Whole eggs, egg whites | Whole eggs |
| Buttermilk powder, nonfat milk | Full-fat sour cream |
| Baking powder, baking soda, salt | Baking powder, baking soda, salt |
| Natural and artificial flavor | Pure vanilla extract |
| Cinnamon, modified corn starch | Ground cinnamon |
| Preservatives, dough conditioners | None, meant to be eaten fresh |
The takeaway: the homemade version is basically a streamlined, real-ingredient version of the same thing. The structure of the cake is identical: sour cream cake base, cinnamon crumble swirl, streusel topping. The difference is freshness and quality.
Ingredients for this cinnamon coffee cake recipe.
Scroll to the recipe card for exact measurements. Here is what each ingredient does:
For the Cake
- Butter: salted or unsalted, softened. Softened butter creams properly with the sugar to give the cake its tender crumb.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and structure.
- Eggs: two large, at room temperature. They emulsify into the batter for a smooth, even crumb.
- Vanilla extract: pure vanilla. Two teaspoons sounds like a lot but it’s what gives this cake the rich, bakery flavor.
- All-purpose flour: the standard for a tender coffee cake crumb.
- Baking powder + baking soda: the combination is what gives you lift and a soft, even rise.
- Salt: balances the sweetness.
- Sour cream: the secret to the tender, moist crumb that stays soft for days. Full-fat is best.
For the Cinnamon Crumble (Streusel + Swirl)
- Brown sugar: light brown sugar for that deep, almost caramelized flavor.
- Cinnamon: the star. Two teaspoons gives you the pronounced cinnamon flavor of the Starbucks version.
- Salt: in the streusel too, to sharpen the cinnamon.
- All-purpose flour: binds the streusel into those big bakery-style crumbles.
- Cold butter: must be cold and cubed. This is what gives you the craggy crumble texture instead of a smooth paste.
The Vanilla Glaze (Optional)
Starbucks does not glaze their coffee cake, so for a true copycat, skip it. That said, I love a thin drizzle on mine. It’s powdered sugar, vanilla, and a splash of milk. Totally up to you.
How to Make Starbucks Copycat Coffee Cake
This recipe comes together in three easy steps: make the crumble, make the cake, layer and bake. Full step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
Make the Cinnamon Crumble Topping
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the cold cubed butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until you have pea-sized crumbs with some bigger chunks.
- Stash the bowl in the fridge while you make the cake. Keeping it cold is the trick to getting that craggy, bakery-style streusel.
Mix the Cake Batter
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- In a separate larger bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix in the vanilla.
- Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream in three additions, starting and ending with the dry. Mix just until the flour disappears. Do not overmix.
Layer and Bake
- Spread half the batter into a greased 8×8 pan.
- Sprinkle half the cold cinnamon crumble across the middle, making sure to cover the entire surface so you get that signature stripe.
- Spread the remaining batter on top and gently smooth it out.
- Top with the rest of the cinnamon crumble, pressing it lightly into the batter so it stays put.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 to 48 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift it out to finish cooling on a rack. Drizzle with glaze if you want.
Tips for the Best Copycat Starbucks Coffee Cake
- Use room-temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream. Cold ingredients fight the batter and give you a dense cake. Pull everything out 30 to 45 minutes before you start.
- Keep the crumble cold. If your kitchen is warm, pop the crumble back in the fridge between making the batter and assembling. Warm crumble melts into the cake instead of staying chunky on top.
- Don’t skip the middle layer. The cinnamon stripe is what makes it Starbucks. Cover the bottom batter completely with crumble before adding the top batter.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour disappears, stop. Overmixing develops gluten and gives you a tough crumb.
- Line the pan with parchment. Leave overhang on two sides and you can lift the whole cake out in one piece for clean slicing.
- Let it cool before slicing. Slicing too soon means the streusel comes off in chunks. Give it at least 30 minutes.
Storage and Freezing
Room temperature
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 to 2 days.
Fridge
Wrapped well, it keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Bring slices back to room temperature before serving (or zap for 10 seconds in the microwave).
Freezer
This cake freezes beautifully. My favorite trick: slice it first, then wrap each slice individually in plastic and stash them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When a craving hits, thaw one slice on the counter for an hour or microwave it for 20 seconds. It tastes just-baked.
Frequently asked questions – FAQ
Both are buttery cakes with a streusel topping, and the terms are often used interchangeably. The traditional distinction is ratio: crumb cake has a thicker layer of streusel on top (sometimes as much streusel as cake), while coffee cake is more about the cake itself with streusel as a topping or swirl. The Starbucks Classic Coffee Cake leans toward the coffee cake side, with a generous but not overwhelming cinnamon crumble.
No, the Starbucks coffee cake does not contain any coffee. The name refers to the fact that coffee cake is traditionally served alongside coffee, not flavored with it. It is a buttery vanilla cake with a cinnamon crumble swirl, designed to pair with your morning latte.
This recipe is sized for an 8×8 pan and I haven’t personally tested it in a 9×13. If you want a 9×13, doubling the recipe is your safest bet. The bake time will likely land around 50 to 55 minutes, but watch it closely and use the toothpick test.
Yes. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is a great 1:1 swap and the cake will still be tender and moist. Nonfat works in a pinch but the cake won’t be quite as rich. This is the easiest way to make the Starbucks copycat coffee cake with what you already have in the fridge.
To turn this into a gluten-free coffee cake, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Measure for Measure. The texture stays very close to the original Starbucks copycat coffee cake.
Two usual culprits. The cinnamon crumble was too warm when you added it (keep the bowl in the fridge while you mix the batter), or the top layer of cake batter was spread too thin. The batter underneath the crumble needs to be thick enough to hold it up while it bakes.
The most common cause is overbaking. Start checking at 42 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not totally clean. The second cause is overmixing the batter once you add the flour, which develops gluten and tightens the crumb. The sour cream in this recipe is what keeps the coffee cake moist, so don’t skip it.
Starbucks coffee cake copycat recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter salted or unsalted, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
Cinnamon streusel
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 tbsp
- 1/2 cup butter salted or unsalted, cold
Icing (optional)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2-1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F then spray an 8×8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. You can also jus tbutter it.
For the streusel
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon salt, and brown sugar to combine.3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 tbsp
- Add in the cold cubed butter and mix it in using your hands or a pastry cutter until it ressembles coarse crumbs. Set it aside in the fridge.1/2 cup butter
Make the cake
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.1 & 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix to combine again. Mix in the vanilla extract1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the sour cream and mix to combine. Repeat the process with the rest of the dry ingredients and sour cream just until the flour mixture disappears.3/4 cup sour cream
- Pour half of the cake mixture into the prepared pan, amd sprinkle half of the streusel on top making sure every area is covered. Pour the rest of the cake batter on top and gently spread over with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-48 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before pulling it out and allowing it to cool down some more on a cooling rack.
Make the icing (optional)
- In a medium bowl whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until thick drizzlable consistency forms. Add a little more milk if needed.1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2-1 tbsp milk
- Drizzle on top of the cooled-down cake, let it set, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
In the INGREDIENTS section, you use the abbreviations “ts” and “tsp”. Do they mean different things or do both mean “teaspoon”?
Thank you for catching that typo! It was supposed to be teaspoons (tsp) instead of ts
Looks amazing. BUT I need to make a 9X13 for my family. Is this possible? So many of your recipes only state 8X8. I want to try them all!
Making this recipe in a different pan size would change the baking time and I’m not sure what it would be unfortunately for a 9×13.
when swapping from cup measures to metric the eggs remain at large. an american large egg is the same as a british medium egg so the baking time will be longer.
that’s interesting I didn’t know that actually!
What size pan do I use for a double recipe?
Use the same pan size, just multiple batches. Different pan size would require different baking times and I’m not sure what they would be.
Actually amazing! The cinnamon streusel is so good & I can’t stop eating it lol
Another hit! Ty for sharing all of your recipes with us. This was so delicious!
How does 8×8 pan make 16 servings?
Cake is still in the oven so I didn’t leave a rating yet
Slice it in 4×4!
I just made this delicious cinnamon coffee cake this morning. My husband loved it. I will definitely make it again. I did use nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and did not drizzle the icing. It was delicious with the substitution and without icing. Thanks so much for sharing the recipes.
Great substitution! I happy both of you enjoyed it 😊
I made it and it was perfect! I’ve made other recipes like pumpkin scones, churro cookies and they’re all a hit!
Thank you for trying all those recipes! I really appreciate it! 😊
Amazing. 10/10! My family ate over half of the coffee cake before I could even make the glaze!
Super easy to put together, great cake flavor and the streusel wasn’t overly sweet like some recipes can be. I already have plans to make again for a friend’s baby shower this weekend!
Thank you for trying the recipe! I’m glad your family loved it 😁
Can I substitute plain yogurt for sour cream. Thought I had the sour cream. It was yogurt.
Yes you can!