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This Starbucks Coffee Cake Recipe may just be better than the real thing! It’s the perfect addition to any brunch and is so good, you will be looking for a reason to invite over guests!
Cake Mix Coffee Cake
One of my favorite things about Easter is Easter Brunch. And one of my favorite brunch recipes is a good coffee cake. This Starbucks Coffee cake is the perfect easy brunch recipe. You start with a boxed yellow cake mix, which guarantees a moist cake. And the cake comes together in a snap. Perfect for a busy holiday.
Why is it Called Coffee Cake When there is no coffee in it?
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love how tender and light the base of the cake is. It is a perfect compliment to the heavier, crunchy, sugary topping and it’s my favorite part. Usually foods with streusel toppings never have enough streusel topping for my liking but this Starbucks Coffee Cake has the perfect cake to topping ratio!
Ingredients Needed
- Yellow Cake Mix, I use a 15.25 oz. size and you will also need the ingredients listed on the back of the box, usually eggs, water and oil.
- Butter, I use salted butter and you want it cold. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the mixture.
- Flour, I prefer unbleached all purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar, I use light brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract
Tips from leigh Anne
- Make sure your butter is cold when making the streusel. Otherwise you will get a dough instead of a crumbly topping.
- When adding the streusel, gently add the topping a little at a time and don’t add big pieces all at once. This will keep the streusel on top of the cake. If it is still sinking into the cake, let the cake bake a few minutes longer before adding the topping.
How to Make Starbucks Coffee Cake
- Prepare yellow cake mix in a bowl following the package directions.
- Pour batter onto a greased baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees f until the center of the cake is just barely set.
- Prepare the crumb topping while the cake is baking,
- Mix together butter, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla with a mixer until crumbly.
- Remove cake from the oven when center is barely set.
- Break the crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
- Return the cake to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I freeze coffee cake?
It freezes well. I recommend freezing it by the slice. Wrap each slice tightly in plastic wrap and then some foil. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before eating.
Do I have to use a cake mix for this coffee cake recipe?
I have only made it with a cake mix. If you have a recipe for a homemade cake mix go ahead and use that, just use an equal amount to the cake mix.
Why is coffee cake called coffee cake when there is no coffee in it?
It is called coffee cake because it is meant to be eaten along with a cup of coffee!
If you need less coffee cake be sure and check out my small batch version of this recipe.
For more delicious coffee cake recipes try these:
Be sure and follow me over on YouTube for weekly cooking demos.
Starbucks Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz. yellow cake mix (plus ingredients on back of box)
- 1 cup salted butter cold, two sticks
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cups brown sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Prepare cake mix in large bowl according to directions on box.
- Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick spray.
- Pour batter into pan.
- Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until center is just barely set.
- While cake is baking, prepare crumb topping.
- In large bowl of electric mixer combine butter, flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla until all crumbly.
- Immediately after cake is removed from oven, break crumb topping into marble size pieces with fingers, sprinkling over top.
- Put back in oven and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (topping will begin to look a less less wet/raw) let cool fully then dust with powdered sugar using a sieve if desired.
- Cut into squares and serve.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Alice says
This came out good. I didn’t have a 9×13 only 8×8 so I had to bake twice as long but it still came our very good. I will definitely make it again.
Jodi says
I’m making this right now, and it seemed like there is way too much topping? It was more floury than crumbly. I used cold butter. It didn’t get very crumbly at all. Am I doing something wrong??
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
No, it does have a lot of topping, just like the Starbucks version.
Donna T. says
My son wanted a different cake for his birthday this year and requested a coffee crumb cake. I picked this recipe for two reasons. It wasn’t one of the first ones that came up in my search and second you had me at salted butter. It was a big hit and one of the easiest cake recipes I’ve ever tried. I was a little taken back at first by how much of the crumb topping I got with the measurements. I thought it was too much. It actually turned out to be just enough. I followed the recipe exact. I used a box of Pillsbury yellow cake mix. Delicious, quick and easy. It has now been added to my family’s cake rotation as I am now being asked to make it again for Christmas.
John says
Absolutely amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly and I used the Betty Crocker buttery yellow cake mix and baked for 20 min then put the topping on and baked for 15 min. Let it cool down and that was the very moist and flavorful. In the box mix I substituted whole milk for the water. Very good.
Lorraine Ball says
Our new favorite coffee cake, so moist and rich in flavor!