If you’ve ever ordered a slice of Starbucks Coffee Cake and wished you could make it at home — this recipe is for you. It has the same soft, buttery crumb, warm cinnamon flavor, and that thick cinnamon-streusel layer that makes every bite feel like something special. And the best part? It’s surprisingly easy to make in your own kitchen.
This cake is baked low and slow for the perfect tender texture, and it tastes even better once it cools and the flavors settle. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee in the morning, as an afternoon treat, or share it at brunch — it always disappears fast.
Why This Copycat Coffee Cake Works
- Full fat sour cream keeps the cake ultra-moist and tender.
- The cinnamon streusel is layered inside and on top for full bakery-style flavor.
- Low and slow baking ensures a soft, fine crumb (just like the Starbucks slice).
- Simple ingredients are used- nothing fancy or hard to find.
This is cozy coffee shop baking at its very best.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- unsalted butter
- granulated white sugar
- eggs
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt
For the Streusel:
- unsalted butter
- light brown sugar
- all purpose flour
- ground cinnamon
How to Make Starbucks Coffee Cake
1. Prepare the Cake
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8×8-inch square pan with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Alternate mixing the sour cream mixture and the flour mixture into the butter mixture, starting and ending with the sour cream mixture. Mix only until combined.
2. Make the Streusel
In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and cold butter. Use your fingers to pinch and blend until the texture resembles damp sand.
3. Layer & Bake
Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with one-third of the streusel. Spread the remaining batter on top, then add the remaining streusel.
Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Let cool completely before slicing.
Recipe Tips
1. Use room temperature butter and eggs.
Cold butter won’t cream properly, and cold eggs make the batter dense. Set everything out 30 to 60 minutes before baking.
2. Cream the butter and sugar long enough.
You want it light and fluffy, not just mixed. This builds structure and keeps the cake from turning heavy.
3. Don’t skip sifting the flour mixture.
Sifting ensures the cake has that fine, bakery-style crumb instead of a coarse texture.
4. Mix only until combined after adding dry ingredients.
Overmixing develops gluten, which results in a tough cake. Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks uniform.
5. Keep the butter cold for the streusel.
Warm or softened butter melts too quickly and makes the topping greasy instead of crumbly.
6. Don’t overwork the streusel.
It should look like damp sand + small pebbles, not a paste.
7. Press the top streusel lightly into the batter.
Just a gentle tap so it adheres while baking but still stays crumbly.
8. Bake low and slow: 325°F is key.
This is how you get that soft, tender Starbucks-style crumb instead of a drier, faster-baked cake.
9. If the streusel begins to brown too quickly:
Tent lightly with foil during the final 15 minutes.
10. Cool completely before cutting.
Warm cake crumbles and looks messy.
Cool cake = clean coffee shop slices.
Serving Suggestions
This cake is perfect with:
- A hot cup of coffee or tea
- A vanilla latte
- Egg Bites
- Warmed up just slightly in the microwave
It tastes even better on day two!
Storage
Freeze slices up to 3 months (wrap well). Store at room temperature up to 3 days. Refrigerate up to 1 week.
More Starbucks Copycat Recipes:
Copycat Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (Add ½ teaspoon almond extract for additional flavor, if you'd like)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
STREUSEL:
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ and spray an 8×8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 30 seconds after each addition.
- In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and vanilla and stir well.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add ⅓ of the sour cream mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed for 10 seconds. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed for 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture and flour mixture, ending with the sour cream mixture.
FOR THE STREUSEL:
- In a separate medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix with your (clean) fingers until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the streusel mixture, then spread the remaining batter over the top. Evenly spread the remaining streusel over the top.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes until the center of the cake springs back when gently pressed. Cool completely in the pan before cutting and serving.
Notes
Cold butter won’t cream properly, and cold eggs make the batter dense. Set everything out 30 to 60 minutes before baking. 2. Cream the butter and sugar long enough.
You want it light and fluffy, not just mixed. This builds structure and keeps the cake from turning heavy. 3. Don’t skip sifting the flour mixture.
Sifting ensures the cake has that fine, bakery-style crumb instead of a coarse texture. 4. Mix only until combined after adding dry ingredients.
Overmixing develops gluten, which results in a tough cake. Stop mixing as soon as the batter looks uniform. 5. Keep the butter cold for the streusel.
Warm or softened butter melts too quickly and makes the topping greasy instead of crumbly. 6. Don’t overwork the streusel.
It should look like damp sand + small pebbles, not a paste. 7. Press the top streusel lightly into the batter.
Just a gentle tap so it adheres while baking but still stays crumbly. 8. Bake low and slow: 325°F is key.
This is how you get that soft, tender Starbucks-style crumb instead of a drier, faster-baked cake. 9. If the streusel begins to brown too quickly:
Tent lightly with foil during the final 15 minutes. 10. Cool completely before cutting.
Warm cake crumbles and looks messy.
Cool cake = clean coffee shop slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
