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Cream cheese coffee cake features a tender cake with a layer of tangy cream cheese filling running through the center. A brown sugar streusel and simple vanilla glaze are the perfect finishing touches for this delicious coffee cake!
With the holidays coming up (they’ll be here before we know it!), it seemed like it was time to share another coffee cake recipe with y’all.
I love making coffee cakes for breakfast during the holidays. You can make them ahead of time and then everyone can enjoy a slice with a cup of coffee whenever they wake up.
In the past, cranberry coffee cake, pumpkin coffee cake, and make-ahead banana coffee cake have been big favorites. This year, my family is all about this cream cheese coffee cake.
Why you’ll love this cream cheese coffee cake
This cream cheese coffee cake is a bit different from some of my other coffee cake recipes thanks to one big component: A thick, tangy cream cheese filling.
We’ve got a tender, delicious cake flavored with vanilla and just a bit of cinnamon. We’ve got a brown sugar streusel and an optional vanilla glaze.
But what makes it really special is the thick ribbon of cream cheese that runs in the center of the cake.
It is like combining coffee cake with vanilla cheesecake. You get the best of both worlds, and it is so delicious.
This cream cheese coffee cake is perfect for serving for a holiday brunch or taking to a party for a crowd-pleasing dessert. Everyone I fed this cake to absolutely raved about it, and I know your friends and family will too.
How to make my cream cheese coffee cake
There are a few components involved in this cream cheese coffee cake recipe, but none of them are difficult to make.
Ingredients you’ll need
I like to start this recipe by making the streusel topping. That way it can chill in the refrigerator while we work on the rest of the cake.
For the topping, you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
For the cake batter itself, you will need:
- ½ cup room-temperature unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
If you’ve ever made a sour cream coffee cake, you know that the sour cream in the batter adds flavor and helps keep the cake tender and moist. Don’t skip it!
The streusel and the cake both call for cinnamon. If you want to change things up a bit, you could swap the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice, or even chai spice blend.
For the cream cheese filling, you will need:
- 16 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
This cake also includes an optional glaze. If you plan to make the glaze, you’ll need:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Making this recipe
I like to make the topping for this cream cheese coffee cake first. This allows it to chill in the fridge while we make the rest of the recipe.
Use a fork to combine the topping ingredients in a bowl until you get coarse crumbs. Set this in the fridge to chill.
For the cake batter, use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes.
Add in the egg, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla. Mix well. Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and cinnamon. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter is going to be very thick!
Spread half of the batter into a greased 9×13-inch cake pan. If the batter is too thick to spread easily, use (clean) wet hands to press it into the bottom of the pan.
Now make the cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg.
Use a spatula to spread the filling over the batter layer. Drop the rest of the cake batter on top by the spoonful. Don’t worry about it being perfect—we just want it to be as even as possible.
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the cake. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before topping with the optional glaze.
Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. It should be thin enough to drizzle over the cake.
Top the cake with the glaze and enjoy!
Helpful resources
- Before you start baking, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Use this same method when you are measuring the powdered sugar for the glaze, too.
- If you’re out of brown sugar, you can make an easy 2-ingredient brown sugar substitute to use in the streusel.
- Did your brown sugar harden in the pantry? Check out my tips for how to soften brown sugar and save yourself a trip to the store.
- Make sure your butter and cream cheese are both softened to room temperature for the topping, cake batter, and filling. Learn how to soften cream cheese and how to soften butter quickly if you forgot to set yours out ahead of time.
- The cake batter is made using the creaming method. Learn how to cream butter and sugar to make sure you get this step right.
- Out of powdered sugar? Learn how to make powdered sugar to use in the glaze.
Storage tips
Because of the thick layer of cream cheese filling, cream cheese coffee cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
If you’d like to freeze leftover cake, wrap slices in plastic wrap and store them in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up to a month.
Let frozen slices thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, plain yogurt will work fine in place of the sour cream. I recommend using plain Greek yogurt.
Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar light or dark
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
For the batter:
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup sour cream 8 ounces
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Prepare the Topping
- In a bowl, use a fork to combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. The texture should resemble coarse crumbs. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the batter and filling.1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Prepare the Batter
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and mix until fully incorporated. Add in sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 large egg, 1 cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixer and mix until just combined. The batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Use a spatula or spoon to spread half of this batter into the prepared pan. If you find that you are having a hard time spreading it with a spatula or spoon, you can use clean, wet hands to press it into the pan. Set the other half to the side while you prepare the filling.
Prepare the Filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Use a spatula to spread the filling into the pan over the layer of batter.16 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 large egg
- Evenly drop the remaining batter onto the cream cheese filling by the spoonful. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just space the spoonfuls out as evenly as you can. Sprinkle the chilled topping evenly over the cake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the coffee cake cool for 30 minutes before preparing the optional glaze.
For the Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk. You want the glaze to be thin enough to drizzle over the cooled cake, but not watery. If the glaze is too thick after adding in the first tablespoon of milk, gradually add in a little more milk, ¼ teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle topping over cooled cake.½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon milk
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
