Name: Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup - 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (81-108g); ⅔ cup packed brown sugar (133g); ¾ cup all-purpose flour (94g); 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed (57g); 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature. (85g); ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ½ cup granulated sugar (100g); 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract; ½ cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (120g); 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g); 2 tablespoons cornstarch (16g); 1 teaspoon baking powder; ¾ cup confectioners' sugar (90g); 1 tablespoon milk (15mL); ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Jump to Recipe

Cinnamon walnut coffee cake with sour cream has the best soft and tender crumb. This quick recipe has a cinnamon walnut streusel filling and topping; perfect for a weekend or holiday breakfast.

slice of cake on a plate with a fork holding a bite

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Am I the only one who loves a moist, crumbly coffee cake in the morning? Pair it with a cup of coffee and I’m a happy camper. We rarely say no to cake for breakfast at my house!

As a busy home baker, this easy to prepare cinnamon walnut coffee cake recipe will be your new favorite morning go-to. Simple pantry staples and minimal prep time are all that is needed to create this from cake from scratch. It's perfect for overnight guests or Christmas morning.

Much like my blackberry coffee cake, this recipe is made with sour cream, which means an extra tender and addictive cake. Don’t be surprised when people tell you it’s better than Grandma’s!

💗 why you need this coffee cake recipe

Quick recipe ~ about 15 minutes of active time are needed to get this quick and easy old fashioned coffee cake in the oven.
Fantastic texture ~ the crumb of this walnut coffee cake is SO soft and tender thanks to using sour cream and one of my favorite secret 🤫 ingredients!
Streusel topping ~ enough said, right??? The easy streusel is used as a filling and for a thick, crumbly topping. Don’t love walnuts? {I’m guessing you do!}, feel free to swap them out for pecans or leave them out all together. This recipe is forgiving!

💭 what is coffee cake?

Coffee cake is a classic on most American breakfast buffets. In the U.S., coffee cake is typically a single layer cake with fruit or cinnamon. The cake does not have any actual coffee in it. It can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

slice of coffee cake on it's side showing cinnamon walnut swirl in the middle

🛒 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

All-purpose flour ~ used for both the streusel and coffee cake.
Brown sugar ~ used in the streusel topping; dark or light brown sugar can be used.
Cinnamon ~ adds some depth to the flavor of this cinnamon walnut coffee cake.
Unsalted butter ~ used cold and cubed for the streusel and at room temperature for the cake.
Granulated sugar ~ adds sweetness and structure to the coffee cake.
Eggs ~ you'll need two large eggs at room temperature.
Vanilla ~ balances the flavors.
Sour cream ~ cakes made with sour cream have lovely softness to the crumb. Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature.
Cornstarch ~ one of my favorite secret ingredients! The cornstarch adds to the extra tender and soft texture to the cake.
Baking powder ~ just a little to keep from having a dense coffee cake
Kosher salt ~ balances the flavors. If you only have table salt, use half the amount.
Walnuts ~ I use premium California half walnuts {unsalted and unroasted} that I buy at Trader Joe's.
Confectioners’ sugar and milk {not shown} for the icing.

🥣 how to make this easy cinnamon walnut coffee cake

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare an 8x8 baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.

Toast the walnuts on a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking pan for 5-8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool and chop into small pieces before making the streusel.

For the streusel topping ~

butter chunks in dry streusel ingredients in a bowl

In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, all-purpose flour and cinnamon.

Then use your clean fingers to pinch the butter into the dry mixture until you have a crumbly mixture. Then add in the toasted walnuts and toss to combine. Place the streusel in the freezer while you mix the cake batter.

For the coffee cake ~

butter and salt creamed together in a mixing bowl

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy.

eggs and vanilla added to creamed butter and sugar

Scrape up and down the bowl and then add the eggs one at a time. Scrape up and down the bowl once, if needed to fully combine the first egg and add the vanilla and beat on medium until well blended. The mixture will look a bit curdled at this point.

cake batter after the sour cream has been added in a mixing bowl

Then add the room temperature sour cream and beat on medium until combined.

coffee cake batter in a bowl with a spatula

Pour about half the flour over the wet ingredients, then add the cornstarch, kosher salt and remaining flour. Mix on low until a few streaks of flour remain. Use a spatula to finish mixing until just combined. The batter is thick.

how to layer in the streusel

baking tin lined with parchment with a layer of cake batter

Spread about half the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan.

streusel layer over cake batter in a parchment lined baking pan

Top with half of the cold streusel mixture.

cake batter over streusel layer in a baking pan

Add the remaining batter in spoonfuls on top of the streusel and use an off set spatula to smooth the batter in an even layer. The batter is thick, so work slowly.

Then top with remaining streusel topping, it will seem like too much streusel, but I recommend using it all. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool in the pan set on a wire cooling rack.

icing drizzled overtop cinnamon walnut coffee cake

Once the cinnamon walnut coffee cake has cooled for about 30 minutes, make the icing. Then drizzle over the top of the coffee cake.

💬 frequently asked questions

how do you toast walnuts?

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the walnuts in a single layer on a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 6-8 minutes {I use my Breville countertop oven}. Stir the nuts halfway through to help them toast evenly.

do I really need room temperature ingredients?

Yes, room temperature butter, eggs and sour cream will combine much better when they are not cold. This will create a fluffy cake batter, which will give you the BEST soft and tender texture once baked.

can this be baked in a different size pan?

You can double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13 pan; the baking time should be similar. This can also be baked in a bundt pan; again double the recipe and the bake time will increase by 10-20 minutes.

slice of cake on a plate with other slices in the background

👩🏻‍🍳 tips for the best from scratch coffee cake

Toast the walnuts and allow them to cool prior to adding them in the streusel.

Use a kitchen scale to ensure you have the correct amount of flour. If you are looking for a more economical option this Escali digital scale is also a great one. Adding too much flour can result in a dry coffee cake. If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour in it's container then spoon it into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level it.

The batter is very thick, which is what you want! Go slowly when layering spreading the batter in the pan. I find an offset spatula is very helpful.

Be careful not to over bake this cinnamon walnut coffee cake! Remember your oven is different than mine and baking times may vary slightly.

🫙 how to store

Store any cake leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 - 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. {The streusel topping will get a little soft after the first day}.

You can freeze the cinnamon walnut coffee cake in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Allow the cake to defrost before serving.

stack of cinnamon walnut coffee cake slices on a plate

Remember to snap a picture and tag me @twosugarbugs on Instagram if you make this Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

🍳 more breakfast recipes

Peanut Butter Muffins
Apple Cider Banana Bread
Easiest Dutch Baby Ever!
White Chocolate Blueberry Scones
Zucchini Oat Bran Chocolate Chip Muffins

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating. I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Yield: 12 slices - 8x8 baking pan