Cake Mix Coffee Cake
Cake mix coffee cake is an irresistible cake to serve with coffee. A speedy and oh so straightforward to mix version of this classic cake, it's sure to become one of your regular recipes!
There's something so comforting about sharing a warm coffee cake with friends and family. It is the reliable accompaniment to hot coffee or tea and is never out of place at breakfast or brunch! A standby part about his recipe is that it's a breeze to make with a few simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your pantry!
This yellow cake mix coffee cake is light and plush with a rich cinnamon pecan filling. Even more of the filling is sprinkled over the top of the cake to give an added crunch.
If you haven't considered using cake mix to make coffee cake, we encourage you to give it a try! We love the shortcut of using it in this recipe, but if you'd prefer to make your own cake from scratch, we also have an memorable recipe for a yellow cake.
Why is it called a coffee cake?
Not to be confused with a coffee-flavored cake, this cake is popular for serving alongside coffee or tea at breakfast or brunch. It typically has a streusel topping and is often flavored with cinnamon and brown sugar.
What You'll Need to Make this Recipe
Our recipe calls for a few common baking ingredients, plus one great shortcut!
- 1 box of yellow cake mix - use your favorite brand here. Using a mix is so speedy and straightforward! We also have a recipe for a DIY yellow cake mix if you want to try making your own!
- Unsalted butter - there's salt in boxed cake mix, so no need to add any more.
- Light or dark brown sugar - light has less molasses flavor and dark brown contains more molasses, so has a deeper caramel flavor
- Ground cinnamon - gives the cake a warm spiced flavor
- Pecans - you could swap for walnuts if you prefer
- Eggs - we use large eggs
- Sour cream - full-fat sour cream creates a moisture cake
How to turn cake mix into coffee cake
It's so great when you have a recipe that you can whip up in a matter of moments. The preparation of this cake mix recipe is so speedy and straightforward, which means you can have it in the oven in 10 minutes! The hardest part is waiting to have your first slice!
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350 F/180 C and grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Make the filling. Put 2/3 cup of cake mix in a medium bowl and add melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Mix everything to combine.
- Make the batter. Combine cake mix, eggs, and sour cream in a large bowl until smooth.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle over half the filling. Pour the remaining batter over the top and smooth into an even layer. It might help to grease an offset spatula to help with spreading the top layer of batter without disturbing the filling too much.
- Sprinkle over the other half of the filling to form the streusel topping.
- Bake the cake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Start checking the cake at 45 minutes. You'll know the cake is done when you insert a toothpick or thin skewer into the center and it comes out clean.
Serving Ideas
Coffee cake tastes so good when it’s warm! Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. You can also serve it at room temperature.
If you want to dress your coffee cake up a bit, you can make a speedy glaze with powdered sugar and water or milk and drizzle it over the top using a fork or a spoon. Sometimes we'll dust over some of the powdered sugar for A straightforward topping.
There are so many options for flavors when it comes to coffee cake. More cake? Yes please! Here are a few of our other recipes:
- Cinnamon Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
- Blueberry Peach Coffee Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Rich Coffee Cake with Sweet Cheese Filling
Common questions
Storing your cake
As tempting as it might be to eat the entire cake in one go, you might find yourself with leftovers. This cake is best eaten on the day it's made, but you can store it at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
We like to eat our coffee cake warm, so to refresh day-old cake, we put individual slices on microwavable plates and warm them in the microwave for 10 - 20 seconds.
Cake Mix Coffee Cake
Yield: 16 servings This cake mix coffee cake is light and plush with a rich cinnamon pecan filling. The reliable companion to a cup of hot coffee!- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (198 g) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (114 g) finely chopped pecans
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups (340 g) sour cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside.
- Make the Filling: Remove ⅔ cup of the cake mix and place in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans, mixing with a spoon or spatula to thoroughly combine.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining cake mix, eggs, and sour cream until completely combined.
- Pour half of the wet batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle evenly with half of the filling.
- Pour the remaining batter over top and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining filling mixture over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick or thin skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving to serve warm; it can also be served at room temperature.
Notes
- Yellow Cake Mix: Use your favorite brand here. Using a mix is so speedy and straightforward! We also have a recipe for a DIY yellow cake mix if you want to try making your own!
- Pecans: You could swap for walnuts if you prefer, or omit entirely if you need to avoid nuts.
- Sour Cream: Use full-fat for a wonderfully plush cake. You can also substitute full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Serving: Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Garnish: Serve plain or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a drizzle of simple icing (mix powdered sugar with water or milk to create a drizzling consistency).
- Storage: Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Photography by Dee Frances.
- Yield: 16 servings
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 45 minutes
- Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ¼ cup ( 57 g ) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup ( 198 g ) light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup ( 114 g ) finely chopped pecans
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups ( 340 g ) sour cream
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan; set aside.
- Make the Filling: Remove ⅔ cup of the cake mix and place in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans, mixing with a spoon or spatula to thoroughly combine.
- In a large bowl, combine the remaining cake mix, eggs, and sour cream until completely combined.
- Pour half of the wet batter into the prepared pan, then sprinkle evenly with half of the filling.
- Pour the remaining batter over top and smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining filling mixture over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick or thin skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving to serve warm; it can also be served at room temperature.
Notes
Yellow Cake Mix: Use your favorite brand here. Using a mix is so speedy and straightforward! We also have a recipe for a DIY yellow cake mix if you want to try making your own!
Pecans: You could swap for walnuts if you prefer, or omit entirely if you need to avoid nuts.
Sour Cream: Use full-fat for a wonderfully plush cake. You can also substitute full-fat Greek yogurt.
Serving: Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.
Garnish: Serve plain or with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a drizzle of simple icing (mix powdered sugar with water or milk to create a drizzling consistency).
Storage: Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Photography by Dee Frances.
