This sourdough, coffee cake is a soft, moist bake made with sour cream in a classic bundt cake style, layered with cinnamon sugar in a thick ribbon, finished with crunchy walnuts. The flavor has a subtle tang that balances the sweet cinnamon layers, making it a true breakfast treat beside hot coffee or cocoa. When I cut a slice, the inside view always reminds me of serving it on a wooden cake stand with a brown napkin or white napkin, a habit I picked up while testing this recipe to make it feel extra special for family gatherings on Christmas morning, just like my grandma did as a tradition years ago.
I love how easy it is to make ahead, perfect for serving crowd moments during the holidays, especially if you already enjoy bundt cakes like Carrot Bundt Cake with cream cheese icing. This one stays perfectly sweetened, with clear layers of vanilla cake, a nutty pecan crumble, and something satisfying in every bite. As a homemade coffee cake, it feels like the perfect way to enjoy a morning cup, served on a plate with a fork. If you want to save this recipe, drop your email in the inbox for new recipes every week, including a sourdough discard recipe, my own version of a classic coffee cake done sourdough style, often shared in my latest videos alongside bakes like Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread, The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe, and Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Discard).
Sourdough Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping! CLICK HERE
Sourdough Coffee Cake: Secret to the Ultimate Crumbly Bliss!
.
Use cold butter cut into the dry ingredients (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon) with a pastry cutter or fingers until pea-sized clumps form — this creates big, irregular crumbs that stay crisp instead of melting flat.
Opt for mostly (or all) brown sugar in the topping for richer flavor and better texture than plain white sugar.
Generously pile it on — many bakers swear by “over-the-top” amounts (even double streusel) for maximum crumb coverage and crunch.
Chill the topping briefly before sprinkling if it’s too soft, and avoid over-mixing so it doesn’t turn sandy or sink.
How to Make Sourdough Coffee Cake
Step 1
preheat, oven, 350 degrees Fahrenheit, grease, 9×13-inch baking dish, medium-sized mixing bowl, stir, cinnamon crumble ingredients, melted butter, cooled butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, completely combined, set aside, glass bowl, brown sugar, sugar, butter, glass bowl
Step 2
large mixing bowl, cream, oil, cane sugar, brown sugar, smooth
Step 3
add, eggs, vanilla, sourdough starter, milk, mix well, sourdough coffee cake batter, glass bowl
Step 4
separate bowl, whisk, salt, baking soda, flour, combined, dry ingredients, wet ingredients, fold, spatula, just combined, overmix, batter, unbaked sourdough coffee cake, baking pan
Step 5
pour, half, coffee cake batter, prepared baking dish, sprinkle, half crumble mixture, evenly, top, remaining cake batter, rest crumble mixture, top of batter, three slices, sourdough coffee cake, white countertop
Step 6
bake, preheated oven, 40-50 minutes, edges, turn golden, toothpick, inserted, come out clean, cool completely, slicing, serving
HOW TO MEASURE FLOUR WITHOUT A SCALE
When I first started baking sourdough coffee cake and other goodies like Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread or The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, I didn’t own a kitchen scale either, so I learned this technique the hard way to keep things accurate. Grab a spoon and fluff up the flour inside the bag first — this stops it from packing down. Then scoop the flour into your cup until it’s heaped on top, and use a butterknife to level it off nice and even. Never just shove the measuring cup straight into the bag and scoop because that packs in way too much flour and throws off the weight your recipe called for. Doing it this way gives the right measurement every time so your recipes — whether it’s Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe, Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Discard), or that perfect sourdough coffee cake — turn out just like you want.
How to store the sourdough discard coffee cake
Back when I first got hooked on baking with discard I learned pretty quick that sourdough coffee cake — just like my Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread or The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies and even that Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe — stays tastiest when you handle leftovers right. Pop any stored pieces into an airtight container and they’ll be good on the counter at room temperature up to 3 days, or slide the container into the fridge for a full week. If you want to enjoy it later I always recommend freezing because it works great — for the whole cake double wrap the entire thing in foil before you place it in the freezer, but waiting to add any icing until you’re ready to eat keeps it perfect. For individual slices just wrap each one in plastic wrap then tuck them into a freezer bag where they’ll keep nicely up to 3 months, so you can easily pull out as many slices as you like any time. When you’re craving a piece, leave it on the counter to thaw and defrost, then pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it nice and warm again.
FAQs
Is coffee cake made with coffee?
People often ask if my sourdough coffee cake has actual coffee in it like my Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread or The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies do with their flavors — nope, it’s not made with coffee, but it’s typically made to pair perfectly with a cup of coffee. The big difference is this cake gets topped with a tasty crumble instead of being frosted like a traditional cake.
How should I store my leftovers?
My sourdough coffee cake tastes best when eaten the same day, but you can store it in an air-tight container at room temperature up to three days or in the fridge for two weeks. For longer keeping I freeze the cake up to three months — helpful to cut into individual portions and freeze individually, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper, then place in a freezer-safe container. Later thaw, gently reheat a few minutes, and it’s perfect for serving.
Is coffee cake a breakfast or dessert?
I’ve whipped up sourdough coffee cake more times than I can count, right alongside my favorites like Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread, The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe, and Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Discard), and honestly it comes down to purely preference. This coffee cake makes such a delicious and special breakfast with a hot mug in the morning, but it easily gets served as dessert too — either way it hits just well and feels right for the moment.
What type of flour can I use to make this recipe?
You can use all-purpose flour or einkorn flour for sourdough coffee cake — same as I do in Cinnamon Streusel Sourdough Banana Bread, The Best Chewy Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Espresso Sourdough Bread Recipe, and Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (Discard). When substituting einkorn flour you need slightly more einkorn because it absorbs less liquid than all-purpose, so the batter tends to be a bit wetter, but the results are delicious either way.
