This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a delicious soft gluten free coffee cake! Thanks to the sour cream, the cake itself is soft, light and moist! But it wouldn't be a coffee cake without cinnamon! This easy coffee cake recipe has a ribbon of cinnamon sugar in the middle and a buttery streusel crumb topping, made with brown sugar and cinnamon. It's the perfect breakfast cake that can be eaten any time of the day! It's also eggless, nut free and can easily be dairy free (vegan) with a few tweaks!
This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is the perfect classic coffee cake recipe! It has a super soft and light crumb thanks to both the sour cream and homemade buttermilk! It then has a cinnamon sugar layer that is made with only 2 ingredients and then the classic crumb top! My daughter loves this recipe so much, she asks for it once per week! Luckily, it is simple to make and she loves helping me make the streusel top! We love cake for breakfast and this is one of our favs!
For more breakfast cakes, try my classic New York Crumb Cake, my Irish Tea Cake, my Peach Coffee Cake, my Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake and my Eggless Strawberry Cake.
Reasons to Love This Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Allergy Friendly- This easy coffee cake is gluten free, nut free, egg free and can easily be dairy free (vegan)!
- Soft & Fluffy- This crumb of this cake is super soft and delicious thanks to the sour cream and homemade buttermilk just like in my Coffee Cake Muffins!
- Crumb Topping- The crumb topping is made with brown sugar and cinnamon and is oh so delicious!
- Perfect for Brunch- I love serving this breakfast cake for my extended family for brunch! It's popular among my Easter Brunch Recipes and also my Mother's Day Brunch Recipes!
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten Free Flour- If you also have nut allergies, make sure to use a brand that’s made in a nut free facility. I really love to use this gluten free flour because it’s free of the top 9 allergens. It also contains xanthan gum which really helps give baked goods their bounce and prevents them from falling apart.
- Cornstarch Water- This is essential and binds everything together since the cake is eggless.
- Unsalted Butter or Vegan Baking Stick- Don’t use melted or softened in the batter; we want to cream it together with the sugar. Only use room temperature.
- Granulated Sugar- I prefer granulated over brown in the batter to keep the cake very light.
- Light Brown Sugar- It makes the crumbs nice and soft due to the added moisture.
- Sour Cream- This ingredient is key! It really helps to make the crumb of this cake super light! For vegan, use a dairy-free sour cream.
- Vanilla- Make sure to only use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cake can have a chemical flavor.
- Milk- If there are no dairy allergies or if you’re not vegan, you can use regular whole milk. For non-dairy, use a dairy-free milk of your choosing.
- White Vinegar- Mixed with the milk to create a buttermilk! In addition to the sour cream, the buttermilk helps to keep the cake soft and light.
- Cinnamon- Helps give this cake its classic coffee cake flavor and adds a little spice like in my Easy Carrot Cake Recipe.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this into a Vegan Coffee Cake
- Use a gluten free flour that’s free from dairy.
- Make sure the brand of sugar you use is vegan.
- Use vegan baking sticks instead of butter.
- Only use a non-dairy milk of choice.
Make this Recipe with All Purpose Flour
- Use 2 packed cups of regular flour (336 grams).
- Only use ¼ cup of milk.
- Use ¼ tablespoon white vinegar.
This recipe has not been tested with some of these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Here are the step by step instructions to make this easy coffee cake recipe!
Step 1: Make The Homemade Buttermilk
Measure out the milk and stir in the white vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 min then stir again. The milk will appear chunky; that’s normal.
Step 2: Whisk Together the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a medium bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until it is thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Beat the butter and granulated sugar until it is all soft and creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
Step 5: Add in Wet Ingredients Minus the Milk
Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture into the creamed butter and sugar.
With the mixer still on low speed, mix in the sour cream and vanilla. The mixture will look liquidy and chunky; that's normal.
Step 6: Add in the Dry Ingredients, then the Milk
Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the buttermilk into the batter. Mix until just combined. Scrape down sides and combine; it will be very thick.
Step 7: Make the Cinnamon Sugar
In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and the cinnamon until combined.
Step 8: Scoop the Batter into the Pan and Sprinkle on Cinnamon Sugar
Using a spatula, scoop half the batter into the springform pan; smooth the top with an icing spatula or the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter, staying away from the edges.
Step 9: Add the Rest of the Batter and Smooth the Top
Add the rest of the batter and carefully smooth the top with an icing spatula or back of a spoon.
If it is too difficult, wet the icing spatula or back of the spoon. Shake the water off and continue spreading the batter.
Step 10: Make the Crumbs
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, the light brown sugar and cinnamon.
Microwave the butter in 11 second increments until halfway melted. Whisk until fully melted; the residual heat will melt the rest.
Pour in the melted butter and stir with a spatula until crumbs form.
Step 11: Sprinkle On the Crumbs
Sprinkle the crumbs all over the top of the batter. Make sure to use them all and cover all the batter. The crumbs may pile on top of one another; that's normal.
Step 12: Bake and Cool
Bake the cake in the center rack of the 350 degree oven for 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Take out and let cool completely in the pan.
Once cool, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use Packed Cups of Flour- Normally in baking we do not use packed cups however, when working with gluten free, I've found using packed cups works best to help the baked goods keep their shape. Or read the gram measurement.
- Use Room Temperature Butter in the Batter- Do not use softened or melted butter/vegan baking sticks in the batter. We want to cream the butter with the sugar and it will not work if it is melted or softened.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients- Make sure to use ingredients that are all room temperature or the batter might split if the sour cream and milk are too cold.
- Sprinkle the Cinnamon Sugar- When sprinkling the sugar, try to stay away from the edges of the batter. If you get the sugar too close to the edges, it will ooze out the sides of the cake while baking, causing the sugar to caramelize and turn rock hard on the edges of the cake.
- Smooth the Batter- Once the cinnamon sugar layer is added, it is difficult to add the second layer of batter but just go slowly and do the best you can to smooth it over the top. Sometimes using the back of a spoon is easier than a butter knife or icing spatula. If the batter keeps getting super stuck to the icing spatula or back of the spoon, rinse the icing spatula under water, shake the water off and then continue spreading out the batter.
- Use a Springform Pan- Using a springform pan ensures the cake will not fall apart when taking it out. In addition the crumbs would overflow out of a regular 9 inch cake pan.
- Use a Skewer- Make sure to use a skewer to check if the cake is done. You want it to come out clean from the center.
- Let It Cool- When the cake comes out of the oven, allow it t to cool completely before removing from the pan. If you try to take the cake out too soon, I promise the entire thing will fall apart into a messy (yet still super yummy) pile.
Recipe FAQs
Most gluten free baked goods are best made the same day, but you can make this cake the night before if needed. Please note it is best the first day.
Once cool, wrap the cake in foil. Do not top with the confectioners' sugar until ready to serve.
Yes. Using a springform pan ensures the cake will not fall apart when taking it out. The crumbs would overflow out of a regular 9 inch cake pan.
Right out of the oven, the cake has slightly crisp sides and a soft interior. After storing the cake, the outside will soften due to the moistness of the interior.
It is called a sour cream coffee cake but you could use yogurt. If using yogurt, mix the yogurt and the baking soda together and set aside.
As it sits, the baking soda will make the yogurt start to rise; that's normal! Then continue with the directions.
Crumb cake has a denser layer of cake and a large layer of crumbs that is either the same size as the cake itself or there are more crumbs than cake. Because of this crumb cake tends to be sweeter and more buttery due to all the crumbs. In addition, the crumbs tend to be larger in size.
Coffee cake (meant to be served with coffee) is a lighter, softer cake with a thinner layer of crumbs on the top and many times features a cinnamon swirl in the middle of the cake. It can also have fruit or nuts. Sometimes, coffee cake just has cinnamon sugar on top and no crumb layer. It isn't as sweet or buttery as crumb cake due to the fluffier cake and the thinner layer of crumb topping.
Storing: Once the cake is cut into, cut the entire cake into slices, wrap each slice in foil. Try to create a teepee with the top of the foil so it isn't touching the crumb top as much. You can keep at room temperature for one day. If you desire, microwave (not in the foil) for 5-10 seconds to warm up. Be careful not to burn your mouth.
Freezing: If you won't be eating all the slices the next day, take the wrapped slices and pop them in the freezer for up to 14 days.
Defrosting: Take out of the freezer and leave at room temperature until soft; about 2 hours. Also, you can microwave each slice (not in foil) for 10-20 seconds to make the cake nice and warm again. Be careful not to burn your mouth.
More Breakfast Cake Recipes You'll Love
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📖 Recipe
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 rounded tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons water
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream , full fat
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Swirl
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the Crumb Topping
- 1 ¼ cups multipurpose gluten free flour (I use a gluten free multipurpose flour with xanthan gum already in it)
- ½ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, melted
- confectioners' sugar (for dusting if desired)
Instructions
For the Coffee Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9 inch springform pan with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment paper as well. Set aside.I like to cut the parchment paper into a square, place then place and lock the springform pan over the paper. Then I cut the parchment edges to make a circle.
- Measure out ½ cup milk. Add in ½ tablespoon white vinegar. Mix with a spoon and let sit for 5-10 min. Stir again.The milk should appear chunky and that’s normal. This is our homemade buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ¾ cups multipurpose gluten free flour, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon kosher salt until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together the 4 rounded tablespoons of cornstarch (52 grams) and the 6 tablespoons of water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the ½ cup unsalted butter or vegan baking stick, the 1 cup granulated sugar until soft and creamy. About 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly beat the cornstarch water mixture into the creamed butter and sugar.With the mixer still on low speed, mix in the ¾ cup sour cream and 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. The mixture will look liquidy and chunky; that's normal.
- Slowly beat in the gluten free flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the ½ cup homemade buttermilk into the batter. Mix until just combined. Scrape down sides and combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon until combined.
- Using a spatula, scoop half the batter into the springform pan; smooth the top with an icing spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle all the cinnamon sugar over the top of the batter.Add the rest of the batter and carefully smooth the top with the back of a spoon.The batter is quite thick and this will be tricky. Go slow and do the best you can to prevent the cinnamon sugar for getting on top. If getting super stuck wet the back of the spoon or icing spatula, shake the water off and continue.
Make the Crumb Topping
- In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 ¼ cups gluten free flour, the ½ cup light brown sugar and ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Place the ½ cup unsalted butter in a heat safe bowl. Place a paper towel on top of the bowl so the butter doesn't splatter. Microwave in 11 second increments until halfway melted.Whisk the butter until the residual heat melts the rest of the butter.It should be smooth and creamy.
- Pour in the butter into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until combined.Then use clean hands to form the crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumbs all over the batter. Make sure to use them all and cover all the batter. The crumbs will pile on top of one another; that's normal.
- Bake the cake in the center rack of the 350 degree oven for 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.Take out of the oven and let cool completely in the pan.
- Once cool, dust with confectioners' sugar if desired and Enjoy!
John says
You made this cake so approachable! It came out great too!