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Caramel Coffee Cake
Caramel Coffee Cake – the best thing you can eat for breakfast, dessert, or a snack! Coffee cake is one of my go-to cakes to make in fall. It is so satisfying, and has the perfect texture! This coffee caramel cake is extra special, thanks to the creamy caramel sauce and icing sugar drizzle. It truly is one-of-a-kind.
The flavours and textures in this cake is why I love it so much. You get a perfect cake with a crispy crumb topping that has a hint of cinnamon. Then with every bite, you get the cinnamon sugar filling that has some texture to it as well. Then the caramel sauce with its richness and buttery-ness. Each bite is packed with so much and I just adore it!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- The cake itself is not overly sweet. The caramel sauce and icing drizzle balances it out by adding the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Although there are multiple parts to this recipe, they are pretty quick and easy + require minimal, basic ingredients.
- The cake is perfectly moist and tender.
- Although this homemade coffee cake is perfect for fall, alongside a hot cup of coffee, it can be enjoyed all year round.
- It’s always a hit with both adults and children!
Key Ingredients
Butter: adds richness and tenderness to the cake itself. Also needed to bring the crumb topping together and needed for the caramel sauce.
Granulated + brown + icing sugar: needed to sweeten the cake and crumb topping. Also needed to make the caramel sauce and icing drizzle.
All-purpose flour: not only is this essential for the cake, but it is also needed to add structure to the crumb topping.
Baking powder + baking soda: makes the cake rise and adds fluffiness.
Sour cream: this is what really makes the coffee caramel cake so tender and rich.
Cinnamon: flavour.
Heavy cream: adds richness and creaminess to the caramel sauce.
How to Make Caramel Coffee Cake
Here are step-by-step instructions to make this simple coffee cake recipe!
Make the cinnamon sugar and crumb topping
Cinnamon sugar: in a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and sugar until combined. Set aside.
Crumb topping: in another bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the cold butter and cut it into the mixture. It will resemble coarse, wet sand and it should preferably have some clumps throughout for better texture. Set aside.
Make the cake
Start by preheating the oven to 350F with the rack in the middle of the oven. Prepare your 9×9 pan by either greasing it or lining it with parchment paper. (See the FAQ for pan size options.)
In a bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and sugar together until creamy. This will take about 5-7 minutes with a hand mixer and a few minutes less with a stand mixer. You also want to be sure that the butter has been softened to room temperature, otherwise it will not come together well.
Add the eggs in, one at a time, beating until just combined. Do not over beat. Add the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat gently until just combined.
Now it’s time to add in the flour mixture, which you will do in 3 parts, beating on low until just combined. It is very important that you do not over beat in this step. Over beating leads to a tough, dense result.
At this point, the batter will be extremely thick. Start by adding in 1 tbsp of milk and mix until combined. If you feel like the batter is too hard to manage because it is still too thick, you can add another tbsp of milk and mix. When you feel confident that you can manage the batter, you’re ready for the next step. If you feel like you still need another tbsp of milk, go for it!
Assembling Caramel Coffee Cake
Pour or spoon approximately half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread as evenly as possible. It does not have to look perfect and it does not have to be exactly half — as long as you’re close it’ll be okay! I find using the back of a small spoon to spread the batter out works well. You can also use a rubber spatula or offset spatula.
Sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar evenly over this layer.
Pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar layer and spread out as evenly as possible. Again, it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Sprinkle the prepared crumb topping over the batter.
Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Make the caramel sauce and icing sugar drizzle
While the cake is baking:
Caramel sauce: in a saucepan over medium-low heat, add the granulated sugar. It will take some time for anything to start happening, but stirring frequently is essential to prevent burning the sugar. The sugar will lump up at first, so don’t worry! Eventually, the sugar will melt and become amber-coloured. Once this happens, reduce the heat to low and add the butter. Mix continuously. Expect a lot of bubbling to happen. Once the butter is completely incorporated, add the heavy cream and mix until incorporated. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and salt, stirring well. Let the caramel sauce cool until ready to use.
Icing sugar drizzle: In a bowl, add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk well. Slowly add in the heavy cream, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking well. Add heavy cream 1 tbsp at time until you get a consistency that you can drizzle, without it running and spreading down the cake. I usually use around 2 1/2 tbsp of heavy cream to get the right consistency, but that may be different for you. Save until ready to use.
Once the cake is out of the oven and has cooled down, drizzle the caramel sauce and icing sugar drizzle over the entire cake. You can also choose to drizzle the sauces over the individual pieces instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
I live in Canada, so I use whipping cream in place of heavy cream. You can also use double cream, if you live somewhere that has it.
Caramel sauce thickens up when cooled. All you need to do is warm it back up slightly, either in the microwave or on the stove top. It just needs a few seconds in the microwave to become pourable once again.
You can use an 8×8 pan or 9-inch round pan. You can also use a 11×7 pan. Keep in mind, the thickness of the cake will vary with each pan used. That means the cook time will also slightly vary.
If you love recipes like this, then you’ll love: Carrot Cake Loaf, Banana Pumpkin Muffins, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Blueberry Muffins
Caramel Coffee Cake
Description
Moist and tender Caramel Coffee Cake, topped with a sugary crumble and drizzled with warm caramel sauce. Perfect with a cup of hot coffee.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
Crumb Topping
Coffee Cake
Caramel Topping
Icing Sugar Drizzle (optional)
Instructions
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Cinnamon Sugar Filling
Mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
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Crumb Topping
Mix together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a fork or pastry cutter. The mixture should resemble very coarse wet sand and it should be clumpy. Set aside.
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Coffee Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper to line the pan.
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Mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
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Using a stand or hand mixer, in a large bowl beat together the softened butter and sugar on medium speed. Beat until creamy and well incorporated, about 5-7 minutes.
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Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until just combined.
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Add vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until just combined.
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Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, beating gently after each addition. Do not overmix.
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Once dry ingredients are incorporated, add the milk and mix until combined. The milk is used to slightly thin out the batter. You can use more or less, if needed. It should be a thick batter but should be manageable to pour and spread out.
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Spread about half of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Do the best you can because the batter will be thick. It does not need to be perfect!
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Sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar evenly over top this batter layer.
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Spread the remaining cake batter over the cinnamon sugar layer. Again, spread and smooth out the batter as best as you can, it does not need to be perfect.
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Evenly sprinkle the prepared crumb topping over the batter.
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Place on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. If not, allow the cake to bake for a few more minutes before testing again. Once done, allow the cake to cool.
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Caramel Topping
While the cake is baking, make the caramel topping. Place a saucepan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Add the granulated sugar to the pan and stir frequently to prevent burning. The sugar will eventually melt into an amber-coloured liquid. It will become lumpy first before the liquid stage. This can take anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes. Just be sure to keep stirring and to keep your eye on it because it can easily scorch.
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Once the sugar is liquid and amber, reduce the heat to low. Add the butter and stir it in until melted and incorporated. It will bubble quite a bit during this process.
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Once butter is fully incorporated, add the heavy cream and stir continuously until incorporated. Again, it may bubble at this stage as well.
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Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract. Allow to cool until ready to use. The caramel will thicken as it cools.
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Icing Sugar Drizzle (optional)
In a small bowl, add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and mix together well. Add heavy cream, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking together well until you reach a thick, yet pourable consistency. Try not to add too much heavy cream, because it will become too runny. Set aside until ready to use.
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Serve
Once the cake and caramel sauce are both cool, it's time to serve. Drizzle caramel sauce and icing sugar drizzle over top of the cake. Cut into desired sizes and serve with coffee.
