Make-Ahead Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This make-ahead cinnamon coffee cake is perfect for the mornings that you want to have something sweet, nutty, and freshly baked without the fuss of getting up early. It also makes a lovely afternoon snack or dessert.

Adapted from Rebecca Lang | Y’all Come Over | Rizzoli, 2021

The best party menus are filled with recipes that vary in flavor, colors, cooking times, and most importantly, are able to be mostly made ahead. If I had to choose my favorite time of day to entertain, it would be in the morning for several reasons. I could live on breakfast foods, it’s usually less expensive than parties in the evening, and it allows for an after-party nap before sundown. If you get up in the middle of the night to cook for the morning, the life of the party certainly won’t be you.—Rebecca Lang

Why our testers loved this

Our testers loved that this simple coffee cake can be made ahead of time, keeps well, feeds plenty, and is made with everyday pantry ingredients. As much as they all enjoyed it for breakfast, they also found that it makes an excellent afternoon snack or evening dessert. The “crunch factor” from the nut crumble took this cake over the top for them.

Notes on ingredients

• Unsalted butter–Start with butter that is at room temperature. It will give you a lighter, fluffier cake. If you substitute salted butter, decrease the amount of salt in the batter to 1/4 teaspoon.
• Sour cream–For the best flavor, we recommend using full-fat sour cream.
• Nuts–You can substitute different varieties of nuts if you prefer, and if nut allergies are a concern, you can leave them out.

How to make this recipe

1. Beat the butter until creamy. Slowly add the sugars, beating well to combine. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating between each addition.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Mix the dry and wet ingredients into the butter in alternating batches, beginning and ending with the flour.

3. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the batter into the dish, cover, and chill for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
4. Heat the oven to 350°F. While the oven preheats, let the baking dish stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Mix together the nut crumble ingredients.
5. Sprinkle the nut crumble over the cake. Bake the cake until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool while you make the drizzle.
6. Mix the confectioners’ sugar and milk together to make a smooth icing. Drizzle the icing over the cake.

Helpful tips

• Leftover cake can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
• For a quick snack or dessert, freeze individual slices of the cake, well-wrapped in plastic.
• If nut allergies are a concern, leave the nuts out of the crumble. The topping will be more like a streusel, but it will be every bit as delicious.

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