Classic coffee cake flavor, with a delicious cinnamon crumb topping! Make this perfectly moist coffee cake recipe for a sweet treat and indulge with your favorite cup of coffee!
When I was a kid, we would spend Christmas break at my grandparents’ house in Chicago. Part of the tradition was getting coffee cake from a local Polish deli.
Now as adults 30+ years later, my sister and I still talk about that coffee cake. This might sound strange, but that coffee cake (and the tradition and memories it represents) holds a special place in my heart. So much so, that I’ve never tried any other coffee cake.
Ever.
That all changed with this overnight coffee cake recipe! I wanted to be able to enjoy a great homemade coffee cake at home year-round, no matter where I lived!
And oh man, this coffee cake does not disappoint!
OVERNIGHT COFFEE CAKE RECIPE
Not only is this easy coffee cake recipe absolutely delicious, it’s also great because:
- It’s made with whole grains
- It’s not overly sweet
- One pan can last for almost a whole week’s worth of breakfasts…
- And it’s super easy to make!
Don’t let the steps fool you – it’s essentially mixing dry with wet a little bit at a time and letting it sit overnight. If you’re a beginner with einkorn flour – or with baking in general – this is a no-fail recipe for sure.
EINKORN CINNAMON COFFEE CAKE RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For the Cake
- All-purpose flour. I like to use all-purpose einkorn flour for this cinnamon coffee cake recipe.
- Baking powder + baking soda + salt. Your typical dry cake ingredients.
- Unsalted butter. You want room temperature butter for this recipe, making it easy to cream together with the sugars. Don’t forget to save the butter wrappers for greasing pans!
- Granulated sugar. I like coconut sugar for this recipe.
- Dark brown sugar. For a deep, rich sweetness without being overpowering. Use light brown sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
- Large eggs + vanilla extract. The usual wet ingredients for cake. Here’s how to make your own vanilla extract.
- Kefir. Kefir is my liquid of choice for this coffee cake recipe. It is cultured, so it gives a delicious tangy flavor and texture to the cake. If you don’t have kefir on hand, sour cream or yogurt thinned with a bit of milk would work, as would buttermilk.
For the Crumb Streusel Topping
- All-purpose flour + granulated sugar + salt. Some of the same ingredients as before, so you’ll have the same yummy flavor, but you’ll also get the delectable crumbly texture on top of the cake.
- Unsalted butter. You want cold butter for this part of the recipe. This helps the crumb topping stay on top of the cake rather than sinking into the batter.
- Ground cinnamon + cocoa powder. Just a bit of each. You’ll taste the cinnamon, but this coffee cake recipe doesn’t taste like chocolate. That bit of cocoa powder just enhances the flavor of the crumble topping.
- Powdered sugar, for serving. Dust the coffee cake with a bit of powdered sugar just before serving for a pretty finishing touch.
HOW TO MAKE COFFEE CAKE
Make the Cake.
Step 1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment. Or use a hand mixer in a large bowl. Add the sugars and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the batter is fluffy and whipped. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Step 3. Fold half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in ½ cup of the kefir, then repeat with the remaining flour mixture and kefir until everything is just combined.
Step 4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator all night, or up to 8 hours.
Step 5. When you are ready to bake the coffee cake, butter and flour a 9×13 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350F.
Step 6. Remove the batter from the refrigerator and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Make the Crumb Topping.
Step 1. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender until the butter is completely incorporated into the flour in small chunks. (You can also make the topping the night before when mixing up the cake batter).
Step 2. Sprinkle half of the mixture on top of the cake.
Step 3. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and cocoa powder and sprinkle evenly over the topping.
Step 4. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the cinnamon and cocoa.
Step 5. Bake for 42 minutes, until the middle of the cake springs back when pressed with your finger.
Step 6. Let the coffee cake cool for 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also double-wrap it and freeze it (read all about freezer storage for baked goods in my guide here).
EINKORN COFFEE CAKE RECIPE VARIATIONS
Add fruit. Fold chopped apples or wild blueberries into the finished batter for a fruity coffee cake. Toss the blueberries with a tablespoon of flour first to avoid them sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Add more liquid. I typically make this recipe with einkorn all-purpose flour, which absorbs liquid more slowly than modern all-purpose flour. If you’re using that, you might want to add ¼ cup more kefir (or whichever liquid you’re using) to keep this a moist, delicious coffee cake. Read more about einkorn here.
Swirl some of the crumb topping into the batter. To make a cinnamon swirl coffee cake, layer half of the cake batter, followed by half of the crumb topping, gently swirled into the batter with a spatula, then the rest of the cake batter and the rest of the crumb topping. Or if you’re really a cinnamon crumble fan, double the crumb topping before swirling some in the batter and topping with the rest!
Make a nutty coffee cake. Fold some chopped walnuts or pecans into the coffee cake batter and sprinkle more on top with the crumb topping.
SERVE WITH COFFEE CAKE
What better to have with coffee cake than a yummy cup of coffee? A sweet dessert actually pairs really nicely with a regular old mug of black coffee, but for an even more indulgent treat, try one of these coffee shop remakes!
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Homemade Gingerbread Latte
- Homemade Peppermint Mocha Latte
- Add Vanilla Coffee Creamer or Pumpkin Spice Creamer to your regular coffee.
- Not a coffee fan? Have Homemade Hot Chocolate or tea instead.
CAKE COFFEE RECIPE FAQS
What is the difference between cake and coffee cake?
Both recipes are, of course, cake, but coffee cake is usually called ‘coffee cake’ because it is typically served at breakfast or brunch with a cup of coffee. Cinnamon coffee cake recipes also have a cinnamon sugar crumb topping, which most regular cakes do not have.
Should coffee cake taste like coffee?
Nope! There’s no coffee in this coffee cake recipe. It’s just called that because it’s usually served with a cup of coffee.
Why is kefir in this overnight einkorn cake coffee recipe?
Kefir can be used as a healthy substitute for milk or water in baked recipes. Since kefir is cultured, it gives a delicious tangy flavor and texture to coffee cake. If you don’t have kefir, use sour cream or yogurt thinned with a bit of milk (¾ cup of either and ¼ cup of milk), or try buttermilk instead. A sour cream coffee cake will still give you that tangy flavor!
MORE YUMMY BAKED GOODS
- Easy Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Mini Chocolate Chip Scones
- Healthy Pumpkin Cake
- Chocolate Brownie Cake
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Caramelized Banana Bread
- Classic Pumpkin Bread
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Overnight Einkorn Coffee Cake
Classic coffee cake flavor, with a delicious cinnamon crumb topping! Make this perfectly moist coffee cake recipe for a sweet treat and indulge with your favorite cup of coffee!
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 42 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours 42 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose einkorn flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 10 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (save the wrappers)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (I like coconut sugar)
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 cup kefir
For the Crumb Topping
- ¾ cup all-purpose einkorn flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into ¼” cubes
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cocoa powder
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugars and mix on medium-low for 1-2 minutes, until the batter is fluffy and whipped. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium-low until just combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Detach the bowl from the mixer.
- Use a spatula to fold half of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Fold in ½ cup of the kefir, then repeat with the remaining flour mixture and kefir until everything is just combined. (Do not overwork the batter.)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator all night, or up to 8 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, use the butter wrappers to butter and flour a 9×13 baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Remove the batter from the refrigerator and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
Make the Topping
- Mix together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry blender until the butter is completely incorporated into the flour in small chunks. The topping can be made at night and stored in the refrigerator with the cake batter.
- Sprinkle half of the mixture on top of the cake.
- In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and cocoa powder and sprinkle evenly over the topping.
- Sprinkle the remaining topping over the cinnamon and cocoa powder. Bake for 42 minutes until the middle springs back when pressed with your finger.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for 1 hour until completely cooled. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
- Store leftover coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. You can also double-wrap it and freeze it (read all about freezer storage for baked goods in my guide here).
- Kefir can be used as a healthy substitute for milk or water in baked recipes. Since kefir is cultured, it gives a delicious tangy flavor and texture to coffee cake. If you don’t have kefir, use sour cream or yogurt thinned with a bit of milk (¾ cup of either and ¼ cup of milk), or try buttermilk instead. A sour cream coffee cake will still give you that tangy flavor!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 1286
I recently started vending at a small new farmer’s market in my area, beverages and breakfast treats, and this has been a regular weekly recipe – it’s always a huge hit! I use yogurt instead of kefir and it works great (I’m assuming buttermilk would as well). Sometimes I do a mix of cinnamon and cardamom, sometimes just the vanilla and add wild blueberries. I use fresh ground Einkorn which is slightly less fine than pre-ground, so the texture is a bit more toothsome which I really like. There are a LOT of slow foods/Nourishing Traditions (cookbook) folks at this market who really appreciate the overnight soaked Einkorn. Wonderful recipe!
Awesome Julie! Thanks for sharing 🙂
beautiful!! I swear by this recipe . I used goats butter instead and replaced the kefir with buttermilk and it worked perfectly.
Hi Maeva,
Thanks for the substitution ideas! It’s so great when we can learn from one another. 🙂
Hi there, did you ever try this by adding the stresses straight into the batter, as you said you were thinking of doing at the end of your post? If so, how did it turn out? This looks great and I’m planning to make it this weekend when my in laws are visiting.
Thank you
I haven’t Ashley, but if you do, please let us know how it turns out!
What a delicious creation. This is my new go-to ‘madeira’ cake. I’ve posted some pics and comments on Pinterest. I used half all purpose and half white wholewheat flour as I don’t have einkorn. The cake was so spongy and not too sweet. That’s how we like it, not overly sweet.
And I make yoghurt and cheese from my milk kefir grains.
Next time I might put the batter into the cake pan, then in the fridge overnight. That way I can spread the streusel on top and it’s ready to bake. What do you think, Tiffany?
Thanks for this delicious recipe. I’ll definitely make this again.
I think you can do that Bronwyn. Thanks for sharing your experience with us – so glad you liked it!
If I want to use regular flour, what adaptations would I need to make?
Try using 25% less liquid…so 3/4 cup kefir and 2 eggs. Einkorn is more absorbent.
Oops, I’m sorry I got it backwards. Try using 25% more liquid!
I’m a little late to the party, but can I sub sprouted spelt instead of einkorn? Looks yummy!
I am not 100% sure, Joy, as I have not used spelt and have heard it is a difficult flour to work with. I would think it would work but it might not be the same exact texture as this recipe.
Where do I get the einkorn flour? Just found your site… I have a glas of kefir everyday, but haven’t baked with it yet….
Hello! I buy einkorn from Jovial Foods off Amazon: http://amzn.to/2vm9AlZ Enjoy!!
I buy my Einkorn flour at Vitacost online. Great place to shop. They carry most products that you would find at Whole Foods or Sprouts…but less expensive. They also send you coupons via email or by mail. Go online and find a first time purchase coupon.
This is definitely worth making Billy! If your childhood coffee cakes were like mine (super sweet, iced and full of sugar), then this is going to be different. BUT, it’s a delicious and healthy upgrade!!
you don’t put soaking flour in the fridge, you let things soak on a countertop.
but otherwise this recipe was delicious!
Hi Therese! I followed this recipe as directed by the author of the book. Depending on the desired rate of fermentation, you might want to put soaking items in the fridge. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!! It’s one of our favorites too.
I have never heard of this grain, but am totally intrigued. I will have to see if I can get my hands on some soon. I love coffee cake and yours looks delicious!
Thank you Aileen!
I don’t have kefir, can I use yogurt instead?
I haven’t tried yogurt, but it would likely work if you used 3/4 cup regular yogurt w/ 1/4 cup milk. If it’s Greek yogurt, use 1/2 cup with 1/2 cup milk.