Ingredients
Method
- Prepare Cinnamon Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- Make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add diced cold butter and use a pastry blender to incorporate until crumbly. Set aside.
- Prepare Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in sour cream and vanilla extract. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Assemble Cake: Spread half of the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle Cinnamon Filling evenly over batter. Dollop remaining batter over filling, then spread it out evenly. Sprinkle Streusel Topping over batter.
- Bake: Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 30 minutes before serving.
- Optional Glaze: Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake before or after slicing.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Source Ceylon cinnamon instead of regular cassia cinnamon for your swirl mixture because its delicate, almost floral notes won't overpower the coffee cake's buttery crumb, and it creates a more sophisticated flavor profile that pairs beautifully with morning coffee. After years of making this cake, I've learned to tap the filled pan firmly on the counter exactly three times before baking because this settles the batter around the swirl without disturbing the pattern, preventing air pockets that create uneven rising. Use cake flour for the base but add two tablespoons of cornstarch because this creates an ultra-tender crumb that contrasts perfectly with the slight texture from the cinnamon swirl, mimicking the texture of Dominican bizcocho but with coffee cake flavors. Brush the top with heavy cream (not milk) five minutes before it's done baking because the fat content creates a golden, slightly crispy top layer that contrasts beautifully with the soft interior and prevents the surface from drying out.
Source Ceylon cinnamon instead of regular cassia cinnamon for your swirl mixture because its delicate, almost floral notes won't overpower the coffee cake's buttery crumb, and it creates a more sophisticated flavor profile that pairs beautifully with morning coffee. After years of making this cake, I've learned to tap the filled pan firmly on the counter exactly three times before baking because this settles the batter around the swirl without disturbing the pattern, preventing air pockets that create uneven rising. Use cake flour for the base but add two tablespoons of cornstarch because this creates an ultra-tender crumb that contrasts perfectly with the slight texture from the cinnamon swirl, mimicking the texture of Dominican bizcocho but with coffee cake flavors. Brush the top with heavy cream (not milk) five minutes before it's done baking because the fat content creates a golden, slightly crispy top layer that contrasts beautifully with the soft interior and prevents the surface from drying out.