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    Home » Breakfast

    Brown Sugar Coffee Cake

    Published: Jan 14, 2019 · Modified: Dec 30, 2024 by Kim Strawn This post may contain affiliate links. 42 Comments

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    4.37 from 44 votes

    This Brown Sugar Coffee Cake makes your morning delicious and easy as it starts with a boxed cake mix! So simple to put together, whip this breakfast recipe up for your family or take it to a gathering.

    brown sugar coffee cake with brown sugar on top and white drizzled frosting

    The kids sure love a coffee cake for breakfast. It is warm, sugary and such a special treat on those school mornings. This Brown Sugar Coffee Cake is a great addition to your breakfast menu. 

    It starts with a boxed cake mix which is a great little trick I love to have up my sleeve. I make plenty of coffee cakes from scratch that does not start with a cake mix like this blueberry coffee cake, or this apple coffee cake, but sometimes speed is imperative.

    Jump to:
    • Instructions
    • Bake
    • Leftovers
    • A few tips
    • Pin for later!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Instructions

    It really is quite easy to make this breakfast/brunch favorite. All you need are a few ingredients and it does help to have a Kitchen Aid mixer or a hand mixer. I use my Kitchen Aid often and I feel it is worth the investment.

    coffee cake batter in a bowl.

    Mix the cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream with a mixer. Place the dough in a greased angel food cake pan. (Also called a tube pan.)

    brown sugar crumbles in a white bowl.

    In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the dough in the pan.

    brown sugar crumbles in a pan.

    Take a knife and swirl the batter in the pan. Just swirl it, nothing too crazy. You will still have plenty of topping on top of the coffee cake. By swirling it, you help some of that brown sugar deliciousness to get on the inside of the coffee cake.

    Bake

    This coffee cake will bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.

    Leftovers

    To store leftovers, place in an airtight container on the counter for up to 48 hours. It can also be stored in a zipped plastic bag.

    A few tips

    • Grease your pan well and when you take the brown sugar coffee cake out of the oven, use a knife to loosen the sides of the coffee cake. Don't try to remove it from the pan yet. Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes. Few=10.
    • You don't have to drizzle frosting on top, but really, for the integrity of the cake, drizzle it. ;-) The frosting is only a two ingredient recipe so it is easy to put together.
    • Some readers told me their cake collapsed. I have made it multiple times and have not had it happen. I believe the collapsing occurred because the brown sugar was in clumps, not fine like sand. If you do that, I don't believe you will have a problem. And, as mentioned above, be sure to let your cake cool for 10 minutes before turning it out of the pan.

    Pin for later!

    Brown Sugar Coffee Cake with white frosting glaze

    📖 Recipe

    Brown Sugar Coffee Cake with frosting drizzle on a blue plate

    Brown Sugar Coffee Cake

    Print Pin
    4.37 from 44 votes
    Brown Sugar Coffee Cake starts with a cake mix. Add brown sugar and cinnamon topping and you have a delicious and quick breakfast or brunch recipe. 
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Keyword breakfaast, coffee cake
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
    Resting Time 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 429kcal
    Author Kim Strawn
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 1 box yellow cake mix
    • 3 eggs
    • ¾ cup vegetable oil
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoon cinnamon

    Frosting

    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • 3 Tablespoon almond milk or use regular milk

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350*
    • Mix cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil and sour cream in a large bowl with a mixer
    • Mix for 1 minute on low speed then 3 minutes on medium/high speed
    • Place in a greased tube pan and set aside
    • Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of dough 
    • Take a knife and swirl through the dough
    • Place in preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick tests done
    • Set on counter to cool and loosen sides with a knife
    • After 10 minutes remove from pan 
    • After cooling completely, mix together frosting ingredients in small bowl and drizzling on top
      If you need to put the frosting on before it is cooled completely, you certainly can. It just might melt a little bit. Still tastes great. 

    NOTE

    • I do strongly suggest that the brown sugar is completely broken up (like in the picture above) before you sprinkle it on top of dough.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 429kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 80mg | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Pin This Recipe!Follow Me on Pinterest @bakingwithmom6!

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    Comments

      4.37 from 44 votes (38 ratings without comment)

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    1. Debbie says

      February 28, 2021 at 9:56 am

      Is this cake batter supposed to be super thick? I couldnt even hardly use the mixer it was so thick

      Reply
      • Kim says

        March 01, 2021 at 10:09 am

        It is a thicker batter, but you should be able to use a mixer with it.

        Reply
        • Angela M Morris says

          March 28, 2021 at 9:13 am

          I want to make this but I am surprised that it doesn't call for any liquid, like milk or water. Will the cake come out dry?

        • Kim says

          April 02, 2021 at 9:54 am

          No, it will not. The sour cream will help keep it moist. It is a thicker dough, but it will come out great. :-)

    2. Linda says

      July 04, 2020 at 7:49 am

      Made this cake it’s perfect , hope it is as good as it looks ,tune in let u all know ??????

      Reply
    3. Colleen says

      April 19, 2020 at 7:56 am

      I made this cake with a butter cake box mix and it fell before it was even done. Tasted great but was all over the plate

      Reply
      • Kim says

        April 22, 2020 at 8:45 am

        You are not the first reader to say that it fell. I have not had that problem (and I know several readers haven't) but I think I am going to make it a couple of times and see if I can duplicate it falling. Then I can include a tip on the how's and why's. Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
      • Cathy says

        April 28, 2020 at 9:22 am

        Coleen, did you keep opening the oven to check it? Loss of heat can make a cake to fall. ?‍♀️

        Reply
    4. Sally Ann says

      March 06, 2020 at 1:37 am

      Can I make this in a 9”x13” cake pan instead of a tube pan? If so, will the time and temperature be the same? Looks absolutely delicious!
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Kim says

        March 08, 2020 at 1:06 pm

        I'm sorry, I was away from the computer until now! I have never made it in a 9x13 pan but I would assume it would work. The time it would take to cook would probably be less. I would check the cake after 25 minutes and then after. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. Pat Nichols says

      February 22, 2020 at 12:34 pm

      My cake is still in oven as it was not done in 30 minutes. Anyone else have this problem

      Reply
      • Stacy says

        April 09, 2020 at 5:15 pm

        Yes! Mine took like 15 extra minutes. Hoping it’s not all dried out.

        Reply
    6. Pat says

      February 17, 2020 at 7:09 pm

      Don't have a tube pan. But several sizes in Bundt pans. Will this work. Promise to let it sit 10-15 minutes.

      Reply
      • Kim says

        February 18, 2020 at 11:37 am

        Yes it will! Make sure to grease it and it will work fine!

        Reply
      • Cathy says

        May 13, 2022 at 12:16 pm

        Has anyone tried this with a gluten free cake mix. If I do, I will let you know how it turns out.

        Reply
        • Kim says

          May 13, 2022 at 12:54 pm

          Let me know if you try a gluten free cake mix! I would love to know if it works!

    7. Sharon Ryan says

      February 16, 2020 at 8:46 am

      I’ve made this cake three times, it is outstanding, & my family loves it! My cake as well as, has fallen apart every time! I think I problem is it is an upside down Bundt cake, so your shifting it while it’s still hot! Next time, I think I’ll try cooling in the pan then transfer. Fabulous cake!!!

      Reply
      • Kim says

        February 16, 2020 at 1:36 pm

        I'm glad you enjoy it! Yes, always let it sit for a bit before removing it from the pan. Thanks for the comment! I haven't made it for my family in a while, I will have to make it again. :-)

        Reply
    8. Cherre F Grunert says

      February 05, 2020 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      I added apple pie filling to this recipe and it came out great! Just a little extra flavor.

      Reply
      • Kim says

        February 05, 2020 at 9:50 am

        I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. Becky says

      December 20, 2019 at 5:15 pm

      wheres the frosting recipe?

      Reply
      • Kim says

        December 21, 2019 at 9:29 am

        It was in the ingredient section. I did add a header for it, so I hope that helps. Enjoy!

        Reply
    10. Dennis Doyle says

      October 05, 2019 at 3:39 pm

      4 stars
      A cup of brown sugar sure seems like a lot for this recipe. I made the coffee cake according to the directions, but the cake collapsed when cooling and there were pockets of brown sugar throughout the cake. The flavor was good, but very "sugary." I would guess that1/4 cup of brown sugar would have made a big difference. Comments?

      Reply
      • Kim says

        October 05, 2019 at 4:37 pm

        I love honest comments like this one because it helps me grow as a baker and blogger! I'm sorry the cake collapsed on you! Not sure what happened there. A few thoughts: Maybe the brown sugar was in "clumps" and not more broken up completely. Also, maybe the cake wasn't cooked all the way through.
        Thank you for your comment!

        Reply
    Newer Comments »
    Kim Strawn owner of Baking With Mom.

    Hey There, I'm Kim! I am the owner and recipe creator here at Baking With Mom. I'm also a mom to 4 growing kids so I understand busy! Here you will find recipes that are quick, delicious and can get on the table fast. Read more about me.

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