Light & Fluffy Coffee Cake Recipe

I tested positive for Covid a few days ago and have been isolating at home. I usually ride my bike a lot on the weekends and without going on 4+ hour rides Saturday and Sunday, I find myself with a lot of free time. So I decided to do a ton of baking and work on my blog since my symptoms have been mild. One friend suggested making coffee cake so here we are. This recipe has a few steps to do before baking but the result is such a light and fluffy textured cake, its worth the effort. Recipe credit to Claire Saffitz via her book Dessert Person.

I also noticed this weekend my perpetual need to stay busy. Even with seeing a therapist regularly and being on anti-depressants, I tend to shy away from being alone with my thoughts. This constant nagging that because we’re different or don’t fit into the mold of what we’re expected to be, we need to fix, hide, or be ashamed of who we are. Which is such a miserable way to live, constantly fighting against the feeling that we’re not good enough and never will be.

I have made strides towards not letting these feelings take over but its something I need to work on every day and some days are better than others. One thing that usually brings me back is the quote from Viktor Frankl: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be prepared in around an hour so its nice for a mid afternoon project. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 13×9 baking pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re using a glass pan, preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and instant coffee granules for the coffee ribbon. Set the bowl aside for use later.

In a medium bowl, add the ingredients for the crumble. Toss the flour, brown sugar, coffee granules, cardamom and salt. Add the butter and toss to coat. Smash the butter with your fingertips into the dry ingredients so the butter is fully incorporated. The mixture should be crumbly but hold together when squeezed. Set the mixture aside.

Coffee Cake Batter Notes

The batter for the coffee cake needs to be prepared in three separate bowls. First, combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together. Add the sour cream, brewed coffee, instant coffee granules, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, oil, granulated and brown sugar and mix on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during the mixing. Add the eggs to the mixture, one at a time. Once all the eggs are added, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add a third of the flour mixture to the stand mixture and mix until the flour has almost disappeared. Next add half of the sour cream mixture and mix until just incorporated. Repeat with another third of dry ingredients and the remainder of the wet ingredients. Finally, add the last third of the dry ingredients. Once the flour has disappeared, use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold the batter a few times to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.

Assembly and Baking Notes

Pour a little less than half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Next, add the coffee ribbon mixture on top of the batter and try to cover the entire surface area. I found picking up the pan and gently shaking back and forth helps with distribution. Dollop the remaining batter on top and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter, taking care to cover the entire surface.

Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will have a bit of a wobble when its done so be careful not to overbake. Let cool on a wire rack then cut into square and serve!