What is in coffee cake muffins?

Coffee cake muffins typically contain flour, sugar, eggs, milk, melted butter, cinnamon, and baking powder. They’re topped with a sweet streusel made from brown sugar, flour, butter, and more cinnamon for that classic crumbly finish.

What type of food is coffee cake?

Coffee cake is a sweet, tender cake often served with coffee or tea. It's usually topped with a cinnamon-sugar streusel and may include a glaze, nuts, or fruit variations.

What is the difference between a cake and a coffee cake?

The main difference lies in purpose and presentation, coffee cake is designed to be served with coffee and usually has a streusel topping instead of frosting. Regular cakes are often sweeter and frosted, while coffee cakes focus more on spice and crumb texture.

What makes a good coffee cake?

A good coffee cake is moist, tender, and richly flavored with cinnamon. The streusel topping should be buttery and crumbly, adding contrast to the soft cake base. Simplicity and balance of sweetness are key.

Coffee Cake Muffins – Moist, Easy & Sweet Treat

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel Topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup cold butter (cut into pieces)

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Instructions

Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Combine wet ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Make the muffin batter: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
Prepare streusel topping: In a small bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold butter and use fingers or pastry cutter to create a crumbly texture.
Fill and top the muffins: Fill muffin cups two-thirds full with batter and sprinkle the streusel topping generously over each.
Bake: Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve: Let muffins cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, substitute the flour with a gluten-free blend.

You can mix in blueberries or chopped apples for a fruity twist.

Add a simple icing drizzle once cooled for an extra treat.

Author: Olivia Brooks
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 230
Sugar: 15g
Sodium: 150mg
Fat: 10g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 3g
Cholesterol: 45mg