This cinnamon streusel muffin cake takes everything you love about a good cinnamon muffin and turns it into a shareable cake. With buttery brown sugar streusel inside and out, it’s an easy treat for breakfast, brunch, or anytime you’re craving something cozy.
Think of the cinnamon streusel muffin cake as one big bakery-style muffin made for slicing. The cake is soft and moist, with plenty of cinnamon and just a hint of nutmeg, while sour cream and buttermilk give it a wonderfully tender crumb.
And then there’s the streusel! A layer of buttery cinnamon-brown sugar streusel runs through the middle, where it softens into the cake, while plenty more is piled on top in big clumps that bake up lightly crisp on the outside and soft underneath.
Despite its impressive appearance, this is a wonderfully straightforward cake to make. There’s no mixer required, no frosting to fuss with, and no need to scoop a dozen individual muffins. Just slice it up and serve it slightly warm or at room temperature.
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Muffin Cake
- A bakery-style muffin in cake form. You get that satisfying muffin texture and plenty of warm cinnamon flavor, only in a cake you can slice and serve.
- Two kinds of streusel goodness. The middle layer softens into the cake crumb, while the generous topping give you those big, buttery streusel clumps.
- Easy but impressive. The batter and streusel are both simple to mix by hand, but this tall round cake has a little more presence than a batch of everyday muffins.
- Made for sharing. It’s an easy addition to a weekend breakfast, brunch, or holiday spread.
Key Ingredients
- Cinnamon – There’s cinnamon in both the cake and the streusel, giving you warm spice throughout without overwhelming the buttery flavor of the cake.
- Brown sugar – Light brown sugar give the streusel its rich flavor and helps create those soft, buttery clumps. There’s a smaller amount in the cake batter, too, for a little extra depth of flavor alongside the granulated sugar.
- Butter – Melted butter keeps both parts of this recipe simple with no waiting for butter to soften and no mixer needed. It gives the cake plenty of butter flavor and helps the streusel form those irresistible clumps.
- Sour cream and buttermilk – This combination adds moisture and richness along with just enough tang to balance the sweetness, while helping create that characteristic muffin-like crumb.
- Nutmeg – Just a small amount adds another layer of warmth to the cinnamon-spiced cake. It’s not enough to make the cake taste distinctly of nutmeg; it simply rounds out the flavor.
How to Make Cinnamon Streusel Muffin Cake
This cake comes together easily by hand, but chilling the streusel and taking a little care with the layers will give you the best results.
Make the streusel.
Combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the melted butter until clumps form. Refrigerate the streusel while you make the batter. Chilling helps firm up the butter so it’s easier to break the mixture into nice, chunky pieces when you assemble the cake.
Mix the cake batter.
Whisk the melted butter with both sugars, followed by the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the sour cream and buttermilk, then add the dry ingredients. Mix only until everything is combined. Over-mixing can make the cake less tender.
Layer the cake and streusel.
Spread about half of the batter in the prepared springform pan, and sprinkle about a third of the streusel over it. Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel before gently spreading it into an even layer. This makes it easier to cover the streusel without disturbing that middle layer. Finish with the remaining streusel, breaking or squeezing it into chunky pieces as needed.
Bake.
Bake until the cake is golden and a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don’t wait for a completely clean pick; those moist crumbs are a better sign that the cake is done without being over-baked. Let it cool briefly before removing the sides of the pan.
Tips for Success
- Use a springform pan. The removable sides make it much easier to get this tall, streusel-topped cake out of the pan without disturbing the topping.
- Expect a thick batter. This isn’t a thin, pourable cake batter. Take your time spreading the first layer, and use dollops for the second layer so you can gently spread it over the streusel without dragging everything around.
- Embrace the uneven streusel. You want a mixture of smaller crumbs and bigger clumps rather than a perfectly uniform topping. Those large pieces give you the soft-centered, lightly crisp streusel that make the top of this cake so good.
- Give it time to cool. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing the sides. Giving it a little time to settle makes it easier to slice cleanly.
Serving Suggestions
This cinnamon streusel muffin cake is delicious slightly warm or at room temperature, when the cake is soft and the buttery streusel really shines. Enjoy a slice on its own with coffee or tea for breakfast or an afternoon treat, or add it to a brunch spread alongside something savory.
If you want to add a little something extra for a special occasion, drizzle the cake with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze like the one on my cinnamon oat scones.
How to Store
Room temperature: Keep the cake covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For the best texture, make sure it has cooled completely before covering so condensation doesn’t soften the topping.
Freezer: Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap individual sliced or the whole cake well and place in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. If you like, you can warm individual slices briefly before serving to freshen them up.
One Big Muffin, Plenty to Share
If cinnamon streusel muffins are your kind of treat, this cake gives you everything you love about them in an easy, sliceable form. Between the cinnamon-spiced cake and two layers of buttery streusel, there’s plenty to love in every bite. It’s just the thing when a batch of muffins feels a little too ordinary.
And If you like the idea of a muffin made for slicing, my berry muffin cake is a fruit-filled variation on the theme.
More Cinnamon-Spiced Breakfast Treats
Cinnamon Streusel Muffin Cake
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake:
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream, at room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
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Instructions
To make the streusel:
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
- Stir in the melted butter until large clumps form. Refrigerate while you make the cake batter.
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled butter and both sugars.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.
- Stir in the sour cream and buttermilk.
- Add the flour mixture, and mix just until combined.
To assemble and bake:
- Spread about half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle about a third of the streusel evenly over the batter.
- Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and gently spread to cover.
- Sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top, breaking up or squeezing together pieces as needed to create a mixture of smaller crumbs and large clumps.
- Bake 42 to 48 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, then remove the outer ring of the pan.
- Cool completely or serve slightly warm.
Notes
- Streusel: Don’t worry if some of the streusel pieces seem too large when you first mix it. After chilling, you can easily break up larger pieces or squeeze smaller crumbs together to get a good mix of sizes.
- Pan: A 9-inch springform pan works best for this tall cake. The removable sides allow you to release the cake without flipping it over and damaging the streusel topping.
- Storage: Cover or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature up to 3 days.
