Growing up, my mom made this coffee cake quickly before we had to jump on the bus at the crack of dawn. It’s such a simple, easy, and timeless recipe. I posted this recipe for old-fashioned cinnamon streusel coffee cake back in 2012 originally. It is still one of our favorite breakfast treats!
The Original Recipe – Timeless
This recipe is quite old. In fact, I’m pretty confident it is out of print from Better Homes and Gardens. This recipe can be found in an old red and white checkered cookbook from BHG. I had that cookbook but I got rid of it when we moved into the camper years ago. This recipe was in the cookbook but I misplaced it somehow during the move.
I set to asking posting on Facebook to ask if anyone had an old BHG cookbook. I was desperate after scouring the internet. My friend Kerri came to my rescue and shared the recipe from her cookbook with me.
Better Homes and Gardens has a coffee cake on their website, but this is their classic (aka old-fashioned) recipe in print many years ago. I may have tweaked a few ingredients slightly (replacing vegetable oil with butter) over the years but it tastes just like my childhood coffee cake.
The original recipe called for added 3/4 c. of raisins or semisweet chocolate chips. I’ve never done this but you may want to try it. My mom always made it without nuts, but I actually prefer it with nuts. If you choose to omit them, your streusel topping will sink to the bottom.
This cake is slightly sweet but not as sweet as donuts or pancakes! Ha! A slice of this cake with scrambled eggs hits the spot every time. It is a favorite of everyone!
The instructions on the cake are straightforward. No need to cream butter and sugar together, just mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Then pour your milk and eggs into the center. While pouring the butter, continue to mix the wet ingredients only (to prevent clumping). Then mix (by hand) all the batter ingredients together.
I usually double this recipe and bake it in a 9 X 13-inch pan. It is best served warm with a dab of butter on top. We enjoy this cake over several days, just pop a piece in the microwave for 20 seconds and you’re all set!
Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
- ¾ c. sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 egg beaten
- ¼ c. butter melted
- ½ c. milk
For the Streusel Topping
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. butter `
- ½ c. pecans or walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
To Mix the Cake
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt. egg, milk, & melted butter. Mix until consistent. NOTE: There may be some smaller lumps.
- To the center of the dry ingredients, dump the eggs and milk. While mixing only the wet ingredients, pour your melted butter. This prevents the butter from clumping.
- Once butter is incorporated into the wet ingredients mix together so all the batter ingredients are cohesive.
- The batter will be thick. Spread it into a greased 9-inch square baking pan or 9 x 13-inch pan if doubling the recipe.
To Make the Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine the streusel topping ingredients.
- Sprinkle topping over the top of the cake batter.
- Bake for 30 minutes (9-inch square pan) or 35 minutes (9 x 13-inch pan) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm and with a small pat of butter, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
What do you think? Did you have this old-fashioned cinnamon streusel coffee cake growing up?
Thank you! I had replaced my old trusty beat up BHG with a neeer version only to discover, on Christmas morning, that the old coffee cake recipe was gone! I am so very grateful to you for posting this! Thank you thank you thank you!
My mother used to make this when I was a kid also, out of the big red & white checkered cookbook. Easily veganized by subbing Earth Balance for the butter and a “flax egg” for the egg. I doubled the topping because it is my favorite part. This turned out amazing! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
My Grandmother made this and gave me her old cookbook but page fell out after so much use and unable to locate it.
So glad you found it Holly! I have many fond memories of this coffee cake and treasure being able to make it again!