Recipe: Marbled Coffee Cake with Nutty Crumb Streusel

Meghan Splawn
Meghan Splawn
Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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updated Jan 21, 2020
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Marbled Coffee Cake with Nutty Crumb Streusel
A double layer of streusel makes this one-bowl coffee cake recipe swirl with delight.

Serves12

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(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

This is a darn fine coffee cake, with a sweet vanilla cake, generous streusel and nuts throughout, and a cinnamon-vanilla aroma that will make your house smell better than a bakery. Oh, and the cake part still only requires one bowl, thanks to our one-bowl vanilla cake. That first cup of coffee is starting to look even better.

(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

This Coffee Cake Is All About the Streusel

Okay, yes, there is a cake to contend with here, but it’s an easy one-bowl ditty that bakes up beautifully no matter what you bake it in. Before assembling the cake batter, make the streusel so that you can layer it inside the cake too. Pour half of the cake batter into a 9×13-inch baking pan and layer with half the streusel mixture. Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining streusel.

This coffee cake is near perfect fresh from the oven, but if you’re feeling fancy, make a glaze to zig-zag over the streusel after the cake has cooled for at least 30 minutes. If you grew up loving those Little Debbie cakes, then this one is for you.

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Marbled Coffee Cake with Nutty Crumb Streusel

A double layer of streusel makes this one-bowl coffee cake recipe swirl with delight.

Serves 12

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the streusel:

  • Cooking spray

  • 1 cup

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup

    walnuts (3 ounces), coarsely chopped

  • 3/4 cup

    packed light brown sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    ground cinnamon

  • 1/8 teaspoons

    salt

  • 8 tablespoons

    (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed

For the cake:

  • 3 cups

    all-purpose flour

  • 1 3/4 cups

    granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons

    baking powder

  • 3/4 teaspoon

    salt

  • 4

    large eggs

  • 3/4 cup

    canola oil, or melted and cooled unsalted butter

  • 1 cup

    whole milk

  • 1 tablespoon

    vanilla extract

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup

    powdered sugar

  • 2 tablespoons

    whole milk

Instructions

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with a parchment paper sling that hangs over the 2 long sides. Coat with cooking spray; set aside.

Make the streusel:

  1. Stir the flour, walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Incorporate the chilled, cubed butter with your fingertips until you have small- to medium-sized lumps and none of the flour-sugar mixture remains dry; set aside.

Make the cake:

  1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil or butter, milk, and vanilla and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

  2. Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the streusel over the batter. Pour in the rest of the batter evenly over top, then distribute the remaining streusel over the top.

  3. Bake until the cake is lightly browned and springs bake when gingerly pressed with a finger, 30 to 40 minutes.

  4. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Grasping the parchment paper sling, remove the cake from the pan and cool completely before glazing.

  5. Stir the powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Wait 10 minutes for the glaze to harden before cutting and serving.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers of this cake can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. Toasting under a low broiler or in a toaster oven and smearing with butter is highly suggested.

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baked goods
Baking
Bread
Breakfast
Cake
Dessert