This sourdough coffee cake recipe is simply irresistible! A moist, tender cake with a cinnamon sugar filling and a buttery crumble topping. It will be an instant family favorite!
It’s fancy enough for a special occasion, but it’s easy enough to whip up that you can serve it on a lazy Sunday morning or as an afternoon snack.
I bake sourdough bread at least twice a week at my house, and I often find myself with leftover sourdough starter. This delicious cake is one of my favorite ways to use it. Trust me, it is so, so good!
My family loves it as much as I do, so it is always gobbled right up. If you do happen to have any leftovers, I recommend popping a slice in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Delish!
It’s such a hit at my house that I served it for Easter brunch this year alongside fresh fruit and scrambled eggs. A fantastic way to start the day!
How to make sourdough discard coffee cake
- PREP – Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- TOPPING – Mix the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a medium bowl. Stir together with a fork.
- FILLING – Use your hands to mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter until crumbly.
- BATTER – Whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and discard in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture gently into the wet ingredients.
- ASSEMBLE – Spread half the batter in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling on top. Drop the remaining batter over the filling and spread as evenly as possible. Top with the crumb mixture.
- BAKE – Bake the coffee cake for 30-35 minutes at 350°, or until golden brown. A toothpick should come out with no batter, but moist crumbs are fine.
We like it best served warm, but you can let it cool completely before slicing.
You can store leftover coffee cake at room temperature for up to a week. For longer storage, you can wrap it well and freeze it for 1-2 months. Let it thaw at room temperature.
PRO TIPS:
- After you add the dry ingredients, stir gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to avoid overworking the gluten. Overmixing leads to a tough coffee cake.
- Bake on a lower oven rack so the bottom of the coffee cake will brown before the crumb topping burns.
Sourdough Coffee Cake Recipe Variations:
- For a tasty crunch, add a cup of chopped toasted pecans or almonds to the streusel topping.
- Although this is a sourdough discard recipe, if you have active sourdough starter, it will also work. 🙂
- You can stir about two cups of fresh blueberries or chocolate chips into the batter with the dry ingredients. You may need to increase the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES:
- Sourdough Biscuit Recipe
- Overnight Sourdough Waffles
- Chocolate Chip Sourdough Cookies
- Overnight Sourdough Bread
- Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
MORE COFFEE CAKE RECIPES:
Sourdough Coffee Cake Recipe
Use your excess sourdough starter to make this sensational coffee cake. You can't beat a tender, moist cake with a cinnamon swirl and buttery crumb topping!
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp melted salted butter
Crumb Topping:
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 5 Tbsp melted salted butter
Batter:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour (11.25 ounces)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350°.
- For filling, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix together with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
- For the topping, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in a small bowl. Mix together with your fingers until crumbly. Set aside.
- For batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, milk, oil, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and discard until smooth.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently just until there are no streaks of flour.
- Pour half of the cake batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter.
- Drop the rest of the batter by spoonfuls over the filling, then carefully spread as evenly as possible. (It's fine if there are a few gaps.) Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake the coffee cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes on a lower rack of the oven. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, but not wet batter.
Notes
-Leftover coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. Either cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. It also freezes well.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small amount from your purchase, no cost to you.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 446Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 303mgCarbohydrates: 67gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g
Put your sourdough discard to good use and whip up a pan of this sinfully delicious sourdough coffee cake. It’s the perfect way to start the day – or end it, for that matter! 😉