The classic, original Bisquick coffee cake is still just as good as cinnamon coffee cake gets, thanks to the super convenient use of our favorite baking mix. Mix the batter, add the streusel, and bake for a great last-minute treat. Whether you enjoy this coffee cake at breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert, the crumbly streusel topping will have you savoring every bite!
My base coffee cake, sour cream coffee cake, and sweet potato coffee cake are more great coffee cake recipes to try!
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The Original Bisquick Coffee Cake Recipe
It’s not often in our culture to offer a socially acceptable excuse to eat cake for breakfast. We're all-in when it comes to coffee cake. Bring on the dessert-for-breakfast.
Whether or not you’re a coffee or tea drinker, this cinnamon streusel crumb cake is amazing any time of day. Even kids will love this not-too-sweet dessert with a glass of cold milk.
It’s warm, fluffy, and covered in a chunky cinnamon-brown sugar streusel that is to die for. If you can't tell yet, I obsess over coffee cakes!
🥘 Ingredients
Bisquick® baking mix is for much more than just pancakes. Pull together these baking staples for an easy, delicious cinnamon streusel-topped coffee cake.
Bisquick Coffee Cake
- Bisquick Baking Mix - Bisquick already contains a leavening (rising) agent, so it's ready to mix with just a few ingredients.
- Sugar - Just a touch to lightly sweeten the coffee cake.
- Milk - Any milk will work here, but full-fat milk is best.
- Egg - Bring this to room temperature before mixing it into the batter for a cake that cooks more evenly and within the suggested baking time.
- Ground Cinnamon - Shake things up by adding cardamom and nutmeg, if desired. Your favorite apple pie spice blend or pumpkin pie spice blend is a tasty treat, too!
Streusel Topping
- Bisquick Baking Mix - This makes the base of the streusel topping (and keeps it from caramelizing or melting).
- Brown Sugar - Brown sugar is full of that molasses flavor that is perfect with cinnamon and makes a crunchy streusel when baked.
- Butter - If needed, or use coconut oil, applesauce, or your favorite butter substitute to moisten the crumb.
- Ground Cinnamon - a bit extra cinnamon for the streusel.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Coffee Cake From Bisquick
There are no surprises in this straightforward Bisquick coffee cake recipe. You’ll need a 9-inch round cake pan, a mixing bowl, and a rubber spatula to start.
Preheat your oven. First, set your oven to 400℉ (205℃). Then, grease a 9-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
Mix the cake. Add 2 cups Bisquick baking mix, 2 tablespoons sugar, ⅔ cup milk, 1 large egg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon to a medium mixing bowl and combine well. Then, spread the batter evenly over the bottom of your prepared cake pan.
Note: You can fill the cake pan so it's slightly concave to prevent the cake from 'doming' while baking.
Mix the streusel topping. In a separate, clean mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup Bisquick baking mix, ⅔ cup brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry blender to mix and create a crumbly texture.
Add the topping layer. Layer the topping evenly over the cake batter. If desired, you can use a butter knife to drag a criss-cross or tic-tac-toe pattern a few times. This blends some of the streusel into the coffee cake batter.
Bake. Move the pan into the oven on the center rack and bake for about 25 minutes. If you stick a toothpick, knife, or cake tester in the middle, it should come out clean.
Cool and serve. Once cooked, let the coffee cake cool slightly on a wire cooling rack before serving warm.
This makes a fantastic breakfast or a pick-me-up later in the afternoon. Garnish with whipped cream or ice cream, and serve with coffee or tea.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use a different pan. If you prefer, you can also use 8-inch or 9-inch square or springform pans. The cooking time will not change.
- High altitude alterations. If you live in an area of high altitude, you’ll need to preheat your oven to 425℉ (220℃) vs. the 400℉ (205℃) listed in the recipe. You can still use a 9-inch pan, but add 2 tablespoons flour to the cake batter and use ¾ cup milk, not ⅔ cup. You’ll also have a shorter baking time. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Don’t overbake it! When coffee cake is baked too long, it becomes crumbly. Cook your coffee cake until it’s just done. You should check it toward the end of cooking and then add more time as needed.
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🥡 Storing
For room temperature storage, once the coffee cake has cooled, place it in an airtight container or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It will maintain its freshness for 2-3 days.
If you prefer to keep it a bit longer, store the cooled cake in the refrigerator, wrapped well, or in an airtight container, lasting up to 5 days.
For extended storage, the coffee cake can be frozen. First, wrap it securely in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or place it directly in a freezer-safe container; it will last for 2-3 months. When you're ready to enjoy it again, thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
🌎 Origin
No one knows who invented this delicious type of cake, but it’s suggested that coffee cake has roots in Germany and Denmark. The latter country’s citizens were the first to pair coffee with sweet bread after coffee was introduced to Europe in the 1600s.
The term “coffee cake” wasn’t used until the 1800s. These days, at least in the United States, it’s uncommon to see actual coffee products in a coffee cake.
❓ Recipe FAQs
No 9-inch round pan? No problem. An 8-inch or 9-inch square pan or a springform pan works well too. Watch the bake time closely and do the toothpick test for doneness.
Put simply, crumb cake has a thicker layer of streusel on top than coffee cake. In fact, the coffee cake doesn’t even necessarily have to have any streusel on top to be classified as such. *So, technically, a coffee cake with a nice double recipe of streusel topping could also be called a crumb cake. Yum!
It's ready when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. While about 25 minutes is typical, oven times vary, so check earlier. *See my notes in the instructions to make sure that the cake cooks evenly without doming.
This recipe is a great base recipe for altering to suit dietary needs. For a dairy-free version, replace the milk with an equal amount of almond, oat, plant-based milk, or even water.
🍰 More Great Bisquick Recipes!
- Bisquick Biscuits
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Bisquick Chicken & Dumplings
- Peach Cobbler
- Bisquick Oven Fried Chicken
Or check out all the fabulous Bisquick recipes in my complete recipe collection.
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
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📖 Recipe Card
Bisquick Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Bisquick Coffee Cake
- 2 cups Bisquick baking mix
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping
- ⅔ cup Bisquick baking mix
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 400°F (205°C) and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Bisquick, milk, sugar, egg, and cinnamon. Mix well, then spread the mixture into the bottom of your prepared cake pan.
- In a clean mixing bowl, add the baking mix, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Use a fork or a pastry blender to thoroughly combine all ingredients until crumbly then spread the topping in an even layer over the cake batter.
- Finally, bake your coffee cake in the preheated oven on the center rack until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, usually about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan on a wire cooling rack before serving warm.
Notes
- Alternatively, you may use an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan or springform pan.
- If the recipe needs to be dairy-free, substitute almond or oat milk. You may also use water in place of the milk if desired.
- For high altitude: Set your oven to 425°F (220°C). Use a 9-inch pan still (however, a square pan was recommended on the original boxed recipe), but add 2 tablespoons of flour to the cake batter and increase the milk to ¾ cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
Kelly P says
My family LOVES this!
Angela Latimer says
Mine too! And I love that you enjoy it too, Kelly. Thanks so much for coming back to share. 😊
Christine Morris says
I have been making this and the cobbler since I was 13 years old I am now 60 I stopped making it because my father was no longer around and I always made it for him. well, I'm going to get back into cooking and I am going to make a cherry and cream cheese filling to go in the coffee cake I'll let you know how it comes out, and peach season is upon us here in upstate NY so time to make peach cobbler. time to pick and can so we have them threw the year.
Angela Latimer says
I grew up using the Bisquick baking mix alot too. I've got the peach, blueberry, and apple flavors here on the site.
Ellen Govoni says
Thank you for sharing this recipe
AnneMarie says
This original Bisquick recipe has been my family's fave for decades!
SYDNEY JEAN DUCHAM says
+++++++++++++++++++
Karen says
Thanks! I remember how delicious this recipe is! Do you also have the Fried Chicken recipe that was on the Bisquick box?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I do! It's here https://bakeitwithlove.com/bisquick-oven-fried-chicken/
Dean says
Thank you so much for this. As easy as I remember...reminds me of my mother and my childhood.
Marcia says
Can the batter be made a day ahead and then topped with the streusel before baking? Will the chilled batter affect the baking time? Trying to get ahead of the morning rush!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, you can make this in advance right up to and including the streusel topping! Set the assembled coffee cake out to warm while the oven preheats. You may need a few extra minutes in the oven, but I've never had to bake it too much longer (an extra 5 minutes at most). Thanks for asking!
Ginny says
Can the ingredients be doubled for a 9 × 13 pan?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
This recipe is for a 9-inch round cake pan which holds roughly 6 cups of batter, and a 9x13 pan holds approximately 15 cups of batter. So, yes - you can double it but I would bake it for less time as the coffee cake will be a thinner layer. I suggest checking around 18 minutes of baking time. Hope that helps!
Lorraine says
My Mom made this wonderful cake all the time when I was growing up a very very long time ago Everytime I make it I lovingly think of her ❤️
Robbie L says
The only thing I added to the batter was a handful of craisins and a couple pinches of allspice. Otherwise i stuck to your instructions and used a 9x9 glass pan. My hubby and I love it! Thank you for sharing!
Katherine A Dietz says
Did you use dark brown or light brown sugar in the cake and topping? Also did you melt the butter or have it at room tempersture? Thanks
Katherine
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Katherine, I use light brown sugar in most of my coffee cake recipes including this Bisquick recipe. The original recipe has you cut the butter into the streusel portion (using a pastry cutter), which would be cold, cubed butter. You can melt the butter and mix it in, but your streusel doesn't stay as crumbly in texture. Hope that helps, thanks for asking!
PJ says
I made this to exact specifications but thought it was dry. Any suggestions how to make it moist? Maybe sub milk for oil?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Your Bisquick coffee cake (and any coffee cake or cake) will have a drier texture when your dry/wet ingredient ratio is off. The most common cause of this is too much flour (or Bisquick, in this case), so measure carefully and fluff the Bisquick baking mix before measuring it out so that it's not packed down. You can also make sure to use higher fat milk, half & half, heavy cream, or even sour cream. Any of these will help to make a more tender crumb texture in your coffee cake. Thanks for asking!
Ann says
My momma made this recipe all my life , she made it in a cookie sheet and doubled the topping. It was amazing! I have the recipe in her old cookbook! So happy to see yours!!!
Sarah says
My dad made this my whole growing up days! He doubled it and made it in a 9 x 13 dish. He also slightly melted the butter for the topping and dropped it by tiny spoonfuls all across the top. When it baked, the topping dropped to the bottom and gave the coffee cake a nice sweet bottom layer. The cake stayed really moist this way, too! So many great memories!
Mary says
In your instructions for the cake, it says to add sugar, but it doesn't say how much.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I fixed that 🙂 thank you for pointing it out. You will need just 2 tablespoons of sugar to add a hint of sweetness to the cake batter. Enjoy!
Susan E Rose says
There is an error in your directions. The ingredient list for the cake says 2 cups of Bisquick. But in the directions it says 2/3 of a cup. The stressed is 2/3 of a cup, but the cake part should say 2 cups.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I see what you're saying as there's a difference between the recipe card and the image. The image is of the vintage recipe, and the recipe shared in the card is the current recipe found on boxes of Bisquick. Both are great, but I like the heavier streusel topping amount. Enjoy!
Esther says
Thank you so much for pointing out this error! I kept going back to the recipe to make sure the measurements were right because the batter was so thin and runny. Adjusted my measurements after I read your comment and it came out perfect!
Susan says
That’s what happened to mine, I guess. It turned out flat as a pancake.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I couldn't figure this out since the recipe amounts are all right, however, I came back to it and scoured the post for anything that could be wrong. I found it in the written instructions (where the coffee cake portion said 2/3 cup vs the 2 cups it should be) and have fixed it. Thanks and give it another go!
veronica makowa says
Hi. The cake looks yummy but i cant see butter/oil?....thanks
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
That's right! The minimal ingredients is what makes a baking mix like Bisquick so fantastic. (see original recipe in the notes section of the recipe card)