Is there a single person alive who doesn’t like coffee cake?
A moist cake with a cinnamon/sugar crumb topping couldn’t be anything but AMAZING.
But a coffee cake isn’t really a coffee cake unless it also has a deliciously gooey middle layer of crumb topping between layers of cake.
My Favorite Coffee Cake
Crumb topping.
Cake.
Crumb topping.
Cake.
That’s how you make a truly showstoppping coffee cake in my book.
The recipe I developed here is my favorite coffee cake ever. It’s moist, slightly cinnamon-y, and has that absolutely necessary middle layer of crumb topping!
My secret ingredient to this coffee cake is olive oil. (You may already know how much I love cakes that use oil instead of, or in addition to butter!). I use it in the cake batter, and, combined with the butter and sour cream that are also in the batter, it makes for one decadently moist cake that complements that top layer of crumbly topping perfectly.
My Favorite Time-Saving Tool
If doing a center layer of crumb topping were easy, I’m sure every coffee cake recipe out there would have it. But it can be a little tricky to spread a layer of cake batter on top of that middle crumb layer if you don’t have the right tool.
An offset spatula is your best friend here, and will take this step that can be rather frustrating if you try to use a knife or regular spatula, and make it the simplest thing in the world.
Here’s my favorite offset spatula on Amazon [aff. link]. Get this offset spatula set for spreading the coffee cake batter in this recipe, and I guarantee you’ll find yourself using it for countless other things, like frosting cakes or spreading condiments on your sandwiches.
Can you tell I love this tool?!
The Other Cinnamon
Also, did you know there are two types of cinnamon?
I had no idea until recently.
Cassia cinnamon, the kind of cinnamon we find in the grocery store, has more of a bitter flavor, and can actually be toxic if consumed in large quantities.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How crazy is that?
Ceylon cinnamon is slightly sweeter in taste and smell, and actually has some really cool health benefits—it’s great for regulating insulin levels, lowering blood pressure, and may even help prevent or treat cancer.
I’ll still use both cinnamons whenever I’m craving the particular flavor each one brings, but I have to say, I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with Ceylon cinnamon lately, and I absolutely love the flavor it brings to this coffee cake.
This cake will be delicious with either cinnamon, but if you’re up for experimenting, here is my favorite Ceylon cinnamon on Amazon [aff. link].
Make This Coffee Cake ASAP! 😋
Make this coffee cake for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. Whenever you decided to enjoy it, I’m sure you’ll find yourself as addicted to this Olive Oil Coffee Cake as I am.
Olive Oil Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup sour cream
For the crumb topping and filling
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ cup + 3-4 tsp canola oil (if needed)
Instructions
Make the crumb topping/filling
- Start with the crumb topping. In a medium sized bowl, add the brown sugar, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. With a fork, mix everything together until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- While stirring the dry ingredients, begin drizzling the canola oil in slowly. Clumps will begin to form. Keep drizzling in the oil and mixing until you have used ½ cup of the oil, or until your crumb mixture is completely clumpy, with clumps of all sizes, and slightly moist. If your crumb mixture feels too dry, use a few more tsp of oil. If it gets too moist, add a little more flour.
- Set the crumb topping/filling aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.
Make the cake batter
- Using an electric or hand mixer, cream together the butter, olive oil, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Next, add in the eggs and the vanilla. Beat for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture lightens in color, gets a little glossy, and very creamy.
- Now add 1 cup of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix just a bit so the dry ingredients begin to incorporate.
- Now add ½ cup of the sour cream and mix again until it starts to incorporate.
- Add the remaining cup of flour, and beat a little. Then add the remaining half cup of sour cream. Mix until everything has incorporated and the mixture is smooth. (Take care not to overmix though! Doing so will make a gummy batter.)
Compile the layers
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape half of the batter into a 9x13 inch glass baking dish. With an offset spatula, smooth the batter evenly into the bottom of the baking dish.
- With your hands, sprinkle half of the crumb topping/filling mixture on top of the batter.
- Now layer the second half of the batter on top of the crumbs. This can be a little tricky! What I like to do is dollop the second half of the batter on top of the crumbs. Scatter these dollops evenly throughout the baking dish. Then use your offset spatula to spread the dollops out so that you end up with an even layer of cake batter completely covering the crumb layer. I cannot stress enough how helpful an offset spatula is here! (See the link to my favorite in the notes below.)
- Now sprinkle the rest of the crumb topping on top of the cake batter.
Bake the cake
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy!
6 Responses
That cake is absolutely gorgeous. I love olive oil cakes. I also love that beautiful green cake plate!
Thank you so much Jeff! Can’t beat the moistness of an olive oil cake, right? 😋 Awwww thank you! I’m an absolute sucker for jadeite. 💚
Ah! You’ve landed on one of my all-time favorite topics – coffee cakes. I’ve been known to get a coffee cake as a birthday cake in the past – it’s true! I love my coffee cake recipe, but now I’m intrigued by this olive oil version. I do like olive oil cakes, so it makes sense to use olive oil in a coffee cake. Excellent points about the types of cinnamon here, too! Now pass me a slice or three, please? 🙂
Thanks David! And that is an EXCELLENT idea to do coffee cake as a birthday cake. I am so doing that on my next birthday!
The crumb topping and middle are addicting. Absolutely delicious cake!
Thanks for commenting Janae!