Easy Overnight Coffee Cake

Topped with a sweet, buttery crumble, this Easy Overnight Coffee Cake is super moist and perfect for holidays and lazy weekends. Prep it the night before and bake in the morning.

If you're looking for a delicious sweet treat for breakfast or brunch, this Easy Overnight Coffee Cake couldn't be more perfect. Do all the prep work the night before then enjoy time with family and/or friends while the delicious aromas swirl through the house. Guests might just think you have little elves working the culinary magic in the kitchen!

Here at The Café we love recipes that make life easy while keeping it super delicious. This Easy Overnight Coffee Cake is a perfect example.

This is definitely one of those company-worthy dishes, made easy! "Overnight" is in the title because you make the cake batter and crumbly, cinnamon-laced topping the night before. The next morning, it's ready to bake.

Want to get someone out of bed without saying a word? As mentioned above, the aroma that wafts through the house as these wonderful breakfast cakes bakes is AMAZING and will pull even the sleepiest heads out from the covers! And the moist, tender cake and beautiful crumble topping will entice them to linger at the breakfast table.

I found the recipe over at AllRecipes, but, after trying it, I realized it could be easier, so I set to work.

I adapted it to be a one-bowl wonder. Yup, no mixer, no separate bowls, no fuss. It took a number of tries to get it just right, but that wasn't such a bad thing, since this coffee cake is moist, buttery and super delicious. Now my jeans might not agree!

I also learned that adding the topping right away (as indicated in the original recipe) doesn't work out very well. The batter likes to creep up at the edges and cover the fabulous crumble (see picture below). Then those outer edges become very dry and brittle before the center is baked through.

I tried a few things to eliminate this problem and found that adding the crumble during the last 10-15 minutes worked perfectly. So just pop the batter in the pan sans topping, Once it's been baking for 25 minutes, add the topping and the results are beautiful.

Ideas for Serving this Easy Overnight Coffee Cake

You can serve this easy overnight coffee cake just as it is, warm or at room temperature. If I want to splurge a bit, I'll add some ribbons of Vanilla Bean Drizzle over the top. I've included this drizzle as an option in the recipe. To make a pretty presentation, but still keep it simple, just sprinkle with a bit of powdered sugar.

Café Tips for making this Easy Overnight Coffee Cake...

• This recipe calls for buttermilk. No buttermilk? No worries. You can also use Greek yogurt thinned with milk (use half yogurt, half milk).
• You can also make your own buttermilk with regular milk. Just add a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes and it’s ready to go.
• This recipe calls for baking spray to grease the pan. Baking spray is not the same as cooking spray. Baking spray is a combination of shortening and flour. If you don’t have or don’t want to use baking spray, generously grease the pan with butter, then add a tablespoon of flour. Rotate the pan until all the butter is coated with flour. Then proceed with parchment paper as directed in the recipe.
• Because this recipe doesn't call for a mixer, you want the butter to be nice and soft. You can leave butter sit out at room temperature to soften, but if the air is chilly it won't get soft enough. Here are a few easy tricks for softening butter.
  • You can soften the butter in the microwave at a 10% power level. It works like magic. You’ll need to experiment a bit with your microwave though, as they’re all different. Start with 1 minute. Add 20 to 30-second increments until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft, but not melted.
  • Another technique I often use to soften butter is to put it in the microwave for 30 minutes to an hour with the light on. To keep the light on in the microwave I put a folded paper towel in the door. Don't leave it in there too long though. I forgot about it a few days ago and was a bit surprised when I opened the door and found a plate of melted butter!
  • Boil a cup of water in the microwave for 3-4 minutes and get things nice and steamy. Leave the water cup in the microwave, add the butter and close the door. The warmth from the steamy water will help to quickly soften the butter within 20-30 minutes.
  • Cutting the butter into small pieces helps it soften quicker.
  • Put the butter in the oven with the light turned on. This will take 1-2 hours.
  • The fastest way to soften butter is to put cold butter in the microwave for 10 seconds. Turn it to the opposite side and microwave for another 10 seconds. It might be ready at this point, but if it’s not completely soft, add one or two more 5-second stints, turning the butter each time. Don't walk away when using this option or you'll have the prettiest pool of melted butter you ever saw.
• If you prefer to use a mixer, go for it! You won't need the butter to be as soft.

Thought for the day:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:13

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Firm Foundation

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Easy Overnight Coffee Cake

Topped with a sweet, buttery crumble, this Easy Overnight Coffee Cake is super moist and perfect for holidays and lazy weekends.

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Overnight Coffee Cake, Overnight Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Servings: 12 Servings

Calories: 295 kcal

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons very soft butter I use salted butter
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• For the cinnamon crumb topping:
• 4 ounces or 1 stick butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon salt a pinch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. For the prep:

2. Spray an 8-inch round baking pan generously with baking spray and line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper. Spray the paper lightly with baking spray. Set pan aside. Tear a piece of heavy-duty foil large enough to wrap around the outside of the pan. (you can also use a double thickness of regular foil). Set aside until baking time.

3. For the batter:

4. In a medium-size microwave-safe bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a spatula until sugar is completely incorporated.

5. Add the egg and mix well.

6. Sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda and salt over the butter mixture and stir to combine.

7. Add ⅓ of the flour (approximately, this does not have to be precise) and stir till flour is almost completely incorporated. It’s fine if there is still a bit of flour remaining. Add ½ (again, approximately) of the buttermilk and stir until buttermilk is pretty much incorporated. Repeat with flour and buttermilk alternatively. You will start and end with the flour. Add vanilla and stir well one more time.

8. Spread evenly into the prepared baking pan.
9. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

10. For the crumb topping:

11. Wash out the mixing bowl. Place butter in the bowl and heat on high power for 25-30 seconds or until butter is partially melted. You want about half of the butter melted. Every microwave is different so check it after 25 seconds. Add the remaining crumble ingredients and stir with a fork until large crumbs form. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

12. To finish:

13. The next morning, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the cake for 25 minutes, then carefully remove from the oven and, using your hands, gently top with the crumble mixture (don’t press it in at all, just sprinkle the topping over the top of the cake), mounding it up a bit in the center. If the crumb mixture has formed large clumps, just break them up with your fingers as you sprinkle the mixture over the cake.

14. Before returning to the oven, wrap the outside of the pan with the foil (this will prevent the cake from turning too brown on the edges as it continues to bake).

15. Return coffee cake to the oven and bake for another 10-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

16. After 10 minutes, invert coffee cafe and turn out onto a large dinner plate. Invert again onto a cool rack so that crumb side will face up and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

17. Serve as is or sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar. For a special treat, drizzle with Vanilla Bean Drizzle.

For the drizzle (optional):

1. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk or half and half. Stir with a fork until smooth. Add a bit more half and half (or milk) to thin, a few drops at a time until you have a thick but drizzle-able icing. Add the vanilla beans scraped from ½ of a vanilla bean pod or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste. Drizzle in thin ribbons over the crumble layer.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips. 

Calories 295kcal

Fat 13g

Saturated fat 8g

Cholesterol 47mg

Sodium 221mg

Potassium 57mg

Carbohydrates 41g

Sugar 25g

Protein 3g

Vitamin A 420%

Calcium 29%

Iron 1%

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