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Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This delicious, layered cinnamon coffee cake is made with tender, cinnamon-swirled cake layers, browned butter frosting, and delicious cinnamon streusel filling!

image of a cross section of a coffee cake layer cake that's frosted with brown butter frosting

How to Make This Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

To make sure your layered coffee cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together!

I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

Step 1: Make the Cinnamon Swirl

Whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Cinnamon Swirl Cake Layers

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line three 8″ pans with parchment rounds and grease with nonstick baking spray or homemade cake release.

Make the batter following the recipe card below, then start to fill the prepared cake pans.

Pour about 1 cup (250g) of cake batter into each of the prepared pans and spread into an even layer.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar swirl mixture over the cake batter, adding about a third of it to each pan (about 1/3 cup).

Leave a 1-inch ring around the edge of the cake uncovered so that the swirl doesn’t go to the edge of the pan.

Divide the remaining cake batter evenly between the three pans and drizzle it over the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Carefully spread batter over the cinnamon swirl mixture to fully cover it with a small offset spatula.

Step 3: Bake & Level the Cake Layers

Bake for 34-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Carefully flip the cake layers onto a wire rack once they’re fully cool.

Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers once they’re fully cooled.

image of coffee cake layers being leveled to make a coffee cake layer cake

If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake.

The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Step 4: Brown the Butter & Make the Buttercream

As the cake layers bake and cool, make the browned butter buttercream.

Place 1 cup (or 2 sticks) of unsalted butter into a large skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Once the butter has fully melted, stir frequently to prevent the butter solids at the bottom of the pan from burning. It should begin to bubble up a bit and look foamy on top.

Let the butter continue to cook until it becomes an amber color and begins to smell nutty.

image of butter being browned in a white pan

Once it reaches this stage, remove it from heat and pour it into a heat-proof bowl.

Set aside to allow the butter to come to room temperature and solidify. This usually takes about an hour.

image of brown butter that's been cooled in a glass bowl and has solidified

Step 5: Make the Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting

Beat 1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks of room temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, until smooth.

Mix in the room-temperature brown butter, vanilla bean paste or extract, and fine salt on a low speed.

Then gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through mixing, add in the heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.

Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. 

Step 6: Make the Cinnamon Streusel Filling

Next, make the cinnamon streusel filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and fine salt.

Cut the room-temperature butter into the dry ingredients with a fork to make some nice, big crumbles.

You should end up with a bowl of what looks like wet sand with some pea-sized chunks. Set aside.

image of cinnamon streusel being stirred with a fork to keep the butter chunks intact and create a perfect crumbly streusel

Step 7: Stack and Fill the Cake

Stack and frost the cinnamon cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Spread an even layer of browned butter buttercream on top of the first cake layer.

Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cinnamon streusel on top of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.

image of a cinnamon swirled cake layer being stacked to make a coffee cake layer cake

Step 8: Crumb Coat & Chill

Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers.

Smooth using an offset spatula and/or bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

image of a layered coffee cake being crumb coated with brown butter frosting

Step 9: Frost and Decorate, Then Enjoy!

Remove the cake from the fridge or freezer and cover the cake in a thick, second layer of brown butter buttercream. Smooth the frosting using an offset spatula and bench scraper.

Gently press the remaining cinnamon streusel around the sides and top of the cake to fully cover it.

Place the remaining buttercream in a small piping bag fit with an open star tip (like a Wilton 1M) and pipe buttercream swirls around the top of the cake. Then enjoy!

image of vanilla cake being frosted with brown butter buttercream frosting

Substitutions, Swaps & Ingredients: Cinnamon-Swirled Layers

While I love this layered coffee cake recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:

  • All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten-free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten-free version.
  • Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
  • Brown Sugar – I like using light brown sugar but dark brown sugar will work too!
  • Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).

Substitutions & Swaps: Brown Butter Buttercream

Some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this frosting recipe include:

  • Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
  • Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
image of a layered cinnamon coffee cake that's been cut into to remove a slice

Making this Layered Cinnamon Coffee in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1800g or 10 cups, so I add roughly 600g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 8-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 9-inch cake layers or 4, 6-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer at 350 F / 175 C.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you’ll need.

If you want to make layered coffee cupcakes, this recipe can be used to make about 3 dozen cupcakes. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 F / 175 C and bake for 20-22 minutes.

Tips for Making the Best Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Be sure you set out any cold ingredients that need to be at room temperature ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. This makes sure each pan has the same amount of batter and will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
  • Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.
  • If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, read my cake troubleshooting guide to see where things might’ve gone awry.
image of a slice of a coffee cake layer cake

Making This Layered Coffee Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The cake layers can be made in advance and frozen. They taste just as great when they’re frozen as when they’re fresh, I promise!

You can make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for 3 months.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

image of a bite of a slice of a coffee cake layer cake

Let Me Know What You Think

If you try this layered cinnamon coffee cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think!

Please leave a rating below and a comment to let me know your thoughts.

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Yield: 24

Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

image of a cross section of a coffee cake layer cake that's frosted with brown butter frosting

This delicious, layered cinnamon coffee cake is made with tender, cinnamon swirled cake layers, brown butter frosting, and a delicious cinnamon streusel filling!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 34 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 4 minutes

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (66g)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (66g)
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Cinnamon Cake Layers

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
  • 3 cups granulated sugar (600g)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10g)
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature (224g)
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature (360ml)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (110ml)
  • 1 Tbsp Grandma's® Original Molasses - optional (20ml)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (4ml)

Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • 2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature, divided (565g)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (4ml)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 7 cups powdered sugar (904g or a 2 lb. bag)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream or whipping cream (80g)

Cinnamon Streusel

Instructions

Cinnamon Swirl

  1. Whisk together 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon. Set aside.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake Layers

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line three 8" pans with parchment rounds and grease with nonstick baking spray or homemade cake release.
  2. Whisk together 3 cups flour, 3 cups granulated sugar, 2 1/2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp fine salt in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
  3. Mix 1/2 cup of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry ingredients on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks remain.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, 1 Tbsp molasses (optional), and 1 tsp of vanilla bean paste or extract.
  5. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients on a low speed until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat on a medium speed for 1 more minute to make sure everything is properly mixed.
  6. Add about 1 cup (250g) of cake batter to each of the prepared pans and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture over the cake batter, adding about a third of it to each pan. Leave a 1-inch ring around the edge of the cake uncovered so that the swirl doesn’t go to the edge of the pan.
  7. Divide the remaining cake batter evenly between the three pans and drizzle it over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Carefully spread batter over the cinnamon swirl mixture to fully cover it with a small offset spatula.
  8. Bake for 34-37 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake layers cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Carefully flip the cake layers onto a wire rack once they're fully cool.
  9. Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers once they're fully cooled. If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 20 minutes before making your cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble your cake.

Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting

  1. As the cake layers bake and cool, make the browned butter buttercream. This can also be done in advance to speed up the cooling process, I usually make it the day before I want to make this cake.
  2. Place 1 cup (or 2 sticks) of unsalted butter cut into Tbsp-sized pieces in a large, light-colored pan over medium heat. Stir the butter the entire time with a rubber spatula to keep it moving.
  3. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring. The butter will turn golden brown in about 5–6 minutes from when you start. Some foam will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will be toasty brown. It should have a strong, nutty aroma.
  4. Immediately remove the pan from heat and pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. If left in the hot pan, the butter will burn. Once it reaches this stage, remove it from heat and pour it into a heat-proof bowl. Set aside to allow the butter to come to room temperature but firm back up. This usually takes 1-2 hours. You can accelerate the process by popping the brown butter in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
  5. Beat 1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks of room temperature butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer, until smooth.
  6. Mix in the room temperature brown butter made above, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, and 1 tsp fine salt on a low speed.
  7. Gradually mix in 7 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through mixing, add 1/3 cup of heavy cream to make the frosting easier to mix.
  8. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Cover the frosting flush with plastic wrap to prevent crusting, then set aside.

Cinnamon Streusel Filling

  1. The last step is to make the cinnamon streusel filling. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup heat-treated flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp fine salt.
  2. Cut 6 Tbsp of room-temperature butter into the dry ingredients with a fork to make some nice, big crumbles. You should end up with a bowl of what looks like moist sand with some pea-sized chunks. Set aside.

Assembling this Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

  1. Stack and frost the cinnamon cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  2. Spread an even layer of browned butter buttercream on top of the first cake layer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the cinnamon streusel on top of the frosting. Repeat with the remaining cake layers.
  3. Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake that fully covers the cake layers. Smooth using an offset spatula and/or bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  4. Remove the cake from the fridge or freezer and cover the cake in a thicker second layer of brown butter buttercream. Smooth the frosting using an offset spatula and bench scraper.
  5. Gently press the remaining cinnamon streusel around the base of the cake. Place the remaining buttercream in a small piping bag fit with an open star tip (like a Wilton 1M) and pipe buttercream swirls around the top of the cake.

Notes

This recipe can be made with a stand mixer or hand mixer. I like to use the paddle attachment when making the batter and frosting, but you can also use a whisk attachment or a large bowl and hand mixer.

Making this Layered Cinnamon Coffee in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1800g or 10 cups, so I add roughly 600g to each of my cake pans when using 3, 8-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 9-inch cake layers or 4, 6-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer at 350 F / 175 C.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you'll need.

If you want to make layered coffee cupcakes, this recipe can be used to make about 3 dozen cupcakes. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 F / 175 C and bake for 20-22 minutes.

Tips for Making the Best Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

  • Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Be sure you set out any cold ingredients that need to be at room temperature ahead of time.
  • Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
  • Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. This makes sure each pan has the same amount of batter and will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
  • Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
  • Make sure your buttercream is the right consistency. This will help give your cake proper structure and make it easier to decorate.

Making This Layered Coffee Cake in Advance & Storage Tips

I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The cake layers can be made in advance and frozen. They taste just as great when they're frozen as when they're fresh, I promise!

You can make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for 3 months.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition Information

Yield

24

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 620Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 105mgSodium 319mgCarbohydrates 88gFiber 1gSugar 70gProtein 4g

Annette

Saturday 11th of March 2023

Very confused on the shortening measurement because you say 1 stick but one stick is 1 cup, even on the product you linked. So is it 1 cup or 1/2 cup as the recipe says?

Chelsweets

Sunday 12th of March 2023

Hi Annette,

Apologies for the confusion!! It should be 1/2 cup!! I've updated the recipe card to reflect this, thank you so much for letting me know!

Terri

Monday 17th of October 2022

This cake sounds amazing and I can't wait to make it. However, I have a concern about the streusel being made with raw flour which is definitely not good to eat raw. I think I will bake the streusel first before adding it to the cake.

Chelsweets

Sunday 23rd of October 2022

Hi Terri,

That is a totally valid concern! Another work around is to heat treat your flour before making the streusel! I walk through how to do that here: https://chelsweets.com/how-to-heat-treat-flour/

Hope that helps, happy baking!

Brown Butter Cupcakes: Delicious Recipe from Scratch

Thursday 29th of September 2022

[…] you want to make a brown butter cake, I recommend using my browned butter cinnamon cake recipe and omitting the […]

Debbie

Thursday 18th of August 2022

Do you think I could add diced apples to the batter of this cake?

Chelsweets

Sunday 21st of August 2022

Hi Debbie,

I haven't tried it, but it would probably work?! I have an old fashioned apple cake (here's the recipe for reference: https://chelsweets.com/old-fashioned-apple-cake/)that has diced apples in it and it tastes delicious! It might make the bake time a bit longer though. If you try it I'd love to hear how it turns out!!

Samantha

Sunday 27th of March 2022

Do you have just a coffee cake recipe?

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