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image of a cross section of a coffee cake layer cake that's frosted with brown butter frosting
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4.96 from 21 ratings

Layered Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This delicious, layered cinnamon coffee cake is made with tender, cinnamon swirled cake layers, brown butter frosting, and a delicious cinnamon streusel filling!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time34 minutes
Additional Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours 4 minutes
Course: Cakes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 24
Calories: 620kcal
Author: Chelsey White

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 extract or vanilla bean paste 4ml

Browned Butter Buttercream Frosting

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

Cinnamon Streusel

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, heat treated 130g
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 100g
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar 66g
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 85g

Instructions

Cinnamon Swirl

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

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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. 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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 made above, 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or extract, and 1 tsp fine salt on a low speed.
  • 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.
  • 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

  • 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.
  • 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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Video

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

Serving: 1 | Calories: 620kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 319mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 70g