Cake Mix Coffee Cake

By Becky Hardin

Published Mar 30, 2023

Nothing makes Sunday morning better than a warm cup of coffee and freshly made coffee cake covered in cinnamon sugar streusel topping. Sweeten your weekend with this yellow Cake Mix Coffee Cake and watch everyone clear their breakfast plates.

three-quarters view of cake mix coffee cake on a cake plate with one slice cut out and turned up to show the streusel layer. - 5

Why We Love This Cake Mix Coffee Cake Recipe

This crumb cake comes together quickly with simple ingredients like premade box cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, and 7UP. It’s topped with delicious crumbles made of sugared almonds, ground cinnamon, and brown sugar. This decadent treat is perfect to have on hand for a quick breakfast or a sweet treat.

Variations on Coffee Cake With Yellow Cake Mix

To make this easy coffee cake recipe gluten-free, swap the box of yellow cake mix for a gluten-free yellow cake mix. It’s as easy as that!
Swap or add almond extract to the vanilla for a more nuanced flavor.
Feel free to add up to 1 cup of your favorite fruits, like blueberries, raspberries, diced strawberries, or diced bananas to the batter. You may need to increase the bake time by up to 5 minutes to account for the additional moisture.
To make this coffee cake coffee flavored, add ½-1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the batter.
Turn this into a blueberry coffee cake by mixing fresh blueberries into your cake batter once all other ingredients are incorporated.
Make coffee cake muffins by using a muffin tin instead of a baking pan!

side view of a cake mix coffee cake on a cake plate with cinnamon sticks in front of it. - 6

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover cake mix coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Enjoy room temperature or reheated in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

How to Freeze

Freeze cake mix coffee cake whole or in individual slices tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator or on the countertop overnight before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This homemade coffee cake brings joy in every bite while a Bulletproof coffee will bring it in every sip. Warm up a slice of coffee cake and cool down with an Iced Espresso . Balance the sweetness with a slice of this delicious Ham and Cheese or Biscuit Breakfast Casserole .

Nope! In spite of its name, coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee. But it sure does go well with it!

Coffee cake gets its name from how it is served, not the ingredients inside it! Coffee cake is great alongside a warm cup of coffee or a creamy iced latte !

Pudding mix adds flavor and moisture to this cake. It also helps to make the cake fluffier! I do not recommend leaving it out.

Yes! Simply substitute the box of cake mix with a mixture of 2¼ cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour, 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, 3½ teaspoons (14 grams) baking powder, and 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt.

side view of a cut cake mix coffee cake on a cake plate with a slice missing. - 7

More Breakfast Cake Recipes To Try

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars
Gooey Butter Cake
Apple Coffee Cake
Strawberry Pound Cake
Apple Bundt Cake
Honey Cake
… Or try Blueberry Raspberry Coffee Cake

Notes from the Test Kitchen

This cake only gets better as it sits, so make it the day before you plan to serve it for the best taste.
Make sure your eggs and oil are at room temperature so they incorporate smoothly into your cake batter.
Add a little bit of melted butter to your crumble topping for extra richness.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving.

Ingredients1x2x3x

For the Streusel Mixture

▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar 107 grams
▢ ½ cup chopped toasted sugared slivered almonds or pecans, 57 grams
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams

For the Cake Batter

▢ 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix 432 grams (1 box)
▢ 3.4 ounces Instant Vanilla Pudding mix 96 grams (1 box)
▢ ¾ cup canola oil 150 grams
▢ ¾ cup 7UP® lemon-lime soda 170 grams
▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
▢ 4 large eggs 200 grams, room temperature

Video

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Combine the streusel ingredients together and set aside until ready to use. ½ cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup chopped toasted sugared slivered almonds, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, oil, 7UP, and vanilla. Add eggs one-at-a-time and mix well. 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix, 3.4 ounces Instant Vanilla Pudding mix, ¾ cup canola oil, ¾ cup 7UP® lemon-lime soda, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
Pour about half of the batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the batter and swirl it through the batter with a table knife.
Pour the last half of the batter on top.
Sprinkle the batter with the last half of the streusel mixture and swirl it throughout the batter.
Sprinkle the top with extra almonds or pecans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool.

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
9×13 Baking Pan

Becky’s Tips

In my opinion, this cake only gets better as it sits, so make it the day before you plan to serve it for the best taste.
Grease your baking pan well to avoid sticking.
You can use plain slivered almonds or chopped pecans instead of sugared.
You can use any neutral oil and any lemon-lime flavored soda in this recipe.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

How to Make Cake Mix Coffee Cake Step by Step

Make the Streusel: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside. Combine ½ cup of dark brown sugar, ½ cup of chopped toasted sugared slivered almonds, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon together and set aside until ready to use.

A person blending brown sugar and nuts in a glass bowl. - 8

Make the Batter: Mix together 15.25 ounces (1 box) of yellow cake mix, 3.4 ounces (1 box) of Instant Vanilla Pudding mix, ¾ cup of canola oil, ¾ cup of 7UP® lemon-lime soda, and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. Add 4 large eggs one-at-a-time and mix well.

Layer the Batter: Pour about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the batter and swirl it through the batter with a table knife.

a knife swirling streusel into cake batter in a baking pan. - 10

Swirl the Streusel: Pour the last half of the batter on top. Sprinkle the batter with the last half of the streusel mixture and swirl it throughout the batter. Sprinkle the top with extra almonds or pecans.

unbaked coffee cake in a baking pan. - 11

Bake the Cake: Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a cooling rack to cool.

baked coffee cake in a baking pan with almonds. - 12

Cake Mix Coffee Cake Recipe

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
9x13 Baking Pan