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This Sourdough Coffee Cake is a soft, moist sour cream bundt cake swirled with a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar and crunchy walnuts. The hint of sourdough adds a subtle tang that perfectly balances the sweet cinnamon layers. It’s a delicious breakfast treat that pairs so well with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa.
This recipe is extra special to me because my family has made a cinnamon sugar bundt cake every Christmas morning since my grandma started the tradition years ago. It’s easy to make ahead and perfect for serving a crowd over the holidays. If you love bundt cakes, you have to try my Carrot Bundt Cake with a cream cheese icing.
Reasons to love this Sourdough Coffee Cake
- Soft & moist- This coffee cake is soft, moist, and bursting with cinnamon flavor. It is the perfect sweet treat with a strong cup of coffee. It can be served as a breakfast cake or is a delicious addition to a holiday brunch.
- Uses up sourdough discard- This is a sourdough discard recipe, making it a great way to use up a sourdough discard, and the sourdough tang pairs well with the flavor of the sour cream. Another sourdough discard cake recipe to try is my Sourdough Tres Leches Cake.
- Elevated look- The bundt pan elevates the look of this cake without having to add a lot of decoration, making it a beautiful centerpiece for your brunch.
- Perfect for Christmas morning- This breakfast cake is perfect for Christmas morning and easy to make ahead.
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sour cream – The sour cream is used to add moisture and flavor. You can also replace sour cream with plain Greek yogurt. You can use a whole or non-fat version, although whole will ensure a more moist cake.
- Sourdough discard – You can use cold discard straight from the fridge or you can use room temperature bubbly leftover sourdough starter if that is all you have.
- Oil – I typically use a mild olive oil as that is what I have on hand. You can also use coconut oil or any neutral oil will work great.
- Cinnamon – Used to flavor the filling and give the signature coffee cake feel.
- Walnuts or pecans, chopped – The addition of the nuts gives a little texture and crunch.
- Powdered Sugar- This gives the icing a sweet flavor.
- Milk- Use milk to thin the icing to your desired consistency so it can drizzle over the cake.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Coffee Cake Recipe
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, brown sugar, oil, and large eggs until smooth with a whisk.
Step 2: Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and sourdough discard, and stir until combined.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, mix together the baking soda, salt, and all-purpose flour.
Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just moistened. It’s ok if it is lumpy. Don’t overmix because this will cause a tougher texture.
Step 5: In a separate bowl, mix together cinnamon, sugar, and nuts with a spoon.
Step 6: Heavily spray a bundt cake pan with non-stick spray, ensuring to get the inner and outer rims. You can brush oil on the pan instead, but I wouldn’t recommend greasing the pan with butter as the milk solids can act like glue. (See more tips below to help prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.)
Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan.
Step 7: Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mix on top (it’s a thick layer). Using a toothpick, swirl the cinnamon sugar.
Step 8: Pour the remaining batter on top.
Step 9: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes. To ensure the coffee cake is done, place a toothpick in a few spots around the coffee cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then it is ready to be removed from the oven.
Step 10: Once baked, let the sourdough coffee cake cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan to set before placing on a cooling rack. I don’t recommend letting it completely cool in the pan as that can make the edges tough. Take a spatula and gently run it along the sides of the pan to ensure the coffee cake quickly releases from the pan when flipped. Place a cooling rack on top of the bundt pan and carefully flip the bundt pan over. Let the pan sit upside down for another 5 minutes and then give the pan a shake from side to side to gently release the cake from the pan. If it doesn’t release right away, see tips below.
Step 11: Make the icing by combining powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle overtop the cake and decorate with walnuts and sugar if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter, mix just until combined. This helps ensure a tender crumb.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for the most accurate results.
- Use a nonstick bundt cake pan. To ensure success, use a pan that is in good condition and with the coating intact. This is the bundt pan I recommend.
- To ensure the cake does not stick to the bundt pan it needs to be well greased. Heavily spray a bundt cake pan with non-stick spray ensuring to get the inner and outer rims. You can brush oil on the pan instead but I wouldn’t recommend greasing the pan with butter as the milk solids can act like glue. You can also sprinkle sugar or almond flour around the pan to create a barrier. Learn more tips here.
- Let the cake cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pan before trying to flip it over to let the cake set.
- Use a skinny spatula or knife to gently separate the cake from the pan before flipping it over.
- If the cake is stuck in the pan you can try run a towel in warm water and then wring it out. Wrap the towel around the bottom of the pan and let it sit 10-15 minutes and then try to remove the cake again.
How to store the sourdough discard coffee cake
To store the leftovers, add to an airtight container. The sourdough coffee cake can be stored on the counter at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also easily freeze the coffee cake to enjoy later. When freezing the whole cake I recommend waiting to add the icing until you are ready to eat it. Double wrap the entire cake in foil and place in the freezer. To freeze individual slices, wrap with plastic wrap and then add to a freezer bag for up to 3 months so that you can easily pull out as many slices as you’d like at a time. To defrost the coffee cake, leave it on the counter to thaw, and then you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm up.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, if you prefer to bake in a regular pan instead of a bundt pan you can use a 9 x 13-inch pan.
Yes, either active starter or discard will work in this recipe.
Yes! If you would like to long ferment the batter, mix all of the cake ingredients together and leave in a mixing bowl in the fridge overnight for 12-24 hours. When you are ready to bake, follow the instructions for adding the batter to the bundt pan.
Did you know coffee cake does not actually contain any coffee? It is actually meant to be eaten alongside coffee since the sweetness in the cake pairs really well with the bitterness in the coffee. They are a perfect complement to each other! And while this is the perfect breakfast treat, I love to eat it as dessert at any point of the day! This recipe is easy enough to make any time, but decadent enough to bring to a holiday gathering or special occasion.
More sourdough Breakfast recipes
Sourdough Breakfast Recipes
Sourdough Gingerbread Pancakes
Sourdough Focaccia Recipes
Sourdough Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Focaccia
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones
Sourdough Discard Recipes
Quick Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls (one hour rise)
Tried this Sourdough Coffee Cake or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Coffee Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Coffee Cake
- 200 grams sugar, 1 cup
- 165 grams brown sugar, ¾ cup
- 180 grams oil, ¾ cup
- 3 eggs, 150 grams
- 240 grams sour cream, 1 cup
- 180 grams sourdough discard, ¾ cup
- 350 grams flour, 2 ½ cup
- 14 grams vanilla extract, 1 Tablespoon
- 7 grams baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons
- 5 grams salt, 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 8 grams cinnamon, 1 Tablespoon
- 150 grams sugar, ¾ cup
- 120 grams walnuts, chopped, 1 cup
Icing
- 120 grams powdered sugar, 1 cup
- 15-30 grams milk, 1-2 Tablespoons
Topping
- 30 grams walnuts, chopped, ¼ cup
- 15 grams sugar, 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugars, oil, and eggs until smooth with a whisk.200 grams sugar, 165 grams brown sugar, 180 grams oil, 3 eggs
- Then add the sour cream, vanilla, and sourdough discard, and stir until combined. 240 grams sour cream, 14 grams vanilla extract, 180 grams sourdough discard
- In a separate medium bowl mix together the baking soda, salt, and flour. 7 grams baking soda, 5 grams salt, 350 grams flour
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just moistened. It’s ok if it is lumpy. Don’t overmix because this will cause a tougher texture.
- In a separate bowl, mix together cinnamon, sugar and chopped nuts. 8 grams cinnamon, 150 grams sugar, 120 grams walnuts, chopped
- Heavily spray a bundt cake pan with non-stick spray or brush oil on the pan. To ensure the cake comes out easily you can also sprinkle the pan with almond flour or sugar. Do not grease the pan with butter as the milk solids can act like glue.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the pan and sprinkle the
cinnamon sugar mix on top (it’s a thick layer). Using a toothpick swirl the cinnamon sugar and then pour the remaining batter on top. - Bake for 50-60 minutes. To ensure the coffee cake is done, place a toothpick in a few spots around the coffee cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, then it is ready to be removed from the oven.
- Once baked, let the coffee cake sit for 5-10 minutes in the pan to set before placing on a cooling rack. I don’t recommend letting it completely cool in the pan as that can make the edges tough. Take a spatula and gently run it along the sides of the pan to ensure the coffee cake quickly releases from the pan when flipped. Place a cooling rack on top of the bundt pan and carefully flip the bundt pan over. Let the pan sit upside down for 5 minutes and then give the pan a shake from side to side to gently release the cake from the pan.
- Prepare the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk. Slowly add the milk until you reach your desired consistency.120 grams powdered sugar, 15-30 grams milk
- Top with a mix of sugar and chopped walnuts if desired.30 grams walnuts, chopped, 15 grams sugar
Notes
- You can substitute the sourdough for greek yogurt. You can use a whole or non-fat version although whole will ensure a more moist cake.
- Your sourdough discard can be straight from the fridge. You can use bubbly active starter in place of discard if that’s what you have on hand.
Bundt pan tips for success
- Use a nonstick bundt cake pan. To ensure success use a pan that is in good condition and with the coating in tact.
- To ensure the cake does not stick to the bundt pan it needs to be well greased. Heavily spray a bundt cake pan with non-stick spray ensuring to get the inner and outer rims of the pan. You can brush oil on the pan instead but I wouldn’t recommend greasing the pan with butter as the milk solids can act like glue. You can also sprinkle sugar around the pan to create a barrier.
- Let the cake cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pan before trying to flip it over to let the cake set.
- Use a skinny spatula or knife to gently separate the cake from the pan before flipping it over.
- If the cake is stuck in the pan you can try running a towel under warm water and then wringing it out. Wrap the towel around the bottom of the pan and let it sit 10-15 minutes before trying to remove the cake again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
