Vegan Coffee Cake

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Vegan coffee cake - this American style cinnamon coffee cake consists of a moist, fluffy vanilla cake with a cinnamon sugar swirl and crisp streusel topping.

It is easy to make with basic ingredients and very moreish! As the name indicates, it is best enjoyed with a cup of coffee!

Close up of squares of vegan coffee cake.

This vegan coffee cake is the ultimate snacking cake. It is a soft, moist, fluffy vanilla sponge cake with a layer of cinnamon sugar running through the middle and a topping of crisp, buttery cinnamon streusel.

This is an American style coffee cake, which is not actually a cake that is flavoured with coffee as you might expect, but rather a cake that is served alongside coffee.

Coffee cakes are frequently topped with a layer of streusel (crumble), and may have a ribbon of cinnamon sugar running through the middle.

A labelled photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan coffee cake.

Ingredient Details:

Plain (all-purpose) flour: Just regular plain flour is best here. I do not recommend swapping it for wholemeal as that will make the cake too dense. I haven't tested this cake gluten-free.

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda): You need to use both, they are not interchangeable.

Milk: Any variety of unsweetened non-dairy milk will work (except tinned coconut milk) but I like soy milk the best for baking as it has the highest protein content.

Vinegar: This reacts with the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to help the cake rise and give it a fluffy texture.

Yogurt: Vegan yogurt helps to make the cake moist and flavourful. Use a plain one, unsweetened if possible. I use soya yogurt but coconut yogurt will also work.

Olive oil: I like to use olive oil but you can swap it for another neutral oil if you prefer.

Vanilla: Extract is better than essence and you can also use vanilla bean paste.

Vegan butter: You will need a vegan butter/spread to make the streusel. Either block or spreadable is ok (but not a 'light' variety).

Sugar: I prefer to use caster or granulated sugar in the sponge, and light brown soft or muscovado sugar in the streusel and cinnamon sugar layer.

Cinnamon: The cinnamon sugar layer is optional, but very much recommended!

Close up of a square of vegan coffee cake on a sheet of baking paper.

How To Make Vegan Coffee Cake:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: To make the streusel topping, mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Add the butter and rub it in using your fingertips until no lumps of butter remain.

Step 2: To make the cinnamon sugar layer, mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Step 3: To make the batter, whisk together the yogurt, milk, oil, vinegar, caster sugar and vanilla extract then whisk in the cornflour, baking powder and soda, salt and plain flour.

Step 4: Pour half of the batter into a lined 20 cm square cake tin then scatter over the cinnamon sugar.

Step 4, the batter topped with the cinnamon sugar in a cake tin.

Step 5: Dollop over the rest of the batter and gently spread it out with a spatula or the back of a spoon. It will not want to stick to the cinnamon sugar so just gently coax it and try to lift the spoon/spatula as little as possible.

Step 6: Scatter over the streusel evenly.

Step 7: Bake for 35-45 minutes.

Vegan coffee cake on a sheet of baking paper with a pot of coffee and two espresso cups.

Top Tips:

As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!

Be careful not to over-beat the cake batter as that can make the cake tough. Just stir it with a balloon whisk until no dry lumps remain.

The cake is ready when it is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

I bake this cake in a deep 20cm/8in square cake tin to make a tall cake as pictured, but it can also be baked in a 23cm/9in square tin.

If you want a smaller cake then a half batch of the recipe works well in a 2lb loaf tin.

If you like a really thick layer of streusel then make 1 ½ times the recipe.

FAQ's:

Can I freeze it?

Yes this cake freezes really well, either whole or in slices. Make sure that it has cooled completely before freezing and wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Allow to defrost at room temperature to serve.

How should I store it?

The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for around 4 days. It is best eaten on the day it is baked however as the streusel topping will soften over time.

More Vegan Streusel Cakes:

A slice of vegan coffee cake on a plate with a fork.

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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5 from 1 vote