Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake, the perfect fall Comfort Cake. Full of the taste of Cinnamon and Walnuts. Eat it for Breakfast, Snack or even Dessert. This is a Cake everyone will love.
I love the combination of nuts and cinnamon and it really is moist and don’t you just love when a cake rises so high that you need to take two bites from one fork full of cake. Don’t forget the yummy centre filling and streusel topping. I have to say this is the queen of Coffee Cakes!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Topping
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Walnuts – roasted and coarsely chopped
For the Cake
- Flour – cake/pastry flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt – a pinch
- Butter – softened
- Sugar – granulated
- Eggs – room temperature
- Greek yogurt – room temperature
- Vanilla
How to roast nuts
Place nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking / cookie sheet. Bake 5 to 8 minutes in a pre-heated 350F (180C) oven or until they are golden brown, remove immediately from pan to cool. Then coarsely chop.
How to make homemade cake flour
For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
Why use room temperature ingredients?
With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.
How to make the Walnut Cake
Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease & flour a 10″ (4 liter) tube/bundt pan.
For the topping
In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
For the cake
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy 2-3 minutes, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until light and creamy, 2 minutes.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the greek yogurt and vanilla to the creamed mixture, beat until smooth.
Spread half the batter in the prepared tube pan, spoon ⅔ of the topping over batter. Cover with remaining batter and top with remaining topping.
Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. After 45-50 minutes if it is not done but is becoming too brown cover with foil until baked. Cool in the pan, then remove to a plate.
What are Coffee Cakes?
Coffee Cakes are meant to be served with coffee and are usually flavored with fruit, cinnamon or nuts. And quite often they have a streusel topping. They can be baked in a round, square or even in a bundt pan.
Why does my cake fall?
- There are a lot a reasons a cake may fall, but the most common ones are, your oven temperature is off, you can always check it with an oven thermometer to check this.
- You open the oven door too early. Never open the oven door before 25-30 minutes of baking.
- Once the batter is mixed it should be baked, letting a cake batter sit too long can cause it to fall. The baking powder or baking soda usually start acting immediately and will only last for a very short period of time, therefore if the cake batter is left to stand before baking then there is always a risk that the baking powder or soda will have expired by the time that the cake goes into the oven.
- Your baking powder or soda has expired and is no long active.
- Use room temperature ingredients.
- The pan size might not be the correct size, sometimes using a bundt pan will help.
FAQs
I would probably substitute with regular yogurt or sour cream. Both with a 1-1 substitution.
As long as the cake is unfrosted it should be kept at room temperature. Keep it in a cake container or well wrapped. It will keep for up to 3 days. If you store it in the fridge, wrap tightly to keep it from drying out. It will keep for up to 5-6 days in the fridge.
Be sure to cool the cake completely then wrap it tightly in either plastic wrap or foil, place it in a freeze safe bag. The cake will keep for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw place the wrapped cake in the refrigerator to thaw before serving.
Oh how I love cinnamon, as far as I am concerned nothing beats cinnamon, ok maybe Chocolate. So if you are looking for a tasty cake to make you won’t be disappointed with this Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake. Enjoy!
More delicious Coffee Cakes
Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
Ingredients
TOPPING
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts*
*Approximately 1¼ whole walnuts equal ¾ cup coarsely chopped. You might want to roast them before chopping.
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 cups cake flour*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt**
- 3/4 cup butter (softened)**
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1½ cups greek yogurt (room temperature)
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla
*To make your own cake flour, for every cup of all purpose remove 2 tablespoons and substitute with corn starch, whisk together to remove any lumps.
**If you use unsalted butter then add ½ teaspoon of salt.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease & flour a 10" (4 liter) tube/bundt pan.
FOR THE TOPPING
- In a small bowl combine the sugar, cinnamon and walnuts.
FOR THE CAKE
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy 2-3 minutes, add the eggs, one at a time, beating until light and creamy, 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients alternately with the greek yogurt and vanilla to the creamed mixture, beat until smooth.
- Spread half the batter in the prepared tube/bundt pan, spoon ⅔ of the topping over batter. Cover with remaining batter and top with remaining topping.
- Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean or a few crumbs attached. After 45-50 minutes if it is not done but is becoming too brown cover with foil and continue to bake. Cool in the pan, then remove to a clean plate. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Re published from December 2014.
Looks delicious! Am I missing the recipe for the “batter” and “topping”?
Hi Lena, thanks, batter and topping are written in the recipe card, which is at the bottom of the post. Hope that helps. Let me know.
Hi,
Do you spray your pans with cooking spray, or shortening and flour them, or do nothing at all?
Thanks!
Hi Amber, I always grease (vegetable oil) and flour my pans. I cooking have spray. 🙂
Where is the coffee in this??
Hi Abbie, it’s called coffee cake because it usually eaten with a cup of coffee. 🙂
Looks delicious! Have you ever tried muffin tin instead of the tube pan? If so, what adjustments would you recommend?
Hi Abby, I have not made muffins with it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, start by baking them for about 30 minutes, check at 25 (of course it also depends on the size of your muffin tin). Let me know how it goes.
After I retired, I took up baking. I’m still fairly new to it, about a year and found your Walnut Cinnamon Coffee Cake. Recently my husband gave me a Kitchenaide stand mixer and I have made this recipe four times and counting! It has turned out perfectly each time and I have had multiple requests for the recipe. The directions are clear, logical and I appreciate the weights being given. For me, weighing everything that I can gives me more consistent results. I had a friend retire and he requested this cake as a gift! Thank you very much for sharing it with us!
Hi Suzanne, thanks so much, and I totally agree, I wish everyone used weights. Take care and have a great weekend.
can i use sour cream instead of yogurt and if so will it be as good
Hi Judith yes you can although the taste might be a little different. Sour cream has a more tangy taste whereas yogurt is a bit sweeter. Let me know how it goes.
Can’t wait to try recipes.
Thanks Marci, let me know how it goes.
I m reading the recipe but where does the coffee come in??
Hi Denise there is no coffee it is just a term used to describe a cake that is eaten when drinking coffee. 🙂
Rosemary,
Where have you been all my baking life?! Seriously, your Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake is the rage in my family: my grown sons request this cake for their own homes. Sliced and frozen, I warm each piece in the Breville toaster oven, 5 minutes, 350 degrees. One son eats it right out of the freezer!
I returned to your website to find additional recipes. Thank you so much!!
Best,
Ronnie
Hi Ronnie, thanks so much, so glad everyone enjoyed it. I love frozen cookies, so I can understand your son. 🙂 Have a great week.
I would like to replace the yogurt with butter milk for a moister cake. Can I do that?
Hi Julia, yes you can substitute with buttermilk 1 for 1. Let me know how it goes.
Can i use a Bundt pan for this?
Hi Dovey yes you can, just make sure the pan is the right size, the batter should fill to 2/3 full. Hope you like it.
Could i use Sour Cream to replace the yogurt ? How would that make the cake taste or texture different ?
My mom used to make this cake and she used
Sour Cream and it was delicious
Hi Roberta, yes you can substitute with sour cream. Other readers have done it and loved it. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Rosemary,
Could I use a 8” spring form cake tin instead of the 10” tube pan which was used?
Hi Sandra, sure that would work. I hope you enjoy it.
Cake was moist and tasty. I personally didnt like the strudel on the top. Otherwise great.
How should I adjust the recipe for a 8×8 inch square pan? 🙂
Hi Ricci, this recipe will fit 2 8 inch square pans, but it isn’t a good idea to half it. Hope that helps.
Hi rose,
Thanks for your reply.
Could you advise then how to adjust the recipe to fit 1 8 inch square pan please? 🙂
Hi Ricci, I would half the ingredients, for the eggs use 2 instead of 3. Let me know how it goes.
Hi rose,
Tried the cake today and although the batter didn’t turn out like yours (less viscous), it’s absolutely tasty ,moist and fluffy !
Best recipe I’ve tried so far, thank you! 🙂
Hi Ricci, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.