Home » Grandma’s New England Coffee Cake Recipe (Copycat)

Grandma’s New England Coffee Cake Recipe (Copycat)

Name: Grandma's New England Coffee Cake Recipe (Copycat)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For Batter -; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick - room temperature); 1 cup sugar; 2 eggs (room temperature); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup sour cream; 2 cups all purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; Cooking spray; For Streusel Filling -; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 cup chopped walnuts; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Laura

March 13, 2026

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White plate with a piece of cake and a cake on a platter

Jump to Recipe

A creamy moist cake, rich with butter, fresh farm eggs, sour cream, and a hint of vanilla. Topped with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnut streusel. It is a tender cake that is a blend of simplicity and indulgence.

There is a large white rectangular dish with five slices of coffee cake on it. There is a white cloth napkin with fringe edges laying next to the dish. Items are on a wooden surface.

My Grandma’s of New England started baking coffee cakes in 1990 out of Newton, Massachusetts and has grown to become one of the most well known New England Coffee Cakes in the industry, and for good reasons!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Cooling time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12 to 15 slices
Prep Level: Beginner +

Why People Love This Coffee Cake

Simple Ingredients: Made with basic pantry ingredients, making it an easy and convenient recipe to prepare.
Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or snack time, this coffee cake fits any occasion.
Classic Bakery-Style Texture: soft, moist, buttery, and tender that melts in your mouth.

There is a baked round cake with a hole in the center on a large white round plate. There is a slice cut out of the cake. There is a small white plate with a slice of the coffee cake on it in front. Plates are on a white marbled surface.

This Grandma’s Coffee Cake Recipe is a really good copycat. I’m sure it will become a family favorite!

So the next time you need a delicious and easy recipe for the holidays or just want a true breakfast treat try this old fashioned coffee cake!

Laura’s Ingredients Notes

Various baking ingredients such as flour, eggs, butter, sugar, vanilla, and baking powder laid out on a white marble surface.

Assorted baking ingredients: brown sugar, chopped walnuts, and ground cinnamon in small bowls for streusel topping.

Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the overall salt level. If needed, you can substitute salted butter, but reduce the added salt in the recipe slightly.
Vegetable oil: A little oil gives the coffee cake the texture of a bakery-style version. Canola oil, avocado oil also work well.
Sour cream: The key ingredient to creating a moist, tender coffee cake with a slightly dense crumb. Full-fat Greek yogurt is the best substitute and works almost identically.
Brown sugar: You can use either light or dark. Light brown sugar keeps the streusel flavor classic, while dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses taste.
Nuts: Chopped walnuts add crunch and a nutty flavor that pairs perfectly with the cinnamon streusel. Pecans make a great substitute, or you can leave the nuts out entirely for a nut-free version.

Step-by-Step Instructions

There is a silver electric blender with a plastic bowl on it. There are very small pieces of brown walnuts in the bowl. There are 2 white bowls in front of the blender. There is light brown sugar in one of the bowls and dark brown ground cinnamon in the other bowl. Items are on a white marbled surface.

There is a white bowl with a mixture of light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and small pieces of walnuts. The bowl is on a white marbled surface.

Use a food processor to quickly chop walnuts into small pieces.
In a small bow mix together the streusel and set aside.

There is a large white bowl with white flour in it. There are 3 small clear ramekins with white powder in them. There is a wood handled mixing utensil laying next to the bowls. All the items are on a white marbled surface.

There is a large white bowl with a white flour mixture in it. There is a wooden handled mixing utensil resting in the bowl. There are 3 empty small clear glass ramekins stacked in front of the large white bowl. Items are on a whit marbled surface.

Combine flour with the other dry ingredients in a medium bowl and mix together.

There is a white bowl with chunks of yellow butter and white sugar in it. Bowl is on a white marbled surface.

There is a white bowl with light yellow creamed mixture in it. There is a set of beaters hanging over the bowl. Items are on a white marbled surface.

In a large separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together.

There is a white bowl with light yellow creamed mixture in it. There is a raw egg in the bowl. There is a set of mixer beaters hanging over the bowl. There is a brown egg laying in front of the bowl. Items are on a white marbled surface.

There is a white bowl with light yellow creamed mixture in it. There is a gray rubber spatula resting in the bowl. Bowl is on a white marbled surface.

Beat in one egg at a time, add the vanilla and vegetable oil and mix well.

There are 3 white bowls. The largest bowl has a light yellow creamy mixture in it with a gray rubber spatula resting in it. The medium size bowl has a white flour mixture in it and the smallest bowl has white sour cream in it. Bowls are on a white marbled surface.

There is a large white bowl with a creamy light yellow cake batter in it. The bowl is on a white marbled surface.

Add the sour cream and throughly mix.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend on low speed until completely mixed together.

There is a large white bowl with a light yellow creamy batter in it and a metal spoon resting inside the bowl. There is a small white bowl with s brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut mixture in it. There is a metal round baking pan with a hollow tube in the center. There is light yellow creamy batter spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Items are on a white marbled surface.

Grease pan with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
To create the double layer – pour half of the batter in the bottom of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to make it an even layer.
Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the cake batter.

There is a large empty white bowl with a gray rubber spatula resting inside the bowl. There is a small white bowl with s brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut mixture in it. There is a small silver spoon laying in front of the small bowl.There is a metal round baking pan with a hollow tube in the center. There is light yellow creamy batter spread evenly in the pan. Items are on a white marbled surface.

There is a metal round baking pan with a hollow tube in the center. There is cake batter in the pan with a layer of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut mixture covering the entire top. Pan is on a white marbled surface.

Pour the rest of the batter over the streusel mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the batter.

There is a baked cake with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and nut topping in a metal round baking pan with a hollow tube in the center. Pan is on a white marbled surface.

Place in a preheated oven. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Let cake cool on a wire rack before inverting onto a serving platter.

See recipe card below for complete ingredient amounts, details, and total time.

Laura Belle’s Tips

Cream Butter and Sugar Properly – Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This step helps create a soft, tender crumb and gives the cake a nice rise.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients – Room temp eggs, butter, and dairy incorporate more smoothly and evenly, which helps avoid dense spots in the coffee cake.
Don’t Over Mix the Batter – Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until combined. Over mixing can lead to a tough cake.
Chopping Nuts – If you don’t have a food processor, the easiest way to brake nuts into small pieces is to place them in a zip closure bag. Use a rolling pin and lightly hit the bag of nuts a few times until you get the size of pieces you want!

There is a baked round cake with a hole in the center on a large white round plate. Plate is on a white marbled surface.

Storing

If by chance there is any leftover coffee cake, tightly seal the top of the cake and serving plate with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To freeze – Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Sweet Treats to Try

Easy Coffee Crumb Cake Without Sour Cream
Mini Pecan Raisin Tarts – a family favorite
Easy 5 Ingredient Melt Away Cookies – a holiday tradition in our house!
Easy Pumpkin Pie Crunch Cake with Pecans and Toffee – perfect for large family gatherings
Easy 3 Ingredient Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie with Carmel – super easy and kids love this!
Apple Coffee Cake

Yield: 12 to 15 slices

Grandma's New England Coffee Cake Recipe (Copycat)

A coffee cake that is a blend of simplicity and indulgence. A creamy moist cake, rich with butter, fresh farm eggs, sour cream, and a hint of vanilla. Topped with a brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnut streusel.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

For Batter –
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick – room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
For Streusel Filling –
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350° degrees
Use a food processor to quickly chop walnuts into small pieces.
In a small bow mix together the streusel ingredients and set aside.
Combine flour with the other dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, and baking soda) in a medium bowl and mix together.
In a large separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
Beat in one egg at a time, add the vanilla and vegetable oil and mix well.
Add the sour cream and throughly mix.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend on low speed until completely mixed together.
Grease pan with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
To create the double layer – pour half of the batter in the bottom of the pan. Use a rubber spatula to make it an even layer.
Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the cake batter.
Pour the rest of the batter over the streusel mixture.
Sprinkle the remaining streusel on top of the batter.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center.
Let cake cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Hold a serving plate over the base of the cake and invert the pan.

Notes

Equipment And Helpful Tools

Large mixing bowl

Medium bowl

Small bowl

Handheld electric mixer / Stand mixer with paddle attachment

Bundt pan / 16 cups tube pan (see FAQ's)

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Rubber spatula

Food processor

Oven mitts

Cake tester / tooth pick

Wire rack

How To Store

If by chance there is any leftover coffee cake, tightly seal the top of the cake and serving plate with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

The coffee cake can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

To freeze – Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 78gFiber: 3gSugar: 43gProtein: 9g