Coffee Cake
This vegetarian builds cream cheese and chopped pecans into a fuss-free meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg Tree nuts
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 175C and grease and lightly flour a 20 cm square baking pan.
- Beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a separate bowl, then add to the wet mixture in two additions alternating with the milk, stirring just until no dry streaks remain.
- Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon and chopped pecans in a small bowl to make the streusel topping.
- Spread half the batter into the pan, sprinkle over half the streusel, add the remaining batter and finish with the rest of the streusel.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, then cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
Tips & common questions
How long does Coffee Cake take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Coffee Cake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
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Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Coffee Cake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Applesauce walnut coffee cake.jpg by megan.chromik from Somerville, MA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.