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Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Coffee Cake

Cinnamon sugar zucchini coffee cake with a thick, crumbly cinnamon brown sugar streusel that covers the entire top. The cake bakes tender with visible layers when sliced, with a light swirl under the streusel.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Streusel
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9x9 baking pan. Make sure the pan is well coated so the crumb can release cleanly.
  2. Make the streusel by mixing the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cutting in the cold butter until crumbly. Refrigerate the streusel while you mix the cake batter for a thicker, more defined topping.
Make the cake
  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for the cake. Keep whisking just until the dry spices are evenly distributed.
  2. Beat the granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Stop as soon as the mixture looks glossy and uniform.
  3. Stir in the grated zucchini that has been squeezed dry. Mix until no dry zucchini streaks remain.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. The batter should be thick; avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the batter into the greased pan, sprinkle half the streusel, and swirl lightly. You should see streaks where the swirl pulls some topping into the batter.
  2. Top with the remaining streusel and bake at 350°F for 35–42 minutes. Look for a toothpick in the center to come out clean and the streusel to look browned and set.
  3. Cool the coffee cake for 15 minutes before cutting. Wait until the top feels firm and the slices hold together.

Notes

Pro tip: squeeze the grated zucchini very well so the crumb stays tender (not wet). Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze sliced portions for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free swap, use an equal amount of plain dairy-free sour cream and check for sweetness consistency.