Made for coffee, not with it
Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake: Calories and Price
A big-batch, bakery-style sour cream coffee cake with a cinnamon swirl and thick streusel, modeled on the Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake, along with the official Starbucks nutrition and the answers to the most common coffee cake questions.
Quick answer. Coffee cake is a tender, buttery cake with a cinnamon-sugar crumb topping, made to eat with coffee; it does not contain coffee. The Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake has 380 calories and 35 g of sugar per slice and costs about $4.84. The recipe below makes 15 squares in a 9×13 pan.
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 35 g
- Average US price: $4.84
Checked October 2026. Prices are average US prices and vary by store.
What Is Coffee Cake (and Why Is There No Coffee)?
Coffee cake is named for when you eat it, not what is in it. It grew out of European sweet breads and streusel cakes served with coffee, and in the US it became a moist, sour cream or buttermilk cake with a cinnamon crumb topping. A classic coffee cake has no coffee and no caffeine; a few modern recipes add espresso, but that is a variation.
| Style | What makes it different |
|---|---|
| Cinnamon streusel coffee cake | Buttery cake, a cinnamon-sugar swirl inside and a crumbly streusel on top (the Starbucks style) |
| Sour cream coffee cake | Sour cream in the batter for a moist, tight, slightly tangy crumb |
| Crumb cake | A crumb topping as thick as the cake itself, often with less or no swirl |
| Bundt coffee cake | Baked in a ring pan with the cinnamon layer in the middle |
The Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Starbucks describes it as a buttery, moist coffee cake swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with a crunchy streusel. The ingredient list includes butter, sour cream, brown sugar and eggs. It is still on the US menu as of October 2026.
| Cinnamon Coffee Cake (1 slice, 100 g) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 380 |
| Total fat | 15 g (8 g saturated) |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g (1 g fiber) |
| Sugar | 35 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Sodium | 270 mg |
| Average price | $4.84 |
Starbucks also publishes its own smaller home recipe on Starbucks at Home. Ours below is a bigger, bakery-style batch with a thicker streusel. Pair a slice with a Caffè Americano or Caffè Misto, or browse the full bakery case on our food menu. Like streusel? Try our blueberry streusel muffins.
Sour Cream Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Cinnamon streusel
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (170 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
Cinnamon swirl
- ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cake
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (360 g) full-fat sour cream, room temperature
Instructions
- Prep. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan and line it with parchment, leaving an overhang.
- Make the streusel. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Rub in the cold butter with your fingers until it forms large, clumpy crumbs. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
- Mix the swirl. Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Make the batter. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the sour cream, just until combined.
- Layer. Spread half the batter in the pan, sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon swirl, then dollop and gently spread the remaining batter on top. Run a knife through once or twice for a light swirl.
- Top and bake. Scatter the streusel over the top in large clumps. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool. Cool in the pan at least 30 minutes before lifting out and cutting into 15 squares.
Tips for the best coffee cake
- Cold butter, big clumps: chilled streusel stays chunky and crunchy instead of melting into the cake.
- Room-temperature eggs and sour cream keep the batter smooth and the cake moist.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in; stop as soon as no dry streaks remain.
- Check early: ovens vary. Start testing at 45 minutes; a few moist crumbs on the toothpick is perfect.
- Optional glaze: whisk ½ cup powdered sugar with 2 to 3 teaspoons milk and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Variations
| Version | How to change the recipe |
|---|---|
| No sour cream | Use 1 ½ cups plain full-fat Greek yogurt, or 1 ¼ cups buttermilk |
| Smaller batch | Halve everything and bake in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan for 35 to 45 minutes |
| Bundt | Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan, layer streusel first, then half the batter, swirl, rest of the batter; bake 55 to 65 minutes |
| Muffins | Fill lined muffin cups ⅔ full with layers, top with streusel; bake 20 to 24 minutes (makes about 24) |
| Apple cinnamon | Fold 2 cups diced apple into the batter |
| Cinnamon walnut | Add ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the streusel |
| Cake mix shortcut | Mix a yellow cake mix with 3 eggs, ½ cup oil and 1 cup sour cream; layer with the swirl and streusel and bake 35 to 40 minutes in a 9×13 |
| With coffee | Dissolve 1 tablespoon instant espresso in the sour cream for a true coffee-flavored cake |
Storage
Cover and keep at room temperature up to 3 days; the streusel softens slightly by day 2. Wrap individual squares and freeze up to 3 months. Warm a slice for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave, or 5 minutes at 325°F to re-crisp the top.
Watch: Starbucks-Inspired Cinnamon Coffee Cake
Coffee Cake FAQs
Does coffee cake have coffee in it?
No. Coffee cake is a cake meant to be eaten with coffee. Traditional recipes, including Starbucks’ Cinnamon Coffee Cake, contain no coffee and no caffeine.
What is in the Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake?
A buttery, moist cake made with sour cream, swirled with cinnamon sugar and finished with a crunchy cinnamon streusel. It contains wheat, milk, egg and soy.
How many calories are in a Starbucks Cinnamon Coffee Cake?
380 calories per slice, with 15 g of fat, 57 g of carbohydrates, 35 g of sugar and 4 g of protein.
How much is the coffee cake at Starbucks?
About $4.84 at average US prices; prices vary by store.
Did Starbucks discontinue the coffee cake?
No. The Cinnamon Coffee Cake is on the US menu in October 2026.
What is the difference between crumb cake and coffee cake?
Crumb cake has a much thicker crumb topping, often as tall as the cake. Coffee cake has a thinner streusel and often a cinnamon swirl inside. The Starbucks version sits in between, with a generous streusel.
Can I make coffee cake without sour cream?
Yes. Use the same amount of plain full-fat Greek yogurt, or buttermilk (reduce to 1 ¼ cups) for a slightly lighter cake.
How do I store coffee cake?
Cover and keep at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze individual squares up to 3 months. Warm a slice for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave.
Starbucks nutrition and ingredients are from starbucks.com (October 2026). Prices are average US prices and vary by store. Homemade nutrition will vary. starbukmenu.com is not affiliated with Starbucks Corporation.
