Gingerbread Coffee Cake

The holidays are all about traditions, and when it comes to baking, we believe it’s worth making some new ones. With all the warmth and spiciness of gingerbread packed into an ultra-tender crumb, this Gingerbread Coffee Cake is a winner you’ll want to bake year after year. The spiced ginger in the cake pair deliciously with the buttery, earthy notes of the crunchy Hazelnut Streusel. The best part? This stir-together recipe can be whipped up in a flash, so you can have a mouthwatering holiday breakfast on the table in no time.

4.3 from 3 reviews
Gingerbread Coffee Cake
 
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup (165 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup (85 grams) unsulphured molasses
  • 2 large eggs (100 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
  • 1⅔ cups (208 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (33 grams) chopped candied ginger
  • 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons (3 grams) ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup (120 grams) sour cream
  • ¼ cup (60 grams) whole milk
  • Hazelnut Streusel (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted butter, molasses, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, candied ginger, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk flour mixture into butter mixture. Add sour cream and milk, whisking just until combined. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle with Hazelnut Streusel.
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

4.3 from 3 reviews
Hazelnut Streusel
 
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (57 grams) chopped raw hazelnuts
  • ¼ cup (55 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, hazelnuts, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir in melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Crumble with your fingertips until desired consistency is reached.

 

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8 COMMENTS

    • Hi there! That would be no problem at all. If you have a kitchen scale, go by the gram weight for the hazelnuts rather than the cup measurement to make sure you’re getting an accurate amount of almonds that will yield the same deliciously crunchy streusel!

  1. I made this and never have problems in the kitchen. The coffee cake took over an hour to bake and I put a tester in and it came out clean. I made it the day before. I served it warm this morning and the middle was not cooked? I am at a loss at what happened as I am an accomplished cook. I may try this once more but we ate around the middle and everyone raved.

    • Hello Elizabeth,

      Thank you for your question! To start, we always recommend measuring your ingredients by weight to ensure consistency. Also, be sure to check your oven’s accuracy using an oven thermometer and adjust accordingly. But, as you mentioned, you don’t often have problems in your kitchen, so I’m sure you’ve done both of these things. Additional doneness tests that could help include:
      1. The edges of the cake pull away from the sides of the pan.
      2. It smells fragrant.
      3. The top and edges are golden brown.
      4. A toothpick or paring knife comes out clean.
      5. The cake springs back when pressed gently.

      If you continue to have issues, please let us know, and we can continue to troubleshoot. Happy baking!

  2. I love this coffee cake, so full of delicious gingerbread flavor. I’ve made it twice now and I plan to make it more in the future. I baked it for 40 minutes. I didn’t have hazelnuts, so substituted pecans and it was perfect. The warming spices are perfect when it is chilly outside. Thank you for such a great recipe!

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