April 7, 2017

Quick coffee cake (Blitzkuchen)

Top view of a finished quick coffee cake.A delicious quick coffee cake that is perfect for a brunch, afternoon coffee or tea, or anytime you want an easy but yummy cake.

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This cake is one that is inspired by the Blitzkuchen recipe in The German Cookbook. Blitzkuchen, or "lightning cake", is a quick German butter or coffee cake. 

This coffee cake is one that I often make for Mother's Day brunch when we host it. It is always a hit and it disappears quickly.

Side view of a quick coffee cake on a cake stand.

Cake is always a nice treat to have when you get together with family and friends. This one is a perfect choice when you need something quick - it comes together easily and it doesn't contain many ingredients. Plus, even though it's simple in ingredients and effort, it's delicious and looks lovely.

To make this cake, you mix together the crumble topping in one bowl and then the cake batter ingredients in another bowl. No mixer is needed - this cake is all mixed by hand with a whisk and wooden spoon. 

I use walnuts in the topping for this coffee cake, but pecans would also be delicious. You can whichever you prefer or happen to have on hand. 

I feel like a crumble always makes a cake more delicious and a little bit extra special. It looks fancy and adds some extra texture and crunch.

Side view of a cut slice of quick coffee cake.

This cake is buttery and a little dense. The topping is full of cinnamon, sugar, and some chopped walnuts. It's perfect to serve with a hot cup of coffee or tea. It's also great to have on the side of a brunch with eggs, fruit, bacon, and whatever else you enjoy.

Don't be intimidated by making a coffee cake at home. This recipe is a great one to give a try if you are new to cake baking or baking in general.

Slice of baked quick coffee cake on a serving plate.
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Amy (Savory Moments)
Quick Coffee Cake (Blitzkuchen)

Quick Coffee Cake (Blitzkuchen)

Ingredients

For the crumb topping:
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the cake:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch cake pan (I used a springform cake pan).
  2. First make the topping. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar through cinnamon for the crumb topping. Then stir in the butter until combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour through salt for the cake batter. Cut the butter in using your fingertips until the resembles a fine crumb. Put a well in the center and add the eggs. Lightly whisk the eggs and whisk in the milk and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon to combine the batter.
  4. Spread the batter into the cake pan. Top with the crumb topping. Bake for approximately 25-28 minutes, until the top is golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  5. Let cool until you can handle it. Gently remove from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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I hope you give the quick coffee cake a try! Let me know in the comments below.

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Crumble topping on a baked quick coffee cake.

This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been updated in 2021 with a recipe card, new text, and more to improve reader experience.

Check out these other cake recipes:

Winter Grape & Citrus Upside Down Cake

Lemon Raspberry Buckle

Blueberry Buckle

Orange-scented Cranberry Cake w/ Sugared Cranberries
 

19 comments:

  1. I can never resist a streusel cake! This looks marvelous, Amy.

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  2. That's awesome you're teaching yourself German. Just got my daughter into violin lessons and I was shocked that using the suzuki method, the parents have to go to all the lessons and learn it too. It's like, um this is hard, I'm not actually a learning sponge these days! Anyhow, I love streusel....although the temptation to go and pick the top of this cake is almost unbearable. Streusel on the weekends with a cup of tea is the right way to start my day =)

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  3. Mmmm this coffee cake looks delicious!!! Totally going to have to make this for the guys at work!! Thanks for sharing on Friday Frenzy Link Party!! Xoxo

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  4. looks like a great coffee cake!!

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  5. I think it is wonderful that you are teaching yourselves and your children another language. We travel to Germany a lot and it is a difficult language for me. Your not too sweet coffee cake sounds like one I would like.

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  6. This looks delicious! And what a great idea, speaking another language around children. I was lucky enough to learn Spanish at a very early age and that made my life so much easier in school later on :).

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  7. Hi Amy, this is my kind of cake, love that it's not too sweet. I have this cookbook too and we have enjoyed everything so far.

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  8. That generous crumb topping sold me! What a lovely coffee cake!

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  9. Definitely 6 at our house! This looks terrific -- can never go wrong with a lovely crumb topping like that. Thanks!

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  10. This coffee cake looks delicious Amy, and it has really nice crumb...I sure would enjoy a slice of this cake with a cup of tea...

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  11. I love simple cakes like this one! I agree that it would be perfect with an afternoon cup of coffee...I wish I could have some right now. Looks delicious!

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  12. Cakes with crumbs are always a favorite of mine! Good luck with languages. I bet it helps to have someone to practice with. My son is quite good with languages and I'm not sure where he got it from!

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  13. Your cake looks wonderful - I love coffee cakes! I used to speak fluent German. I was brought up speaking English & German - my mom didn't speak much English. By the time I hit kindergarten I was mixing the two languages and ending up spending years in speech classes to speak proper English. I still know a little German but would like to speak more ♥

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  14. Amy - I love this recipe - it reminds me of my grandmother's coffee cake (which was German, even though she was French!). The recipe is long lost, so I want to try this and see if it takes me back in my mind to her flat in Boston.

    I saw that you live in Western New York - a place I hold dear in my heart. I went to school in Rochester (Eastman) and participated in a summer arts camp in Chautauqua several summers. Driving through the Finger Lakes was something I loved to do on a weekend. I miss it, especially in spring.

    Have a great day!

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    1. I hope that you try this recipe and it reminds you of your grandmothers'! How cool that you went to school in WNY. I, too, love the Finger lakes region. It's so pretty (plus lots of great wineries to try).

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  15. I love that you are learning German and trying to speak it around the house. I'll have to look for that book, I'd love to cook more recipes from Germany as much of my lineage hails from there. This looks like an excellent place to start!

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  16. I adore coffee cake- the easier and faster the better! Get in my belly!

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  17. This cake caught my eye over at the Easter Recipes blog party. Blitzkuchen, or cake in a flash, was my favorite cake with coffee at 5pm as it was tradition while I lived in Germany. Thanks for the fond memories your post brought up! Pinned to my Best World Recipes board. :)

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