Sourdough Coffee Cake with walnut streusel is made with active sourdough starter and enriched with butter, milk and eggs. The brown sugar crumb topping and vanilla glaze are the crowning glory of this special breakfast (or dessert) treat.

If you don’t already have one, I can show you how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
A timeline for making Sourdough Coffee Cake:
- If your starter needs feeding, do that the night before or early in the morning of the day you want to make the dough.
- Mix the dough in the afternoon. Allow it to ferment at room temperature all day.
- While the dough ferments, make the streusel and crumb topping.
- In the evening, roll the dough and shape the coffee cake. Place the cake into the pan and refrigerate before going to bed.
- Take the pan out first thing in the morning and let it come to room temperature to finish rising (about 1 – 1 1/2 hours).
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping onto the cake and bake.
- You can have warm coffee cake for breakfast or brunch.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make a Sourdough Coffee Cake:






FAQs about making Sourdough Coffee Cake:
Yes, the dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The night before you want to bake, roll the dough and form the cake. Refrigerate overnight and bake in the morning.
Yes, start the dough early in the morning and skip the refrigeration step.
Yes, you can use any other nut in it’s place or eliminate the nuts all-together. You’ll have less filling if you don’t use any nuts.
Yes. After shaping it into a ring, you can set the cake on a parchment lined baking sheet. The cake may rise more out than up on a sheet pan.
It really is best the day that it is baked.
Yes! Slice the cake. Wrap each slice individually and store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also wrap and freeze the entire cake.
Yes, Just wrap the slice in foil and reheat in a 200°F oven until slightly warm. To rewarm the entire cake, allow it to defrost then warm in a 200°F oven.


Try these other fabulous coffee cake recipes: Peach & Pecan Coffee Cake, Banana Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Coffee Cake, Blueberry Crumb Coffee Cake.
Since you’ve got your starter fed, peruse the entire list of My Best Sourdough Recipes. Have fun!
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.
Sourdough Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- 4 oz whole milk (½ cup, warmed to 100°F)
- 10 oz all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 3 oz granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
- 2 oz unsalted butter (melted and cooled to room temperature)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Streusel
- 3 oz brown sugar (⅓ cup)
- 3 oz granulated sugar (⅓ cup)
- 4 oz walnuts (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 2.5 oz all purpose flour (½ cup)
- 2 oz unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
Assembly
- 1 egg (for egg wash)
- 4 oz confectioner’s sugar (1 cup)
- 1 oz whole milk (2 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, combine 8 oz active sourdough starter, 4 oz whole milk and 1 cup of the flour. Mix until it forms a thick batter. Cover the bowl and set aside for 30-60 minutes.
- Add 3 oz granulated sugar, 2 oz unsalted butter (melted & cooled), 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon cinnamon to the bowl. Mix on low speed to combine. If working on a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook. With the mixer running, add the remaining flour until the dough gathers on the hook and clears the sides of the bowl. If working by hand mix as much flour as you can with the spoon, then finish kneading in the rest of the flour by hand. If the dough is very sticky sprinkle in a little more flour as you knead.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead to a smooth ball. The dough should be soft and silky.
- Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the dough. Cover the bowl and set it aside at room temperature.
- After 60 minutes uncover the bowl, lift one side of the dough and fold it into the middle of the dough. Repeat with the other three sides of the dough then flip the dough over. You're basically turning the dough inside-out to redistribute the yeast. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes repeat the procedure again. Cover the bowl and after 60 minutes the dough should be ready to shape. The dough should be lively and aerated. If it still seems sluggish give it some more time to ferment. The total time will vary based on dough temp, air temp and how active your starter was.
- While the dough ferments, prepare the streusel.
Prepare the Streusel/Crumb Topping
- Combine 3 oz brown sugar, 3 oz granulated sugar, 4 oz walnuts, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon table salt in a food processor. Process until the nuts are chopped coarsely but not ground to a powder. Remove 2/3 cup for filling and set it aside.
- Add 2.5 oz all purpose flour and 2 oz unsalted butter to the remaining streusel and process until it forms clumps. Set it aside to use later as the crumb topping.
Assembly
- Generously butter a 10" tube pan. Roll the dough to a 12"x 16"rectangle. Brush the surface of the dough with egg wash. Sprinkle the streusel over the dough. Roll the dough into a log, pinch the seam to seal.
- Bring the two ends of the log together to form a ring. Pinch the ends together.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan. Cover the pan and place the cake in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, take the cake out of the refrigerator. The cake should rise in the refrigerator overnight, but it is probably not fully proofed. It should be almost doubled in volume. Leave the cake at room temperature to finish rising, it may take 1-1.5 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 °F. To speed up the rising you can put the pan in the oven, VERY BRIEFLY, while it's just starting to warm up.
- Brush the surface of the cake with egg wash. Grab large chunks of the crumb topping and break them into smaller chunks over the surface of the cake.
- Bake until the cake is well risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes. You can use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be about 200 °F.
- Cool the cake for 20 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Combine 4 oz confectioner’s sugar with 1 oz whole milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to form an icing with the texture of thin pancake batter. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and allow it to set.
Equipment
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Jim Kelleher
Monday 21st of August 2023
Absolutely delicious. Better than the local bakery.
Rosanna
Monday 30th of May 2022
I have made this Coffee Cake recipe a couple of times and now I don't have any sourdough. How would I make this recipe using yeast? Would I use 112 gr of water and 112 gr of flour in place of 224 gr of sourdough and add proofed yeast?
Eileen Gray
Tuesday 31st of May 2022
Yes, that should work.
Marsha
Wednesday 15th of September 2021
I would like to add some shredded apple in the streusel layer- Has anyone tried this?
Eileen Gray
Thursday 16th of September 2021
I haven't tried it so I couldn't say exactly the results you'd get. I think as long as you don't overdo it it would probably be ok. If you try it let us know how it works.
Miranda
Thursday 29th of April 2021
Hi! I had a problem like a few bakers I’ve seen here in that the dough seemed way too wet. I added 50-60g more flour, and trusted that it would “see the light” as it fermented and underwent the stretch and folds. Sure enough, it was a *beautiful* dough by it was ready to shape!
I will be adding this to my go-to recipes. The long fermentation and generous quantity of starter are very satisfying (it’s for-real sourdough!) and contribute great flavor. Lovely recipe. It was my first from your site, and I’m looking forward to making more.
Eileen Gray
Thursday 29th of April 2021
Yes, it's hard to appreciate how the dough transforms during fermentation until you see it. That's why sourdough is endlessly fascinating.
Valli
Friday 5th of June 2020
Made these today,but made them as cinnamon buns omitting walnuts.They came out so well,this is going to be made on repeat.Thank you for the recipe :)
Eileen Gray
Friday 5th of June 2020
You are welcome.