Cake Mix Coffee Cake

This yellow cake mix coffee cake boasts a wonderfully moist texture and a delicious vanilla and cinnamon flavor in every bite, along with crunchy pecans.

Also try coffee cake muffins, old-fashioned gingerbread cake, limoncello bundt cake, cake mix mug cake, or rainbow layer cake.

Why You’ll Love It

Easy:  It’s a very straightforward recipe with basic ingredients that any home baker should be able to whip up with ease, even those who don’t bake much.
Delicious: If you love vanilla, pecans, and cinnamon, then you’re going to love this tasty coffee cake.
Great for Company: Offer anyone a slice of this homemade cake and they are sure to be impressed!

Cake Mix Coffee Cake Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Sour cream: This is a great ingredient to use in coffee cake, as it makes it moister than if you were to use water or milk.
Yellow cake mix: Offering a handy shortcut, yellow cake mix is a useful ingredient to have. Feel free to substitute white cake mix if you want.
Eggs: To achieve a cake-like texture.
Light brown sugar: For sweetness. White sugar would work in the place of brown, so use whichever you like.
Chopped pecans: For flavor and crunch. If you’re not a pecan fan, you can sub walnuts or hazelnuts, or else just omit the nuts altogether.
Powdered sugar: For the glaze. Granulated sugar would be too grainy, so you need powdered sugar, which is also known as icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
Vanilla extract: This delicious sweet ingredient adds a lovely flavor to the cake and also to the glaze.

How to Make Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Mix

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Make the cake mix batter: Whisk together the boxed cake mix, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream.
Make the streusel topping: Whisk the flour, melted butter, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and pecans, and then blend using a pastry cutter or fork.
Assemble the cake: Put half the cake mix in a parchment paper lined, greased 9×13-inch baking pan and top with half the streusel topping mix, then repeat these layers, finishing with the streusel mixture.
Bake the delicious coffee cake: Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until done, then cool completely.
Make the glaze (optional): Stir the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract together with a fork or spoon and drizzle over the top of the cooled coffee cake.

Substitutions and Variations

Gluten-free option:  If you want a gluten-free version, Pillsbury, King Arthur, and Better Crocker all make gluten-free yellow cake mix (see here for options) and you can use your preferred GF flour alternative in the recipe as well.
Try a different cake mix: White cake mix would also work, although the coffee cake would lose that sunny yellow color.
Change up the flavors: Feel free to swap the vanilla extract for another flavor or the cinnamon for nutmeg if you prefer.

Serving Suggestions

Drinks:  Coffee cake gets its name from pairing beautifully with a cup of coffee, so you might like to make whipped dalgona coffee, crockpot latte, or Irish Cream coffee. This copycat Starbucks cinnamon dolce latte is also good, as is the iced white chocolate mocha.

How to Store Shortcut Coffee Cake

Store:  Keep leftovers covered and refrigerated and they should last for 4 days. If kept at room temperature, the cake will keep for up to 3 days.
Freeze:  Cut the cake into servings and freeze the servings. That way you only have to thaw out what you need. The coffee cake will freeze for up to 6 months.
Thaw:  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or, if you’re in a rush, on the countertop.