Fresh orange juice replaces milk in this soft and moist Orange Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping, giving it a bright and sunny flavor.

This is a flavorful baked treat to break out of the winter woes. 

Orange Coffee Cake - Served on White Plate with Orange Juice and Streusel Crumb Topping

I love coffee cakes of all kinds and always have, but I really love the unique flavor here.

This recipe uses a substantial amount of orange juice in the recipe (1 cup for an 8×8 pan!), so you can actually taste the orange juice in the cake.

The cake is moist, not overly sweet, and has a bright, citrusy flavor from the orange juice.

Coffee Cake - On White Dish With Orange Juice in the Background and Streusel Topping

It’s all topped off with my favorite way to finish all my coffee cakes: a streusel crumb topping.

It’s simple to make, mixed together from flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and good quality butter.

How to Make Streusel Topping:

Start the coffee cake by making the cinnamon streusel topping.

In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon:

Streusel Topping - In Glass Bowl consisting of flour, sugar, and cinnamon

Whisk together to combine, then add one stick of cold, cubed butter:

Cold cubed butter Added for Streusel Topping Recipe

Use your fingertips to break down the butter cubes and rub them into the flour sugar mixture, until you end up with small clumps:

How to Make Streusel By Mixing Butter with your fingertips

Store the streusel topping in the refrigerator while you make the orange coffee cake:

Cinnamon, Sugar, and Butter Crumb Mixture for topping coffee cake

How to Make Orange Coffee Cake:

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and combined:

Whipped Butter and Sugar in Glass Bowl

Mix in 3 eggs, one at a time, then mix in a dollop of sour cream:

Adding Sour Cream to Batter in Glass Bowl

Next combine the dry ingredients, which is flour, baking powder and salt:

Dry Ingredients in Metal Mixing Bowl

Add half the dry ingredients to the wet:

Adding flour to the wet ingredients

Mix that in, then add a 1/2 cup of orange juice:

Orange Juice Cake - Adding Fresh Orange Juice to the Batter

Repeat this process again with the remaining half of the dry ingredients and the orange juice, then pour the batter into a greased and floured 8×8 pan:

Pouring the Coffee Cake Batter Into a Floured 8x8 Pan

Grab the streusel crumb topping from the refrigerator and evenly spread it out over the top of the batter:

Spreading Crumb Topping on Top With Fingers

Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, and the top is golden brown:

Orange Juice Cake - Fully Baked in Metal Square Baking Dish with Orange Juice in Background

Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve:

Orange Coffee Cake Square on White Plate

Serve the coffee cake with your favorite morning beverage. I usually pair the cake with a glass of orange juice to echo the flavors in the cake.

Pecan Sticky Buns, English Style Scones, and Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins are a few more of my favorite treats to bake for brunch. Enjoy!

Piece of Orange Coffee Cake on White Plate

Orange Coffee Cake with Streusel Crumb Topping

Servings: 9 (one 8x8 pan)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Fresh orange juice replaces milk in this soft, moist coffee cake, giving it a bright and sunny flavor reminiscent of summertime.
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Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the Orange Coffee Cake:

  • 1 teaspoon butter for greasing the pan
  • 1 tablespoon flour for greasing the pan
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup orange juice (I recommend pulp free)

Instructions 

  • To make the streusel crumb topping, in a bowl, whisk to combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter cubes to the bowl, and use your fingertips to break down the butter pieces and rub them into the flour mixture, until small clumps form. Keep in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8×8″ metal cake pan, and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy and combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each egg in well before adding the next. Add the sour cream and mix until combined.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the butter egg mixture, and mix until combined. Then add half of the orange juice, and mix until combined. Mix in the remaining half of the dry ingredients, then the remaining orange juice.
  • Pour the coffee cake batter into the greased and floured pan, then evenly spread the streusel crumb topping all over the top of the batter. Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  • Let the cake cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, then enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 256mg, Potassium: 235mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 37g, Vitamin A: 818IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 79mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Fifteen Spatulas

Post originally published in March 2016. Updated in December 2019.