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Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Coffee Cake

Cinnamon sugar zucchini coffee cake with a thick, crumbly cinnamon brown sugar streusel topping and a tender, sliceable zucchini cake. This easy coffee cake bakes up golden with visible swirl layers and a soft crumb under the streusel.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Streusel
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9 baking pan. Make sure the pan is fully coated so the coffee cake releases cleanly.
  2. Make the streusel by mixing flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until crumbly, then refrigerate so the crumbs stay thick.
Mix the cake
  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon for the cake in a bowl until evenly blended. You should see no visible streaks of spices.
  2. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and cohesive.
  3. Stir in grated squeezed zucchini. Mix just until it’s evenly distributed.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stop when the last flour disappears to keep the crumb tender.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the batter into the greased 9x9 baking pan and spread it into an even layer. The surface should be level before adding streusel.
  2. Sprinkle half the streusel over the top and swirl lightly. Use a gentle motion so streaks show when sliced.
  3. Top with the remaining streusel so the entire surface is covered. Press very lightly so the crumbs adhere.
  4. Bake for 35–42 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. The top should be golden and the streusel should look set, not wet.
  5. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting. This rest helps the zucchini coffee cake slice cleanly with visible layers.

Notes

For the thickest streusel, keep the butter cold and refrigerate the crumbs before sprinkling. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; freeze slices up to 2 months. For a lower-fat option, use low-fat sour cream (texture remains tender) while keeping the zucchini well squeezed dry.