Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake brings together a tender, buttery crumb and the cozy flavor of cinnamon and brown sugar. A ribbon of streusel runs through the cake, while a crisp layer on top gives each slice a little contrast.
Sour cream helps keep the cake moist, and whole milk rounds out the batter. Careful layering gives you cinnamon streusel throughout without losing the shape and texture that make a Bundt cake special.
What gives this Bundt cake its tender crumb
Softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar form the cake’s rich base. Beating them until light and fluffy helps create a smooth batter, while room-temperature eggs, sour cream, and whole milk blend in more easily. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing each in before adding the next.
Sour cream brings a gentle tang and a tender texture. Baking powder and baking soda work with the other ingredients to give the cake lift. Whisk them with the flour and salt first so they’re distributed evenly; then alternate the dry mixture with the sour cream and milk, mixing on low just until combined. A few careful scrapes around the bowl help catch any flour without overmixing.
Keep the cinnamon streusel in distinct layers
The streusel combines flour, packed light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, salt, and melted unsalted butter. Stir until coarse crumbs form. You want a crumbly mixture that can be scattered across the batter, rather than a smooth paste.
Layering is what creates the ribbon: start with some streusel at the bottom of the prepared pan, add part of the batter, then scatter the remaining streusel before covering it with the rest of the batter. Spread the batter gently so you don’t disturb the cinnamon layer. Vanilla powder flavors the cake without adding liquid to the batter.
Prepare the pan and cool the cake carefully
A Bundt pan’s grooves give the cake its shape, but they also make it important to grease every part of the interior thoroughly. Take care around the center tube and into each groove so the cake can release cleanly after baking.
Follow the recipe card for the pan size, oven temperature, and baking time. Check doneness with a wooden skewer: it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan for the card’s specified time before inverting it onto a wire rack. Turning it out too soon can make it fragile, while cooling longer in the pan can make sticking more likely. Let it cool further before slicing so the crumb and streusel have time to settle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know when the Bundt cake is done?
Insert a wooden skewer into the cake and check what comes out. It should be clean or have a few moist crumbs. Use the baking time on the recipe card as a guide, since the skewer test helps you judge doneness.
Why should the butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk be at room temperature?
Room-temperature ingredients blend into the batter more easily. This helps you mix the butter and sugar base smoothly with the eggs and dairy, then incorporate the dry ingredients without overmixing.
How can you help the cake release from the Bundt pan?
Grease the pan generously, including its center tube and grooves. After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for the time listed on the recipe card, then invert it onto a wire rack. Cooling longer in the pan can make sticking more likely.
Cinnamon Streusel Bundt Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
slices25
minutes1
hour540
kcal2
hours40
minutesThis Bundt cake has a cinnamon streusel ribbon inside and a crisp crumb topping. Sour cream keeps the cake moist and tender.
Ingredients
- Cinnamon streusel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, getting into all the grooves.
- Make the streusel: stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in the melted butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the cake. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla powder.
- Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and milk in two additions. Mix on low just until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Sprinkle about one-third of the streusel evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon in half the batter and spread it gently. Scatter the remaining streusel over the batter, then top with the remaining batter and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 60 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out; cooling longer can make it more likely to stick.
