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What Is Cake Mix Coffee Cake?

Patti Kate
Patti Kate

Cake mix coffee cake is a mix of ingredients such as flour, sugar, and cinnamon, used for making a sweet breakfast treat. Commonly found on store shelves, the pre-packaged cake mix takes little time to prepare. Only a few other ingredients, such as butter and milk, are typically required to make a store-bought cake mix coffee cake. The coffee cake is often enjoyed with a morning or mid-day cup of coffee. A sweet and crumbly texture is what gives coffee cake its distinctive flavor.

Although coffee cake may be homemade from scratch, many people choose a cake mix coffee cake for convenience. Since the flavorings, such as cinnamon, ground nutmeg and pecans, may be in the mix, all that is needed to bake the cake is generally milk and eggs. Store bought cake mix coffee cake may also come packaged with a disposable baking pan.

A bowl of sour cream can be used to make a moist cake mix coffee cake.
A bowl of sour cream can be used to make a moist cake mix coffee cake.

While most cakes are layered and frosted, coffee cake traditionally does not have icing. Instead, most coffee cakes are topped with a crumbly sweet mixture known as streusel. A cake mix coffee cake may be made with a golden yellow cake or chocolate. Some coffee cake mixes also include a can of fruit filling to be blended into the mixture before baking.

Coffee cake is typically sweet and crumbly.
Coffee cake is typically sweet and crumbly.

The origin of coffee cake is not clear, although most believe it is an American recipe. It is often served at cafes and breakfast eateries, with coffee, tea, or hot cocoa. Some prefer coffee cake with a hot beverage for a light brunch, or for an afternoon coffee break.

Other than white flour and brown sugar, cake mix coffee cake often includes malted wheat flour and baking powder. In addition, there are variations to the traditional coffee cake mix. For instance, sour cream coffee cake mix is a moister variety. Maple nut coffee cake mix is another variety that can be made with walnut or pecans. In addition, maple flavoring will be added to the cake mix.

A cake mix for coffee cake will usually contain all the necessary dry ingredients, such as flour and baking powder.
A cake mix for coffee cake will usually contain all the necessary dry ingredients, such as flour and baking powder.

Some people prefer to add a homemade glaze to a cake mix coffee cake. This can easily be done with simple ingredients, such as milk, powdered or confectioners' sugar, and butter. The glaze ingredients may be heated in a microwave and drizzled over the coffee cake while still warm.

A coffee cake mix is typically prepared in a large mixing bowl, either made of plastic or metal. Most coffee cakes are baked in a round, rectangular or Bundt® cake pan. The cake will be baked in the oven for under an hour, according to the oven temperature setting.

Discussion Comments

Lostnfound

I know some people who are a little snooty about using mixes, but I have no such reservations. I can make a great coffee cake if I have time, but I so rarely have time.

I always make little tweaks to the mix, like adding extra vanilla or cinnamon and maybe a dash of allspice, so my coffee cake tastes more homemade, and most people have no idea it's from a mix, at all.

I'm always on the lookout for a quick coffee cake recipe, but so far, I haven't found anything that's much quicker than using a mix, since I don't have to buy extra things like pecans and brown sugar, if it's already in the mix.

Grivusangel

Most cake mixes also include recipes on how to make a coffee cake from that mix itself. It's usually on a yellow cake mix where you find these recipes.

A coffee cake mix is definitely an easy way to go when you know you need something like a coffee cake, but either do not know how to make a coffee cake, or don't have time to make one, a mix is a life saver.

Cake mixes are so much better now than they used to be. It's hard to mess one up, and if you don't bake them too long, then they almost always turn out like you want them to.

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    • A bowl of sour cream can be used to make a moist cake mix coffee cake.
      A bowl of sour cream can be used to make a moist cake mix coffee cake.
    • Coffee cake is typically sweet and crumbly.
      By: cobraphoto
      Coffee cake is typically sweet and crumbly.
    • A cake mix for coffee cake will usually contain all the necessary dry ingredients, such as flour and baking powder.
      By: Yevgen Kotyukh
      A cake mix for coffee cake will usually contain all the necessary dry ingredients, such as flour and baking powder.
    • Coffee cake may be served alongside a cup of coffee.
      By: amenic181
      Coffee cake may be served alongside a cup of coffee.