A Coffee Cake for Spring Weekends
Light, Simple, and Built for Lemon and Berry Season
This coffee cake has been in our regular rotation since fall, and it turns out it doesn’t need much convincing to work in spring. The base — buttery, tender, with that oat streusel on top — is the kind of recipe that holds up no matter the season. What changes is what you fold into it.
Right now, that means lemon zest, fresh strawberries, and the first rhubarb of the year. The batter is forgiving enough to handle whatever fruit you have on hand, and the streusel stays crisp even with juicy additions.
If you’re hosting brunch this weekend or just want something good on the counter for Saturday morning, this is the one to make.
Spring and Summer Variations to Try
Lemon Blueberry: Fold 1 cup fresh blueberries and 1 Tbsp lemon zest into the batter. Add 1 tsp lemon zest to the streusel.
Strawberry Rhubarb: Fold in ¾ cup diced strawberries and ½ cup diced rhubarb. The tartness of the rhubarb balances the sweet streusel well.
Peach Vanilla: Fold in 1 cup diced fresh peaches and increase vanilla to 1½ tsp. Works equally well with canned peaches, well-drained.
Raspberry Almond: Fold in 1 cup fresh raspberries and replace ¼ tsp of the nutmeg in the streusel with almond extract added to the batter.
Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 2 Tbsp poppy seeds and 2 tsp lemon zest to the batter. Finish with a simple lemon glaze (whisk ¾ cup powdered sugar + 2–3 Tbsp lemon juice) once cool.
Cinnamon Oatmeal Coffee Cake
Serves 12-16
For the Batter:
1¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1¼ cups sour cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2¼ cups (270g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
For the Streusel:
1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions:
Preheat the oven: Preheat to 350°F and line a 13” × 9” pan with parchment paper.
Beat the sugars and butter: In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the eggs and dairy: Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until just combined.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated.
Make the streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour, oats, melted butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until combined and crumbly.
Assemble: Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Top with half the streusel. Add the remaining batter, spreading to the edges, then top with the remaining streusel.
Bake: Bake 50–55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool: Cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
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Cari Ann Carter is the best-selling author of Are Your Roots Right? Rightsize Your Space. Reclaim Your Life. and a multi-faceted entrepreneur with a passion for intentional living, design, and home.
She leads the Cari Ann Carter Group, bringing over 28 years of experience in real estate, design, build, and renovation, and is the creative voice behind DIY Designer Homestead.
Through Fresh Roots Living, she shares practical ideas for cooking, gardening, entertaining, and creating a home that supports your next chapter.