Most years, I’m in charge of Christmas morning breakfast/brunch. Some Christmas morning favorites at my house include the classic sausage and egg casserole, overnight grits casserole, overnight French toast casserole and if I’m feeling extra generous, maybe some of my homemade biscuits and gingerbread loaves. My mom and I also love sipping on a poinsettia cocktail, it’s so pretty and festive! Today though, I’m excited to share with you this stunning Christmas Coffee Cake. It just announces itself as a special occasion! It’s loaded with warm spices from cinnamon to nutmeg to cloves and ginger, it’s studded with dried cherries for a festive twist and it’s got two layers of the most delicious, nutty streusel. Plus, it’s got a thick, rich glaze that beautifully drips down over top. And of course, I’ve got some extra fun, though optional, toppings if you want to finish this off. Cause it’s the holidays! Also, this smells simply divine as it’s baking. It’ll get you in the spirit for sure! Everyone is going to be happily snacking on this while opening presents and fixing brunch. It’s also the perfect pairing for your coffee as you’re trying to wake up. (I know I’m not the only one whose kids get up well before the sun on Christmas morning.) OK, let’s get baking. Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make Christmas coffee cake. Just tryin’ to be helpful. I’ve also tested this recipe multiple, multiple times to try out a few different things and I want to share what I’ve learned. It’s all about ensuring YOU have success in your kitchen, too. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Nuts: The streusel calls for pecans or walnuts and if you love a nutty flavor, lightly toast them before you chop them. You could also swap in some shelled pistachios for a green vibe and different festive sort of note. Cherries: We are using dried cherries in the batter. You’ll need 1 (5-ounce) bag. And be sure to toss them with flour so they don’t all just sink to the bottom. Sour cream: This gives the coffee cake it’s signature tang as well as adding tons of richness and moisture to the cake. I highly encourage you to go with the full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. Butter: I use and prefer unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the amount of sodium. If all you have is salted, that’s fine, just reduce the amount of salt in the cake batter to ½ teaspoon. Sugar: You’ll need brown sugar (light or dark is fine) for the streusel and also white granulated sugar for the cake batter. Oh, and powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar for the glaze. Heavy cream: I highly recommend using heavy cream for the glaze on top. It makes a thicker glaze than you can achieve with a skim or 2% milk. It’s the holidays, let’s go all in.
Now, this coffee cake is a beautiful thing to behold all on its own. Especially with that thick, rich glaze on top that’s just dotted with specks of orange zest. But if you really want to take this over the top, or just make it extra festive, I’ve got a few additional topping ideas for you.
Toppings/Garnishes:
Add some maraschino cherries on the top to reinforce the cherry flavor on the inside. Swap out the glaze here for a cinnamon spiced glaze to add extra warm flavors. Chop up some red and green candied jelly pieces to sprinkle on the glaze and have stick to the top as a festive look. Or use some candied orange peel for an elegant finisher. My kids will also tell you that you can add red and green sprinkles to anything and make it more Christmas-y.
So many options! OK, as mentioned, I’ve made this several times and in a few different ways. Here are some of my best tips so you can have your coffee cake turn out beautifully.
Tips and Tricks:
It’s important to butter and flour your bundt pan REALLY well! It’s so sad to flip the cake and have chunks of it stuck in the pan. The glaze can help cover some mess ups but better to take the time to prepare the pan. Also, I don’t recommend nonstick spray here, it did not work well for me. Be sure to divide the streusel and the cake batter to create different layers. You’ll start by putting half the streusel in the bottom of the bundt pan. Then add ⅓ to ½ of the cake batter. Smooth it out and sprinkle evenly with the remaining streusel. Finish by adding the rest of the cake batter and smoothing it out again. This coffee cake is perfectly done for me at 65 minutes, but check yours at 55 or 60 minutes to make sure it’s not finished early. Let the coffee cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely. It’s hard to be patient, but the cake must be completely cooled before you add the glaze. If your cake breaks when you turn it out, don’t despair. Just try and get any chunks out of the pan and back onto the cake. And then use your glaze to cover it up. Add enough heavy cream to make the glaze pourable, so it can cover the top of the coffee cake and drip down the sides a bit. But don’t add too much, it shouldn’t be runny or it won’t set up. If adding any toppings, be sure they are ready to go so you can sprinkle them on and have them stick to the glaze before it sets up.
Last thing, let’s tackle some common questions about making this in advance and storing any leftovers. I hope this delicious coffee cake will help make your December a little more festive. And I hope it’s a safe, warm and happy holiday season for you. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn Nuts: The streusel calls for pecans or walnuts and if you love a nutty flavor, lightly toast them before you chop them. You could also swap in some shelled pistachios for a green vibe and different festive sort of note. Cherries: We are using dried cherries in the batter. You’ll need 1 (5-ounce) bag. And be sure to toss them with flour so they don’t all just sink to the bottom. Sour cream: This gives the coffee cake it’s signature tang as well as adding tons of richness and moisture to the cake. I highly encourage you to go with the full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. Butter: I use and prefer unsalted butter in my baking so I can control the amount of sodium. If all you have is salted, that’s fine, just reduce the amount of salt in the cake batter to ½ teaspoon. Sugar: You’ll need brown sugar (light or dark is fine) for the streusel and also white granulated sugar for the cake batter. Oh, and powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar for the glaze. Heavy cream: I highly recommend using heavy cream for the glaze on top. It makes a thicker glaze than you can achieve with a skim or 2% milk. It’s the holidays, let’s go all in. Make ahead: Because this takes a long time to bake and also needs to cool for a couple of hours, it’s a great candidate of a breakfast treat to make ahead of time. Make it up to 1-2 days in advance and store at room temperature. Storing: Coffee cake will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also refrigerate it to extend the shelf life. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freezing: You can also freeze leftovers of this coffee cake. Wrap slices of the tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap in aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Label and date it then freeze for up to 4 months.
