This soft cinnamon streusel bread is made with a cinnamon sugar ribbon running through every slice, crunchy streusel topping, and a simple glaze on top. It's the ultimate easy fall baking recipe!
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This cinnamon streusel bread (you could also call it cinnamon streusel coffee cake or cinnamon streusel cake!) is another new favourite Fall recipes to make when you want to spend time at home making something warm and cozy.
Feel free to customize it to your liking. Leave out the glaze if you don't want it to be too sweet. Swirl the cinnamon sugar ribbon for a more swirly look. That's the joy of baking!
Why you'll love this recipe
- This cinnamon streusel bread is soft in the middle with crisp edges and a crunchy topping.
- There's tons of cinnamon sugar flavour in every slice.
- Loaf cakes are easy to make all in one pan.
- It's full of delicious Fall flavours! Your house will smell amazing as you bake this.
Tools
- 9x5" loaf pan - This is a standard loaf pan size. Another common size is 8.5x4.5" which you can also use for this recipe with no adjustments.
- Whisk - You don't need a hand mixer for this recipe! Yay! You'll just need a whisk or at least a spatula to mix the batter.
- Silicone spatula - This is a kitchen staple. My favourite kinds of spatulas are full silicone ones because they don't have any seams to trap food or wooden handle that can harbor mold. Silicone spatulas can withstand high heat so they're perfect for using on the stovetop as well.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter - Melt your butter in the microwave or on the stovetop before using it.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Oil - This loaf cake uses oil for a soft and moist crumb. It's also easier because you don't have to cream any butter. No electric mixer is needed!
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk makes baked goods extra soft and rich thanks to it's fat content and acidity. If you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute with whole milk and vinegar or lemon juice. See the recipe notes for more details.
- Powdered sugar
- Milk - You'll need just a tiny bit of milk to make the icing. Use any dairy or non-dairy milk you have on hand or even just water if you don't have milk.
How to make cinnamon streusel bread
For the streusel topping
Mix: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in melted butter and stir until it becomes a thick, crumbly paste. Set aside to let it cool and harden.
For the cinnamon sugar ribbon
Stir: In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
For the loaf cake
Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Mix dry mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Mix wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Pour in the buttermilk and whisk until combined.
Sift dry mixture into wet mixture: Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Use a spatula to fold it together until just combined into a lumpy batter.
Fill pan and add cinnamon sugar: Pour half of the batter into your lined loaf pan. Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar ribbon mixture on top of the batter in an even layer. Add the rest of the batter on top. Use a spatula to smooth the batter into the corners if needed.
Add streusel topping: Use your hands to crumble up the streusel topping into crumbs of varying sizes. Sprinkle them on top of the batter in an even layer.
Bake: Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30-45 minutes before lifting it out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool.
For the icing
Stir: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until it becomes a thick but pourable consistency. If it's too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a tiny bit more milk.
Drizzle: Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on top of the loaf before slicing and serving.
Storage
This cinnamon streusel bread can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If storing in the fridge, let it come back to room temperature or reheat until warm before serving.
Freezing
Leftovers can be frozen by placing them in an airtight container or wrapping them well with plastic wrap and freezing for up to 1 month.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for several hours. Always let it come back to room temperature or reheat until warm before serving.
Tips for success
- Prep all of the components separately. This recipe has a few separate components (streusel, cinnamon sugar, batter, icing). It'll be the easiest if you make them in the order that the recipe suggests and keep them in separate bowls until you're ready to use them. It's a couple of extra dishes but so much easier to grab and add to the recipe when needed.
- Leave parchment paper overhangs to easily lift the loaf out of the pan. I like to line my loaf pan with one single sheet of parchment paper that's long enough to hang over the edges of the pan. Secure the parchment to the pan with metal (not plastic!) binder clips. I don't bother lining the two shorter ends of the pan. When I need to remove the loaf from the pan, I run an offset spatula along the unlined edges if needed and then pull the loaf straight out with the excess parchment paper.
- Focus the streusel on the edges of the loaf. Too much streusel in the middle of the batter can weigh it down and cause the streusel to sink into the middle as it bakes. You should add an even layer of streusel to the top of the loaf but add any remaining streusel to the outer edges.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! You can use a mixture of milk and white vinegar or lemon juice. See the recipe notes for more details.
The most common loaf pan sizes are 9x5" and 8.5x4.5". This recipe is made for a 9x5" pan but you can also use an 8.5x4.5" pan with no adjustments to the recipe. Your loaf will just be taller. Pay attention when filling the pan with batter. It should be about ¾ full to leave room for it to rise and prevent it from overflowing.
More cinnamon recipes to try
Recipe
Cinnamon Streusel Bread
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
Streusel Topping
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted
Cinnamon Sugar RIbbon
- 50 g brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Loaf Cake
- 300 g all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 150 g light-tasting oil
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 250 g buttermilk
Icing
- 50 g powdered sugar
- 1 ¼ teaspoons milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Streusel Topping
- Mix: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in melted butter and stir until it becomes a thick, crumbly paste. Set aside to let it cool and harden.
Cinnamon Sugar Ribbon
- Stir: In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
Loaf Cake
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix wet mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil and granulated sugar until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Pour in the buttermilk and whisk until combined.
- Sift dry mixture into wet mixture: Use a fine mesh sieve to sift the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Use a spatula to fold it together until just combined into a lumpy batter.
- Fill pan and add cinnamon sugar: Pour half of the batter into your lined loaf pan. Sprinkle your cinnamon sugar ribbon mixture on top of the batter in an even layer. Add the rest of the batter on top. Use a spatula to smooth the batter into the corners if needed.
- Add streusel topping: Use your hands to crumble up the streusel topping into crumbs of varying sizes. Sprinkle them on top of the batter in an even layer.
- Bake: Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30-45 minutes before lifting it out of the pan and onto a wire rack to cool.
Icing
- Stir: In a small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until it becomes a thick but pourable consistency. If it's too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a tiny bit more milk.
- Drizzle: Use a spoon to drizzle the icing on top of the loaf before slicing and serving.
Jillian
really good!
Mary
Thank you for this recipe. I love how easy to make it and tastes really good! 🙂
Celine
omg this cinnamon streusel bread was so soft and i love how the streusel topping gave it the extra crunch!! the vanilla icing really completes this and it only lasted 3 days in my house.. def a fan favourite!!
Roanna
Why use oil instead of butter for this recipe?
Gail Ng
Baked goods made with oil tend to stay softer and more moist since butter hardens at room temp/in the fridge. And I was mostly just too lazy to melt or cream butter!