Glazed Chai Streusel Coffee Cake

The streusel topping is made with quick cooking oats, giving it a brown sugar oatmeal cookie-like texture and flavor, and it might be my favorite thing I've ever created. A slice of this cake served warm with your favorite cup of coffee is sure to give you all the best fall vibes. 

For more fall cake recipes, try Apple Spice Loaf with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting, Gingerbread Bundt Cake, and Apple Cider Bundt Cake.

Ingredient Notes

• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need about 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour. 
• Baking Soda: Test the freshness of your baking soda by mixing a little in some vinegar. 
• Baking Powder: Test the freshness of your baking powder by mixing a little in some water. 
• Unsalted Butter: In total, you'll need a little less than three sticks of butter for this recipe. It's a lot, but it's so worth it.
• Brown Sugar: You'll need brown sugar in every element of this recipe. I used light brown sugar, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• Eggs: You'll need 3 eggs at room temperature for this recipe. 
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds a wonderful depth of flavor that you don't want to skip out on.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk is a key ingredient in coffee cake, giving it moisture and it's signature flavor. 
• Chai Spices: I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom for both the chai cinnamon swirl and streusel topping. 
• Oats: Used quick cooking oats for a brown sugar oatmeal cookie-like streusel topping. 
• Powdered Sugar: You'll a little powdered sugar for the glaze. 

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this glazed chai streusel coffee cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the swirl and topping. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and spices. Add in the cubed cold butter and mix into the sugar and spices with your fingers. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated. Place chai cinnamon swirl the fridge until ready to use. In another medium bowl, combine the oats, sugars, and spices. Add in the cubed cold butter and mix with your fingers until the butter is fully incorporated. Place streusel topping in the fridge until ready to use. 

STEP 2: Make the coffee cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time, then the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake pan, then sprinkle the chai cinnamon swirl around evenly. Pour the rest of the batter on top and gently spread out evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake for 25 minutes. Then, remove and quickly add the streusel topping, gently pressing it into the top of the cake. Bake the cake for another 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool and drizzle glaze on top before serving.

Expert Baking Tips

• I recommend making the chai cinnamon swirl and streusel topping before making the cake batter, so it's all ready to go when you need it. 
• Use a large piece of parchment paper to line the cake pan, leaving the edges sticking out for easy removal of the cake. 
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing, or it may fall apart.

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x