Julie Clark
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Butterscotch Coffee Cake
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The best butterscotch coffee cake with cinnamon streusel topping made with a boxed yellow cake mix and pudding mixes. I call this cake the diet killer. I simply cannot resist it!
A few months ago we were focusing on eating healthy, which for us means less sugar. I made this butterscotch coffee cake with pecan streusel, took it to church to share with friends and started home with several pieces left. Although I resisted having any at church just fine, I totally caved as soon as I got in the car. We devoured those remaining pieces of butterscotch cake before we left the parking lot. It’s that good.
This easy butterscotch coffee cake is a super moist cake with a most delicious cinnamon butterscotch flavor. It’s easy because it starts with a box cake mix and pudding mixes (just like our pistachio bread), which give it the ultimate flavor and moistness. This butterscotch coffee cake is quick when you are short on time but craving homemade flavor.
Reader Feedback:
Melanie says, “We made this butterscotch coffee cake recipe yesterday. It is so delicious with the crunch of the pecans and the cake is the perfect texture. Today, we warmed up some caramel sauce to drizzle over the top and it brought the cake to a whole new level. My son said it tasted like a cinnamon roll. Thanks for the new recipe!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It does smell like cinnamon rolls while it is baking and will have your family waiting anxiously. This is the perfect cake for breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients:
- Yellow cake mix. Or spice cake, or white cake mix. The recipe is versatile!
- Instant pudding. Switch up the flavors of pudding if you’d like, but I recommend a box of vanilla and a box of butterscotch.
- Vegetable oil. Or melted coconut oil for a flavor twist.
- Pecans. Chopped walnuts do the trick in a pinch.
✨ See the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredients. ✨
How to Make Butterscotch Coffee Cake in 4 Steps
- Using a hand mixer, mix the dry cake mix, eggs, water, oil and dry pudding mixes together in a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans to make the streusel.
- Grease a 9×13″ pan and pour in ½ the cake batter. Sprinkle ½ of the streusel topping over the cake batter. Repeat the remaining batter, ending with the streusel on top.
- Bake at 325ºF or 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy the smell of cinnamon coming from your oven while this cake bakes! I wish I could magically wake up to this kind of breakfast every morning. It’s a family favorite, a second only to our pie crust cinnamon rolls!
A Drizzle of Glaze
They cake is perfect without it, but if you’d like to add some color contrast, whip up a quick powdered sugar glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or whole milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Whisk until smooth, then drizzle away.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Although this butterscotch cake recipe is delicious warm from the oven, I also think it is one of those recipes that gets more mouth-watering as it sits. Don’t be afraid to make this up ahead a day in advance. It will still be soft and moist the next morning.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Variations
- Make this cake in a bundt cake pan. Layer the ingredients in opposite order in a greased bundt pan: streusel, cake batter, streusel, cake batter.
- Add 1 cup butterscotch chips for the ultimate in butterscotch flavor.
- Top with ice cream and butterscotch sauce.
Other Recipes to Love
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy our:
Easy Butterscotch Coffee Cake
The best butterscotch coffee cake with cinnamon streusel topping made with a boxed yellow cake mix and pudding mixes. You’ll love how easy this is!
Servings 15 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix (dry) 15.25 ounces
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 small package instant butterscotch pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
Topping:
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease a 9×13″ cake pan with cooking spray.
- Mix the dry cake mix, eggs, water, oil and dry pudding mixes together in a stand mixer for 2-3 minutes. (Or use a large bowl with an electric mixer.) 1 box yellow cake mix, 4 large eggs, 1 cup water, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 small package instant butterscotch pudding mix, 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans to make the streusel. ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Pour ½ of the cake batter in a prepared pan. Sprinkle ½ of the cinnamon mixture over the cake batter. Repeat the layers, ending with streusel on top of the cake.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Video
Notes
To make a powdered sugar glaze, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or whole milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1mg
I strive to make all homemade cakes, cookies, and desserts, as I work out of a commercial kitchen for an international hotel and conference center. If I find a fairly standard recipe for a scratch cake and utilize your pudding ingredients for the filling, do you suppose that would work well…bypassing the inclusion of cake mix?
Also, we keep whole milk in our commercial coolers…what do you think about substituting whole milk for all your cake recipes calling for 2% milk?
Does this coffee cake really need two boxes of instant pudding mix? I have made cakes using pudding mix but only one. I love butterscotch and hope I can find the pudding in that flavor.
Rich, rich and rich! Don’t use canola oil. It’s GMO and extremely unhealthy! I use coconut oil and coconut sugar.
can I use a cook and serve butterscotch pudding as I can not find an instant one anywhere
Can you use a Bunt pan instead of the 9×18 ?
I have been making this cake for years – the very best coffee cake ever. A few years ago I started having trouble with it falling. I finally figured out that cake mixes now have 3 ounces less than when this recipe was developed. I have many great recipes that call for an 18.25 ounce cake mix – to solve the problem I keep an extra yellow cake on hand – I add 3 ounces more dry mix to the recipe – problem solved – no more fallen cakes!
My daughter has made this recipe for my cafe for several years and it is a favirite! I decided to try it today (cold blizzardy Montana Sunday) but make it in a bundt pan! Great idea, except I forgot to START with the streusel topping!
We made this yesterday. It is so delicious with the crunch of the pecans and the cake is the perfect texture. Today, we warmed up some caramel sauce to drizzle over the top and it brought the cake to a whole new level. My son said it tasted like a cinnamon roll. Thanks for the new recipe!
I had this delicious coffee cake(sans the nuts) at a brunch 5 days ago….and the remaining peices were sent home with me! It was very good on Day 1…but Day 2 and 3, somehow it was even better!!! Love this recipe!
It is too simple!!! Today on my brother’s birthday, we made this cake. It was very delicious!!!! Everyone praised of this cake.
Oh this looks marvelous! What a beautiful cake…I would love a sliver with my coffee this morning. xo, Catherine
The butterscotch coffee cake is beyond awesome! Hubby usually likes chocolate or layer cakes but he couldn’t get enough of this one … me either! I’m going to be making this a LOT!! I may try using a muffin pan next time, just to see what happens.
Simply amazing recipe!
Thank you for the nice recipe. I love it
I make this once a month usually for breakfast before church on Sunday. This is one of Sarah and Aaron’s favorite breakfasts – mine too! Keep those recipes coming!!!