This pancake mix coffee cake is super easy and it will quickly become one of your family favorites! Enjoy it with your favorite cup of coffee any time of day.
Why Use Pancake Mix?
Yes pancake mix! You can do more with pancake mix than just make pancakes.
I love experimenting with coffee cake recipes. I have already shared with you some of my favorites including pumpkin coffee cake and mini coffee cakes muffins.
Although I love my classic easy coffee cake recipe, this one is by far the easiest, fastest and best coffee cake. The result is just amazing!
The benefit to using pancake mix is that you have less ingredients to measure out. This means time saved!
Also, maybe you just want to use up some pancake mix because you over bought at Costco (not me at all) or you don’t have any flour or eggs on hand and just feel like whipping up a sweet snack! I've used pancake mix to make peanut butter cookies too!
Even if you don't have a reason, you might just want to try it for a different distinct flavor. Here's exactly how to do it. Let's start with what else you will need. It's just the basics!
Ingredients for Pancake Mix Coffee Cake:
- Pancake Mix: I used King Arthur Flour buttermilk pancake mix but you can use any mix that says “just add water”. These types of mixes already contain a leavening agent as well as fats to keep your cake nice and soft. No need for extra buttermilk, eggs or vegetable oil!
- Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar. You don’t need as much as you would for a regular cake because pancake mixes are already sweetened.
- Milk: Any type of milk will work here. I happen to use almond milk.
- Sour Cream: Ok, this might be the one ingredient you don’t always have but it is necessary because it will result in a nice moist cake.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor
- Unsalted Butter: A small amount is needed to bind and hold the crumb topping together.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and is better texture for the crumb topping.
- Cinnamon: Adds flavor to the crumb topping.
How to Make Pancake Mix Coffee Cake: (keep scrolling to see full details in recipe card)
- Combine pancake mix and sugar by whisking them together. Yes whisk! This will evenly distribute the sugar and remove any lumps from the pancake mix. If it still looks too lumpy you may want to sift it.
- Add the milk, sour cream and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix to combine. That’s it! The cake batter will be thick but this is ok! Use an offset spatula to help you spread it evenly into a prepared 8x8 baking pan.
- Prepare the crumb topping in a separate small bowl by combining all the ingredients and mixing them with either a fork or a pastry blender. You should end with a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle it over the batter in the pan.
- Finally, bake it 22-24 minutes and they are done!
Tips and Variations
- Enjoy your breakfast cake with a cup of coffee! (Yes, that’s why it’s called coffee cake!)
- Glass baking dishes may take a few minutes longer to bake.
- For a real emphasis on the crumb in a coffee crumb cake, double the crumble mixture recipe and add it over the top of the batter. You can't go wrong with more crumb topping.
- Bake in muffin pans or mini muffin pans for individual cakes. (You will have to decrease your baking time)
- Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips to the batter as a variation.
- Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping.
Pancake Mix Coffee Cake
This pancake mix coffee cake is super easy. Enjoy it with your favorite cup of coffee any time of day.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups pancake mix (mix that requires only adding water)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup milk, room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the crumb topping
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup pancake mix
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- OPTIONAL GLAZE:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare an 8x8 metal baking pan by greasing it with butter on the bottoms and the sides. Optional: line the pan with parchment paper with overhangs to easily lift the cake out of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pancake mix and sugar.
- Next, add the wet ingredients: milk, sour cream and vanilla to the dry mix. Mix until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan. The batter will be thick. (An offset spatula will help to spread it.)
- In a separate bowl prepare the crumb topping: Mix the melted butter, ¼ cup pancake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon by mashing it together with a fork. It should be crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping over the batter. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when placed in the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan completely before glazing and/or cutting.
- For the Optional glaze: Prepare the glaze as the cake cools. In a small bowl, stir the milk with the powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth. If it seems too stiff and a few drops of milk and stir. If it seems too runny, add more sugar a small spoonful at a time and stir until smooth. Drizzle it over the cake with a spoon.
Notes
1. Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips to the batter as a variation.
2. Add ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the crumb topping
3. Store cake in an airtight container for 1-2 days. If freezing, wrap in plastic wrap before glazing and freeze up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 290Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 503mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 27gProtein: 5g
This nutrition information is only an approximate provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. Information comes from Nutritionix, an automated nutrition calculator.
Myra says
The batter recipe needs an egg. I also added 2-3 tbs of milk to thin it a bit because it was so thick.
Becky says
I agree with Myra. The batter is too thick. I did the same as Myra and it turned out how I expected.
Elaine says
I had to add more milk 1/2cup as my (batter) was more of a dough.