Nothing pairs better with a hot mug of morning coffee or afternoon tea than a thick slice of cinnamon swirl sourdough discard coffee cake. Featuring an ultra-tender sour cream cake crumb, a dark ribbon of cinnamon-sugar running right through the center, and a heavy, buttery streusel topping that crunches delightfully with every bite, this is the ultimate weekend breakfast bake.
The sourdough discard brings natural acidity that interacts with baking soda to create an impossibly soft, velvety texture that stays moist for days.
Why Discard Coffee Cake Stays Moist for Days
- Sour Cream + Sourdough Discard: This dynamic duo brings both dairy fat and fermented lactic acid into the batter, thoroughly relaxing gluten and guaranteeing a plush bakery-style crumb.
- The Center Cinnamon Swirl: Layering half the batter, dusting heavily with cinnamon and dark brown sugar, and topping with remaining batter creates that signature bakery ribbon.
- The 1:1 Streusel-to-Cake Ratio: A generous mountain of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon streusel covers the top, locking in steam and keeping the cake ultra-moist.
Ingredients (Grams & Cups)
- Cake Batter:
- Sourdough Discard (120g / 1/2 cup, unfed)
- All-Purpose Flour (240g / 2 cups)
- Unsalted Butter (115g / 1/2 cup, softened)
- Granulated Sugar (150g / 3/4 cup)
- Large Eggs (2 room temperature)
- Sour Cream or Full-Fat Greek Yogurt (120g / 1/2 cup)
- Baking Powder (1 tsp) & Baking Soda (1/2 tsp)
- Fine Sea Salt (1/2 tsp) & Vanilla Extract (1 tsp)
- Center Cinnamon Swirl: 1/3 cup brown sugar + 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.
- Crunchy Streusel Topping: 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/2 cup flour + 1 tsp cinnamon + 4 tbsp cold butter, cubed.
Step-by-Step Baking Method
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make Streusel & Swirl: In a small bowl, mix the center swirl ingredients. In another bowl, fork together the streusel ingredients until coarse, pea-sized crumbs form. Set both aside.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by sour cream, vanilla, and sourdough discard.
- Fold Dry Ingredients: Gently fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a spatula until smooth and thick.
- Layer the Cake: Spread half the batter evenly into the pan. Scatter the center cinnamon swirl evenly across the batter. Drop dollops of the remaining batter on top and spread gently. Scatter the crunchy streusel generously over the entire top.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing into warm squares.
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Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake
Ultra-tender sour cream coffee cake made with sourdough discard, a cinnamon-sugar center ribbon, and crunchy streusel.
Ingredients:
- 120g sourdough discard (1/2 cup)
- 240g all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 115g softened unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- 150g granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
- 2 large eggs
- 120g sour cream or Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla
- Swirl: 70g brown sugar + 1 tbsp cinnamon
- Streusel: 60g flour + 100g brown sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon + 60g cold butter
Instructions:
- Cream butter and sugar; beat in eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and discard.
- Fold in dry ingredients into a thick batter.
- Layer half the batter, sprinkle cinnamon swirl, add remaining batter, and top with streusel.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 40 to 45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool 20 minutes before slicing.
More Sourdough Discard Breakfast Cakes & Breads
Explore our sourdough discard banana bread, our apple cinnamon streusel muffins, and our baker-style blueberry muffins.