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Easy Ginger Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel

A richly spiced ginger coffee cake made with buttermilk, molasses, brown sugar, and a buttery ginger-cinnamon streusel topping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the ginger coffee cake
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup molasses
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the brown sugar streusel
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method
 

  1. Whisk together the streusel's brown sugar, flour, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add cooled melted butter and mix with a fork until thick crumbs form. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
  4. Using a hand mixer, cream softened butter and light brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until lighter and fluffy.
  5. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract and molasses.
  6. On low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
  7. Spread the thick batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  8. Remove streusel from refrigerator. Break into small and medium crumbs, then sprinkle gently and evenly over the batter without pressing down.
  9. Bake at 350°F for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Cool in the pan for at least 5–10 minutes before serving. Cool longer for cleaner slices.

Video

Notes

  • Use softened butter for the cake and cooled melted butter for the streusel.
  • Keep the streusel chilled until immediately before baking.
  • Do not overmix the cake batter.
  • Use regular unsulphured molasses rather than blackstrap for a milder flavor.
  • Check that the center is fully baked before removing from the oven.