Vegan Maple Brown Sugar Coffee Cake (2024)

This vegan maple brown sugar coffee cake is everything you love about a classic coffee cake, with a moist crumb, crunchy streusel topping plus a cinnamon maple brown sugar swirl. All topped off with a maple glaze, it doesn’t get much better than that. Serve alongside side a warm mug of coffee or tea, or just enjoy it on it’s own!

Coffee cake has to be one of my all time favorite desserts. There’s just something about getting a bite of that crunchy cinnamon struesal paired with a perfectly moist vanilla cake. So good. This easy vegan maple coffee cake has all that plus a little maple syrup in the swirl and topping, because who doesn’t love maple syrup and cinnamon?

When testing the recipe for this cake I did something that pretty much never happens. I nailed it on the first try. Yep, the layers, the crumb, the flavor, absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, I did not have to foresight to photograph the cake before cutting and eating roughly 2/3rds or it in one sitting. Not a big deal I’ll just make it again tomorrow. Well THREE coffee cakes later and I finally got one that was just as delicious as the first one. That’s why you write down your recipes and make sure your oven’s working properly, folks. It’s all good though. By making it so many times, I learned lots of tips and tricks and was able to simplify the recipe to make sure you nail it on the first go!

Ingredients Needed to Make Vegan Crumb Cake

• Dairy Free Yogurt: This helps keep the cake extra moist. The key is to use an unsweetened, plain yogurt with a pretty high fat content such as coconut or soy yogurt.
• Oil: Because of the yogurt, we don’t need as much oil as your traditional cake recipe. My favorite oil for baking will always be olive oil but feel free to use any other type of vegetable oil.
• Granulated Sugar: This may be a brown sugar coffee cake, but granulated sugar helps keep the cake light and fluffy.
• Brown Sugar: You’ll need brown sugar for both the swirl and streusel topping. I experimented with both dark and light brown sugar and I personally like the taste of dark brown sugar. It has a deeper flavor and really pairs well with the cinnamon in my opinion. I actually like to use a mix of both light an dark (about half and half). However, using all of one or the other will work great!
• All Purpose Flour: I wouldn’t recommend substituting in a different flour as it may change the texture and height of the cake.
• Baking Soda: I used baking soda here instead of powder because we already have the acid in the yogurt to neutralize the flavor.
• Plantbased Milk: The batter is pretty thick, so you’ll need to use your favorite plantbased milk in order to thin it out. My favorite is oat milk or soy milk, just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• Maple Syrup: A key player in this recipe, maple syrup goes in both the streusel and cinnamon swirl. Make sure you’re using real, high quality maple syrup for best results.
• Vegan Butter: This ensures that the crumble on top is extra crisp and crunchy. My favorite bran dis Earth Balance, but any dairy free butter will work. I like to pop it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds before mixing the topping to make sure everything gets combines properly.
• Cinnamon: I like to use lots of cinnamon for both the streusel and swirl. I think it pairs wonderfully with the maple syrup!

How to Make Vegan Coffee Cake

Step 1: Mix the Cinnamon Swirl: This one is super simple, just mix together some brown sugar, cinnamon and a little maple syrup. Set this aside until the cake batter is prepared. Now is also a great time to preheat the oven and line a greased baking dish with parchment.

Step 2: Mix the Streusel: I like to start by softening the vegan butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds or so before adding in the remaining ingredients. The final texture should be similar to cookie dough. If it seems too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour. Set aside until ready to use.

Step 3: Mix the Cake Batter: The simple vanilla cake batter is made in one bowl. Just whisk together the wet ingredients, followed by the dry until well combined. The batter will be very thick, this is what keep the cake moist while baking.

Step 4: Assemble the Cake + Bake: Start by pour in about 2/3 of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle over the brown sugar/maple syrup mixture. If there’s any gaps, I like to fill them in with a little bit of the streusel topping, but this is optional. Spread the remains bater over the top as best you can. It may seem like a very thin layer, but that’s ok. The swirl will sink slightly while baking so you want it to bake as close to the top as possible. Evenly distribute the streusel on top and slide in the oven to bake for about 40-45 minutes. You’ll know its done when the center is firm and a cake tester comes out clean. let the cake cool for about an hour before serving. If you choose to add the glaze, make sure its cooled completely.

Step 5: Make the Glaze: This step is totally optional. The cake is quite sweet on its own, but ill take any opportunity to add more maple syrup. Super easy, just whisk together powdered sugar, maple syrup and a little plantbased milk until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over your vegan maple brown sugar coffee cake and serve!

Tips for Making Vegan Maple Coffee Cake

• The batter will be quite thick so don’t worry if you have a hard time spreading the top layer on evenly. The cinnamon swirl will end up sinking down slightly while baking so you want it pretty close to the top. If there are gaps in the top layer where the swirl is peaking through, just cover it with streusel and everything will work out.
• I like to eat my coffee cake a little warm, but its important that you let it cool for at least 45 minutes before serving. If the cake is still piping hot, it might fall apart as you try to cut it.
• The vegan coffee cake can be stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave or eat chilled.

More Vegan Cake Recipes to Try:

• Oatmeal banana snack cake
• Blueberry cardamom pull apart bread
• Triple chocolate mousse cake

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brown sugar cinnamon coffee cake crumb cake glaze maple syrup struesal

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