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Cinnamon Sugar Zucchini Coffee Cake

Cinnamon sugar zucchini coffee cake with a thick, crumbly cinnamon brown sugar streusel covering the entire top for a bakery-style crumb. Tender zucchini cake bakes until set, then rests briefly so clean slices reveal the streusel layer.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Cooling 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.33 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, grated and squeezed dry
Cinnamon Streusel
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp cold butter, cubed

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9 baking pan, keeping the pan ready for a quick batter pour.
Make cinnamon streusel
  1. Mix all-purpose flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut in cold butter until crumbly so it forms small clumps; refrigerate while you mix the cake.
Mix the cake batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until evenly combined and no dry streaks remain.
  2. Beat granulated sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  3. Stir in grated squeezed dry zucchini so the batter turns evenly flecked.
  4. Fold dry ingredients into wet just until combined to keep the cake tender and prevent overmixing.
Assemble and bake
  1. Pour the batter into the prepared 9x9 pan and sprinkle half the streusel over the surface in an even layer.
  2. Swirl lightly to create visible streaks of cake beneath the streusel before the final topping.
  3. Top with remaining streusel so the entire surface is covered with a thick crumb layer.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 35–42 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and slice
  1. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting so the streusel sets and the zucchini coffee cake slices cleanly.

Notes

Pro tip: squeezing the grated zucchini dry helps prevent a soggy crumb and keeps the streusel crisp. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm slices briefly for best texture. Freezing is yes—freeze cooled slices up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, replace the vegetable oil with an equal amount of neutral applesauce for a slightly moister crumb.