Coffee Cake Recipe Using Krusteaz Waffle Mix
You can make a tender, cinnamon-swirled coffee cake using Krusteaz waffle mix as the base, and the trick is treating the mix like a self-contained dry ingredient blend rather than a batter starter. The waffle mix already contains flour, leavening, sugar, and salt, so you only need to add fat, liquid, and structure-building ingredients like eggs and sour cream. Start by verifying which Krusteaz mix you have on hand — the standard Buttermilk version works as written below, but the gluten-free and protein blends absorb liquid differently and will need adjustment.
The most common failure mode with this recipe is a gummy, dense center that looks set on the outside but collapses when sliced. That happens because waffle mix is formulated for thin, fast-cooking batter, not thick cake batter. If you skip the extra leavening adjustment or overmix, the crumb tightens up and the center stays wet. You can detect this early by checking the batter consistency before it goes into the pan: it should be thick enough to hold a ribbon trail for a few seconds when you lift the spatula, not pourable like waffle batter.
Ingredient List and Mix Compatibility Check
Gather these ingredients before mixing. The ratios below assume you are using the standard Krusteaz Buttermilk waffle mix, which is the most common version sold in US grocery stores. If you have the gluten-free or protein blend, the liquid amounts will need adjustment — see the notes after the list.
- 2 cups Krusteaz waffle mix (dry, unprepared)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the streusel topping:
- 1/2 cup Krusteaz waffle mix
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes
The baking powder addition is not optional. Waffle mix has leavening calibrated for a thin batter that cooks fast on a hot iron. In a thick cake batter, that leavening gets exhausted before the interior sets, leaving you with that sunken center. The extra 1/2 teaspoon gives you the lift you need for a 9-inch cake pan.
Applicability boundary: This recipe is calibrated for the standard Buttermilk waffle mix in the red box. The gluten-free blend uses rice flour and xanthan gum, which absorb more liquid and produce a crumblier texture; you will need to increase the milk to 1/2 cup and expect a denser crumb. The protein blend (usually in a black or dark package) contains added whey and soy protein that can make the cake tough — reduce the milk to 1/4 cup and expect a chewier texture. If you are using either of those versions, the bake time will also shift by 5–10 minutes because the batter behaves differently.
Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Prep the pan and oven.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8×8 square pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper if your pan has a removable bottom or a history of sticking.
Step 2: Mix the streusel first.
Combine the waffle mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces. Set it in the refrigerator while you make the batter. Cold streusel creates a crumbly topping instead of melting into a sugary glaze.
Step 3: Whisk dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, whisk together the waffle mix, sugar, cinnamon, and baking powder. Break up any clumps in the waffle mix with the whisk — Krusteaz mix can develop small lumps in storage, and those will create dry pockets in the cake.
Step 4: Combine wet ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth. The mixture should look uniform with no streaks of egg yolk.
Step 5: Fold wet into dry.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stop when you no longer see dry flour streaks. A few small lumps are fine. Overmixing develops gluten, and that is what turns a coffee cake into a rubbery slab.
Step 6: Check the batter consistency.
Lift your spatula and let the batter fall back into the bowl. It should fall in thick ribbons that hold their shape for a few seconds before sinking back. If it pours like waffle batter, add 2 tablespoons of flour or waffle mix and fold once. If it is too stiff to spread in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of milk.
Step 7: Layer the batter and streusel.
Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the streusel over it. Add the remaining batter and smooth the top. Finish with the remaining streusel. This creates a cinnamon layer in the middle, not just on top.
Step 8: Bake and check early.
Bake for 35–40 minutes for a 9-inch round pan, or 30–35 minutes for an 8×8 pan. Start checking at the 30-minute mark. Insert a toothpick into the center — it should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The top should be golden brown and the edges should have pulled slightly away from the pan.
Likely Causes of Problems and How to Fix Them
The center sinks after cooling.
This is the gummy-center failure mode mentioned earlier. The most likely cause is underbaking, not overmixing. Waffle mix batters look set on top before the interior is done because the sugar content creates a dark crust early. Use an instant-read thermometer: the center should read 200–205°F. If it reads below 195°F, it needs more time.
The streusel disappears into the cake.
If your topping vanished, the butter was too warm when you mixed it, or the cake baked too slowly. Keep the streusel cold until the moment you use it, and make sure your oven is fully preheated. A slow start lets the butter melt before the cake structure sets.
The cake is dry around the edges.
This happens when the pan is too large for the batter volume. A 9-inch round pan is the sweet spot. If you use a 10-inch pan, the batter spreads too thin and the edges overbake. Reduce the bake time and start checking at 25 minutes.
The texture is dense and heavy.
Your sour cream or yogurt was likely cold. Cold dairy seizes the melted butter into small solid flecks, which creates a tight crumb. Let the dairy sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before mixing, or warm it gently in the microwave in 10-second bursts.
When to Stop and What to Do Next
You can safely stop after the cake passes the toothpick test and the internal temperature reads 200°F or above. Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a plate. Flip it back upright so the streusel stays on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
If the center still reads below 195°F after 40 minutes, do not pull it. Cover the pan loosely with foil to prevent over-browning and bake in 5-minute increments until it reaches temperature. If the cake has already sunk in the middle after cooling, you cannot fix it — but you can salvage it by cubing it and serving it as a breakfast trifle with yogurt and fruit.
This recipe works because it treats the waffle mix as a complete dry blend and compensates for its two weaknesses: insufficient leavening for a thick batter and a tendency to overbrown before the center sets. With the extra baking powder, a thick batter consistency, and a thermometer check, you get a coffee cake with a tender crumb and a crunchy cinnamon top that holds up to slicing.
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