MuffinsAmericanEasy

Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake

Name: Sourdough Discard Coffee Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 9 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¾ cup (180 ml) sourdough starter discard, room temperature; 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder; ¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking soda; ¼ teaspoon (1½ g) kosher salt; ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; ½ cup (100 g) packed brown sugar; 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons (43 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, cold, cut into ¼-inch cubes

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tender, moist coffee cake that puts sourdough starter discard to delicious use. Cinnamon-sugar streusel tops and runs through the crumb, while the sourdough adds subtle tang and extends moistness. Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat with coffee.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 40 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: 1 cake (9 slices)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C)
Use sourdough discard at room temperature
Grease and flour an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square baking pan

1
Mix dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: dry ingredients evenly combined
2
Prepare streusel topping
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together.
- Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the cold butter cubes into the sugar mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: mixture resembles breadcrumbs with pea-sized butter pieces visible
Tip: Keep the butter cold to create a crumbly, chunky streusel rather than a dense topping.
3
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
- Scrape down the bowl as needed.
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Ready when: mixture is pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color
Tip: Softened butter incorporates air better; use a bowl scraper to ensure even beating.
4
Add eggs and vanilla
- Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for about 30 seconds after each addition.
- Pour in the vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute total.
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Ready when: mixture is smooth, creamy, and uniform in color
Tip: Adding eggs one at a time prevents the batter from separating and ensures smooth texture.
5
Add sourdough discard
- Gently fold the sourdough discard into the butter mixture using a spatula until just combined.
- Do not overmix; a few streaks are fine.
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Ready when: sourdough is mostly incorporated with no large pockets visible
Tip: Folding gently by hand prevents deflating the batter and overworking the gluten.
6
Fold in dry ingredients
- Add the flour mixture to the batter in two additions, folding gently with a spatula after each addition until just combined.
- Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
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Ready when: batter is smooth with no visible flour streaks
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and leads to a tough, dense cake. Fold gently and stop while the batter still looks slightly under-combined.
7
Assemble in pan
- Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared 8×8-inch pan.
- Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture over the batter, then add the remaining batter on top and smooth gently.
- Finish with the remaining streusel, pressing very lightly so it adheres.
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Ready when: streusel evenly distributed and cake surface is level
Tip: Don't press the streusel too hard or it will compact and become caky instead of crumbly.
8
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350 °F (175 °C) for 38 to 42 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- The cake should spring back slightly when gently pressed.
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Ready when: top is golden brown, toothpick emerges with only a few moist crumbs, cake springs back when pressed
Tip: Start checking at 35 minutes; ovens vary. The center should be set but still moist from the sourdough and eggs.
9
Cool in pan
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- This helps the cake firm up and hold together when slicing.
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Tip: Cooling briefly in the pan helps retain moisture and makes the cake easier to cut cleanly.

Good to know

Tips

Sourdough discard at room temperature mixes smoothly and contributes to even crumb. If yours is cold from the fridge, let it sit out 30 minutes.
Brown sugar in the streusel provides moisture and chewiness; don't substitute with white sugar or the topping will be too grainy.
For a deeper cinnamon flavor, use 2.5 teaspoons total (1.5 in the streusel, 1 teaspoon sifted over the batter before topping).
This cake is forgiving: the sourdough discard adds liquid that keeps it moist even if slightly overbaked.

Make ahead

The batter can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking; bake directly from cold (add 2–3 minutes). The finished cake is best eaten the same day but holds well for 2 days.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature (up to 2 days): Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Refrigerator (up to 4 days): Wrap tightly; reheat gently (120 °C / 250 °F for 5–8 minutes) to restore moisture. Freezer (up to 3 months): Wrap airtight; thaw overnight at room temperature, then warm as above.

Substitutions

all-purpose flour → whole wheat flour or a 1:1 blend of all-purpose and whole wheat. Whole wheat will make the cake slightly denser and nuttier; add 1 tablespoon extra liquid if using 100% whole wheat.
unsalted butter, softened → neutral oil (canola or vegetable). Use 6 tablespoons (90 ml) oil instead. The cake will be slightly moister but less rich; do not use oil for the streusel butter.
ground cinnamon → cardamom, nutmeg, or a blend of both. Use the same amount; these warm spices complement the sourdough tang beautifully.
sourdough starter discard, room temperature → plain yogurt or sour cream. Use the same amount; you will lose the sourdough tang but still get a moist, tender crumb.