Moist Coffee Loaf Cake! This is an absolutely delicious soft, moist cake, easy to make and goes perfect with a lovely cup of coffee too! This Coffee Cake is a lovely easy, simple recipe and full of flavor. The aroma when this is baking is really out of this world!

Once you've tried this Classic Coffee Loaf Cake recipe, I am sure you will make it time and time again. This moist coffee loaf cake is perfect with a nice cup of tea or coffee, bake a few and give them as gifts or take along to coffee mornings with your friends. They will enjoy a slice I'm sure!

This is absolutely delicious! It has a rich coffee flavor and is so simple and easy to make, yet the cake has such a luxurious and decadent flavor, your family and friends will think you spent ages making this!
This coffee cake recipe has a soft, fluffy texture, similar to what you would find in a coffee bread recipe, but it's definitely more buttery and rich with a great cake crumb texture.
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Cut a few slices to serve for afternoon tea, or for after dinner with a cup of coffee.
In this recipe, you will find out how to make the perfect coffee cake. It's so easy and the recipe is in simple steps for you to follow.
We've also made a coffee flavored walnut cake with a coffee cream cheese frosting, oh it's so good! See our Coffee Walnut Cake recipe. It's delicious!
How do you put coffee in a cake?
The recipe is very similar to a traditional pound cake, so we have the regular ingredients, flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Then we infuse some delicious coffee flavor into the cake and there you have a coffee-flavored cake.
The simplest way to make a cake coffee flavored is to use instant coffee, as we have done in this recipe, and add it to the cake batter.
What can I use instead of instant coffee in a recipe?
You may want to use something else instead of instant coffee. You can use a finely ground espresso. Make sure it is very fine ground, so that the grains don't create a crunchy grainy texture in the cake.
If you make freshly brewed coffee, make it very strong and drop the milk quantity in the recipe down to ½ cup and use ¼ cup of your very strong brewed coffee.
I don't drink instant coffee at home, however, I buy the small individual sachets of instant coffee from the supermarket. I use those for baking as they're convenient to have in my store cupboard.
If you'd like to make a couple of cakes, and perhaps one without coffee, try our easy vanilla loaf cake recipe. It's such a popular recipe and we use it as our basic pound cake recipe.
What makes the cake moist and fluffy?
In order to get a cake moist and fluffy, you need to make sure you incorporate the butter and sugar really well. This is called the creaming method, as you will see in step 3 of the instructions.
You need to beat the butter and sugar until you see it changes to a much paler color and the mixture looks a lot fluffier. This tells you there is lots of air in the mixture which will, in turn, give you a fluffier cake.
I make sure the butter is at room temperature as the creaming of the batter is a lot quicker and easier. Once that part is done, you can add the remaining ingredients.
Can I freeze coffee cake?
Yes! It's freezer-friendly so you could make a loaf and slice then freeze if you are baking for one or two people. That way, you'll always have some handy when you get the urge for a slice of cake!
Just make sure you wrap in plastic wrap and an airtight bag and then bring to room temperature when you want to serve. I sometimes bake a loaf and cut in half or slices, freeze some and eat some!
You can also bake this in round pans, muffin pans etc. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly. For this moist coffee loaf cake, you can also make in 2 round pans and add some frosting in between the layers and on top. Turn it into a birthday cake if you wish!
You can also add chopped walnuts or pecans, such as in our coffee pecan pound cake.
You will need a loaf tin, mine measures 30cm x 12cm and 8cm deep. (12-inch pan) .The batter will also fit in a 9-inch loaf pan.
Please note cook times will vary if you are not using a regular loaf pan.
So let's find out how to make a coffee cake in you can have it baked and ready to serve in just a few simple steps. Please enjoy!
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Ingredients You'll Need
- 225 g or 1 ¾ cups Plain / All purpose flour (sieved)
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 175 g or ¾ cup softened butter
- 200 g or 1 cup regular sugar
- ⅔ Cup or 150 ml Milk
- 2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 4 Teaspoons of coffee granules dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water.
NOTE: Where possible when baking cakes, please use digital scales as opposed to cup measures as this is more accurate and will give you better results.
Variations
I've also made this recipe and added 3 RIPE mashed bananas and the combination with the coffee flavor is lovely!
UPDATE: For those wishing to use bananas, be sure you use a STRONG DARK ROAST blend of coffee, otherwise you won’t be able to taste it in combination with the banana flavors.
Add Nuts, such as walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts to the cake batter for an added crunchy texture.
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 170c, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin. See here for how to line.

If you don't have time or run out of parchment paper, you can use our homemade miracle pan release recipe. It's incredibly quick to make.
2. Get all your ingredients ready, i.e dissolve the coffee, sieve the flour, and add the salt and baking powder to the flour etc.

3. Start with making the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar until a pale light color.

4. Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, on a low-speed setting, a bit at a time.
If the mixture starts to curdle or split, add a spoonful of your sieved flour, keep on adding the eggs, and a bit of flour if necessary until all the eggs are added.
5. Keeping the mixer on a slow speed, add the coffee mixture, milk and the rest of the flour.
6 Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin.

Place in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes, check to see if it is cooked, using a skewer. Every oven varies, so keep an eye on your cake!
7. Have a cup of tea! Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
You can also freeze half or all of it, wrap in parchment paper, then place in a zippy bag. Defrost as normal and enjoy! It will still be moist. And there you have our Moist Coffee Loaf Cake!

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our Moist Coffee Loaf Cake recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Moist Coffee Loaf Cake
The BEST Classic coffee cake recipe, rich coffee flavor, delicious, perfect for afternoon tea or after dinner with coffee. Easy, coffee flavored loaf
Ingredients
- 225 g or 1 ¾ cups Plain / All purpose flour (sieved)
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 175 g or ¾ cup softened butter
- 200 g or 1 cup regular sugar
- ⅔ Cup or 150 ml Milk
- 2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 4 Teaspoons of coffee granules dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 170C, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin. See here for how to line.
- Get all your ingredients ready, i.e dissolve the coffee, sieve the flour, and add the salt and baking powder to the flour etc.
- Start with making the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar until a pale light color.
- Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, on a low-speed setting, a bit at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle or split, add a spoonful of your sieved flour, keep on adding the eggs, and a bit of flour if necessary until all the eggs are added.
- Keeping the mixer on a slow speed, add the coffee mixture, milk and the rest of the flour.
- Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin. Then place in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes. Check to see if it is cooked, using a skewer. Every oven varies, so keep an eye on your cake!
- Have a cup of tea!
- Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. You can also freeze half or all of it, wrap in parchment paper, then place in a zippy bag. Defrost as normal and enjoy! It will still be moist.
Recommended Products
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Nescafe Instant Coffee Sticks 25 sticks 1.76oz (Espresso)
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MEYKISS Cake Tester, Stainless Steel Cake Tester Probe Skewer Kitchen Baking Tools, Set of 2
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Wilton 2105-6806 Perfect Results Large Nonstick Loaf Pan, 9.25 by 5.25-Inch, Silver
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Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Mini Loaf Pan, 8-Cavity
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Boxiki Kitchen Silicone Pound Cake Baking Pan Professional Non-Stick Pound Mold for Baking Pound Cake, Bread | FDA Approved Silicone w/Heavy Grade Steel Frame and Handles
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Walfos Nonstick Silicone Bread and Loaf Pan Set of 2, BPA Free ! Without Chemical Coating,Just Pop Out! Easy release and baking mold for Homemade Cakes, Breads, Meatloaf and quiche.
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Honey-Can-Do 2592 Paper Loaf Pan, 25-Pack, 8-Inches x 2.5-Inches x 2-Inches
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Nordic Ware 90248 Citrus Blossom Loaf, One Size, Copper
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White Disposable Loaf Bread Baking Liners (Pack of 2, 24 Liners Total) Rectangle, Non-Stick Paper Liners For Baking, Kitchen Tools For Baking Cake & Bread
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YXTHON Portable Plastic Rectangular Loaf Bread Box with Transparent Lid, Bread Keeper for Carrying and Storing Loaf Cakes Bread Box, Bread Keeper, Container Server
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 317Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 334mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 1gSugar: 20gProtein: 5g
Loaf Cake Recipes
Here's a delicious selection of pound or loaf cake recipes for you to enjoy
Tiramisu Pound Cake, a soft and delicious pound cake with all the flavors of a Tiramisu! It's even got a mascarpone frosting. This will go fast so be sure to make two!
Easy Lemon and Poppyseed French Yogurt Cake. Lemon and poppyseed French yogurt loaf cake is soft and moist, an incredibly easy to make recipe, with poppyseeds throughout. A great tea time cake.
Strawberry and Lemon Loaf Cake.
A deliciously soft and fluffy strawberry loaf cake bursting with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Flavourful, with a tender, soft texture. An easy, popular cake recipe.
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go to basic recipe
Caribbean Rum Cake, an easy delicious recipe! The cake is soft and moist, packed with rum infused raisins and makes for a great Christmas time cake.
Strawberry Pound Cake. A delicious recipe bursting with fresh strawberries. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends!
Easy Lemon French Yogurt Cake. Delicious tangy lemon, soft and moist, incredibly easy made from scratch cake recipe, great as a tea time snack
Coffee Pecan Pound Cake is a lovely tasting, moist cake with a perfect combination of coffee flavor and texture from the pecans.
Easy Strawberry French Yogurt Cake.
Delicious juicy strawberries, soft and moist, incredibly easy made from scratch cake recipe, great as a tea time snack
Moist Vanilla Pound, Loaf Cake is such a wonderful tasting cake, soft, and delicious!
Easy Blueberry and Lemon Crumble Cake.
Deliciously soft & moist cake packed with blueberries and a hint of lemon. Topped with a crumble topping. Easiest simple cake recipe ever!
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Coconut and Lime Pound Cake, a deliciously soft coconut cake with a splash of tangy lime.
Moist Coconut PoundCake Recipe. Light, soft, and oh sooooo delicious!
Blueberry Coconut Pound Cake, a deliciously soft coconut cake with a sprinkling of juicy blueberries.
Moist Lemon or Orange Pound Loaf, a wonderful soft and delicious cake using freshly squeezed juice and zest. Bake in a loaf or bundt pan. You choose!
Easy Cranberry and White Chocolate Pound Cake. This is a delicious soft and moist pound cake with a wonderful white chocolate flavor and added lovely cranberries. Freezer friendly and easy to make. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Moist Pecan Almond Loaf Cake. The flavor combo is just divine!
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Loaf. A moist, soft, and delicious tasting loaf cake, perfect with a morning coffee! This is a wonderful no yeast, quick bread recipe, full of flavor, soft and fluffy, and really easy to make too.
Moist Caramel and Apple Loaf .... ABSOLUTELY Delicious!
Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake, a delicious soft and moist loaf bursting with juicy blueberries! Perfect with a cup of tea
Banana and Walnut Loaf Cake. A delicious, very easy and moist cake, and smells so good when it's baking too!
Lemon and Poppy Seed Loaf.
This is truly a delightful cake. The flavors are gentle, the cake is soft and moist and of course, looks so pretty with the addition of poppy seeds sprinkled throughout the cake
Moist Chocolate Almond Pound Cake. Delicious, rich chocolate cake with added melted chocolate and ground almonds to take this cake to another level of deliciousness!
Spiced Pecan Carrot Cake! This has got to be the World's best carrot cake.
Fluffy, soft and bursting with the flavors of Fall! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays!
Dolly's Chocolate Chip Cake. Very easy recipe and a family favorite. Makes two loaves so perfect for gifts or freezing too.
Nutella Banana Loaf. Delicious, soft pound cake with banana and Nutella chocolate. Easy recipe and very popular. Great tasting cake
HM
says:Hello!
I love this recipe and want to make a muffin version of them. How long do I have to bake it if I am making muffins & will the temperature remain the same?
Thanks a lot!
Lovefoodies
says:Hi! Here you go! 350 F or 180 C for between 20 to 25 minutes
Guneet Sanghera
says:Hello…love ur coffee cake…i want add bananas….so when should i add them….
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Guneet,
Add the mashed bananas after creaming the butter and sugar. Because of the excess moisture, don’t add any milk.
Hope that helps!
roseleen byrne
says:hi made this moist coffee loaf,holy moley the sponge was to die for next time i would add some more coffee. thanks for the recipe.by the way do you cook this cake on the middle shelf of the oven.thanks soo much.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Roseleen , so happy you enjoyed the cake!
I have a fan oven so it cooks evenly on any shelf. If you have a regular convection oven then yes, the middle shelf would be the best option!
Happy baking!
Janice Squarini
says:The coffee recipe says 4 Tsp granules coffee in 1 Tbl hot water.
Then it says 1 Tbl granules in hot water.
So you do this twice with the coffee for thus recipe??
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Janice, so sorry for the confusion! It should be 4 teaspoons of coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of hot water. For some reason I entered it twice!
Thanks so much for pointing it out, I’ve corrected it now so it should read correctly!
Enjoy the recipe, it’s one of our favorite cakes!
Guneet Sanghera
says:Gr8….thank you so much!!
Janice Squarini
says:The coffee recipe says 4 Tsp granules coffee in 1 Tbl hot water.
Then it says 1 Tbl granules in hot water.
So you do this twice with the coffee???
Merium
says:I love this recipe and it always turns out awesome! Can this recipe be doubled to make a Bundt cake?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Merium, glad you’re enjoying the recipe!
Yes, you can certainly make it in a Bundt pan. I’ve only used the ingredients as is in an 8 inch Bundt and bakes for 40-45 minutes. I’m not sure what the baking time will be for double the size. Please come back and let us know the bake time for future reference if you do make it in a larger pan!
Geneiva
says:Hi there. I made this recipe and it was absolutely moist and soft. However, the taste of coffee was so mild that most of them who tried the loaf didn’t even know that it was a coffee flavoured loaf that they were eating. I used the Nescafe gold instant coffee for this recipe. Do you think I should use more of the coffee in the next round I do bake this cake or should I just switch coffee brands instead?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Geneiva, the Nescafe Gold isn’t a particularly strong coffee, I would choose a stronger, expresso type of coffee. if you don’t want to buy a whole jar, double up of the Nescafe Gold granules, and you will get a stronger flavor (keep the water you dissolve in the same as the recipe). On a side note, you might be able to buy a small packet of sachets (like the travel ones) for expresso coffee) in the store which will save you some money if you’re only using them for baking. I keep a box of these sachets in my pantry for baking, they’re handy as they will keep fresh in their individual wrappers for a long time. Here’s an example from Amazon so you can look out for them in the shop next time you go! https://amzn.to/3nllz0v
David
says:Hello, followed directions. Cake had a nice crust on it and good flavor but the inside was very crumbly to where you couldn’t even cut it into a slice. Is that the correct texture? Suggestions if not? Thanks!
Anji
says:Mine came out similar. The mixture seemed fine when I put it into the tin but it took quite a bit longer to bake than the recipe said so maybe mine dried out just a bit too much. Tasted fine though.
Jan
says:How many grams of walnuts would you add for a successful coffee and walnut cake please?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Jan, I suggest 140g walnuts. Just crush them lightly with your hands so you still have some chunky bits! Enjoy!
Jan
says:Many thanks. I’m looking forward to making (and eating!) this tomorrow. Thanks for sharing
Kerrin
says:I just made this and it was so easy and delicious. I baked it for about 55 minutes. I used Muscovado sugar I thought it would add to the flavour and I think it did. Maybe next time I would do an extra 1 and half teaspoons of coffee.
Simran
says:Hi made the coffee cake today and my family loved it.. thank you for sharing this amazing recipe 😊
C. Bate
says:Love this recipe. Was wondering if you could use ground ginger instead of coffee? If so, how much would you add.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi there, I’m afraid I haven’t made this recipe using ground ginger, probably best to use a recipe for a ginger cake as the ginger can be quite over powering if you don’t get the quantities correct.
Susan
says:Oh dear I used self raising flour and cake went over the tin and then sunk in the middle. So definitely plain flour next time.
Rubee
says:Susan, this happened to me too although I used plain flour. I think my loaf tin was too small and it overflowed. I also thought the recipe needs more coffee than in the recipe.
Laura
says:I made this last night. It turned out great! Will definitely make this again!
Hannah
says:Hi! I was just wondering if this recipe would work using egg replacer?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Hannah, I can’t say for sure as I’ve only ever used fresh eggs in this recipe.
If you e used replacer before in cakes give this a try and please come back and let us know how it went!
Emma
says:I made this last week as my partner and I both love coffee, and cake! Shop bought coffee cakes can be way too sweet plus I enjoy baking and using fresh ingredients. This turned out amazing. It’s a great cake and so simple to make. I used 2 Nespresso pods – strength 12 – the best coffee ever, and why use anything less in such a treat. Using the Nespresso pods added approx: 100ml of liquid so I used a little extra flour real guess work but it worked! This cake was just perfect, just the right level of moist and the coffee taste was real good. I made a coffee frosting topping (found on another recipe) and added crushed walnuts to finish. We were eating this cake all week. I even took some in to work, where it went down well, as it makes quite a hefty loaf. So delicious, I will make this again soon!
Emma
says:PS) I used a tiny bit less sugar than stated, and I used ground coffee for the topping.mix.
Natasha
says:Absolutely love your recipes. Tried coffee cake and tried the variation with bananas. Both turned out awesome. Added walnuts with the bananas.