Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

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Taking it back to childhood today with this Peanut Butter and Jelly (PB&J!) Coffee Cake! A rich and moist cream cheese cake flavored with peanut butter, filled with a three ingredient strawberry jam, and topped with an oh-so crunchy peanut streusel. It’s everything you ever loved about a PB&J, but now made into delicious cake form! You can even still enjoy it for breakfast. Oh, yes. That’s right! Not only is this cake a nostalgic treat, but it’s also totally acceptable to enjoy alongside your morning cup of coffee. It’s sweet, moist, nutty, with just the right amount of jam in each and every bite. Simply delicious!

About The Recipe

With back to school in full swing, my mom and I wanted to share yet another nostalgic recipe that’s been elevated into something even more delicious.

If you’ll remember, we shared our take on the classic Rice Krispie Treats on Wednesday. It was something that we were so excited to share, especially with school coming back into session!

For us, August and September are such nostalgic months. My mom always baked sweet snacks for me and my brother for school.

So, when we start content planning, we always love throwing in a handful of treats inspired some of our favorite snacks from when we were growing up.

This year, we thought we would share a twist on a classic sandwich we all enjoyed snacking on…PB&J’s!

Though, I’ll admit, I was not (and still not) a fan of grape jelly. It’s just not something I ever enjoyed the taste of!

Though, I am a huge fan of strawberry jam. To me, it just tastes better (especially with peanut butter). Which is what lead us to this recipe idea!

I mean, what’s more nostalgic than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?

And, I mean, who doesn’t love a good coffee cake? So, we combined all these ideas and created the most nostalgic, but oh-so delicious cake recipe!

It’s nutty, jammy, perfectly sweet, and truly the best way to start your day.

What Is Coffee Cake And Does It Have Coffee In It?

The term, “coffee cake” simply means a cake that is served at breakfast alongside a cup of coffee. So, while there is no coffee in most coffee cake recipes, they are typically any flavor (most commonly vanilla or cinnamon), filled with a streusel or a jam, then topped with streusel.

This version is based on a PB&J. So, the cake is flavored with peanut butter, filled with jam, and topped with a peanut streusel!

Reasons You Will Love This Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

• Every bite tastes like an elevated version of a PB&J!
• The perfect excuse to eat cake for breakfast.
• Something every is sure to love.
• Can be made in-advance.
• Freezes well!
• Perfect for weekend baking.

Equipment Needed

• Medium Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Food Processor
• Mixing Bowls
• Hand Mixer
• 9 Inch Square Cake Pan
• Small Offset Spatula
• Cake Tester

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Jam:

• Fresh Strawberries – We personally love to use fresh strawberries for our jams, but if all you have is frozen, that would also work!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and creates the “jammy” texture.
• Lemon Juice – Cuts some of the sweetness, while also acting as a natural preservative.

For The Streusel:

• Salted Butter – By using salted butter, you don’t need to add any extra salt!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness, while also making the streusel crunchy!
• Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts – Adds flavor and texture.
• All-Purpose Flour – Using flour in a streusel is essential, as it allows the streusel to hold it’s shape and keep from becoming like hard candy.
• Ground Cinnamon – Gives this streusel a very subtle undertone to really enhance the flavors in the cake.

For The Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour – Creates the perfect structure and texture for this cake.
• Baking Powder – Provides lift to give this cake a light and airy texture.
• Baking Soda – A second leavening to ensure the perfect rise in this cake!
• Salt – Cuts some of the sweetness, while also enhancing the flavor.
• Salted Butter – Remember to set the butter our ahead of time to allow it time to come to room temperature.
• Cream Cheese – Keeps this cake moist and tender, while also adding an extra depth of flavor.
• Creamy Peanut Butter – Adds flavor the cake.
• Granulated Sugar – Sugar does so much for baked goods other than sweeten! It keeps the cake soft, moist, it helps promote browning…it is an essential ingredient for structure and flavor!
• Large Eggs – Remember to set our your eggs ahead of time to allow them to come to room temperature before mixing.
• Vanilla Extract – Gives this cake a more rounded and fuller flavor.
• Whole Milk – Using whole milk in a cake does SO MUCH! From creating a lighter, stronger crumb, to activating the leavening, and even making the cake itself a little richer.

How To Make This Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake

Step 1: Make the jam

Combine chopped strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook and stir over medium low heat until sugar has melted and jam has thickened, about 10-20 minutes.

Step 2: Prepare streusel

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until well combined and no lumps of butter remain.

Step 3: Make the cake batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, peanut butter, and granulated sugar until no lumps of cream cheese remain and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour.

Stir in vanilla.

Step 4: Layer cake and bake

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Top with strawberry jam. Spoon other half of batter on top of jam.

Top with streusel. Bake for 50 minutes, or until cake tests done.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

What’s The Best Way To Get This Coffee Cake Out of The Pan?

Once this cake is completely cooled (about 1 hour), take a cooling rack and place it upside down on the pan. Turn the pan upside and let the cake fall onto the cooling rack. Remove the pan and grab another cooling rack. Place the second cooling rack upside down on the bottom of the cake. Invert and remove the cooling rack that is on top of the streusel.

Super simple! Though, some streusel may fall off when you turn out the pan, so be near somewhere you can clean it up easily.

How To Store

Once this cake is baked and cooled, it needs to be kept in the refrigerator, as it’s very moist. It should keep about 3-5 days. Though, the best way to store this coffee cake is definitely in the freezer! It keeps for 1-2 months and tastes almost like fresh baked once reheated.

Substitutions

• You can use frozen strawberries to make the jam. Just remember to thaw them first!
• Feel free to use any berry to like to make a different flavored jam.
• Don’t want to make your own jam? No worries! Feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand and flavor to fill this cake with. Just remember it needs to taste nice with peanut butter!
• If desired, you can use any nut butter (almond or even sunflower seed would be delicious!) instead of peanut butter.

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Expert Tips

• The cake batter is very thick. We used an offset spatula to spread it smoothly.
• Slide a knife around the edges of the cake to make sure it doesn’t stick!
• Some of the streusel will fall off when you turn the cake out.
• Be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder and baking soda.
• Let the cake cool completely before turning out of the pan!
• Bake times may vary depending on how your oven bakes. You can use a cake tester or a toothpick to see when the cake is done!

When you make this Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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