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Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake with Streusel Skeleton Topping

by Jessie Daye

First published: October 7, 2023 | Updated: June 10, 2026

A spooky Halloween-themed cinnamon swirl coffee cake with brown sugar streusel skeleton decorations.

Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake with Streusel Skeleton Topping

Author: Jessie Daye
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Cook 40 minutes
A spooky Halloween-themed cinnamon swirl coffee cake with brown sugar streusel skeleton decorations.

Ingredients

  • 1 and ⅓ cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temp.
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temp.
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ cup full-fat sour cream room temp.
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 ¼ cup All purpose flour
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter partially melted

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9x5 loaf pan with lightly greased parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Make the cinnamon swirl mixture by combining brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  3. Make the streusel topping in a separate medium bowl. Add all streusel ingredients together and drizzle butter over mixture and toss ingredients until just combined, but still clumpy. Place half the filling into your skeleton mold and firmly pack down. Freeze for 5-10 minutes until they come out firm.
  4. To make the cake, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, milk, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. Do not over mix. The batter will be thick.
  6. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over the top. Carefully and slowly spread the remaining batter on top of the cinnamon mixture.
  7. Sprinkle a small amount of streusel mixture evenly on top of prepared cake and carefully place your streusel skeletons. If you want to cover the cake in skeletons you can make another batch of the skeletons like I did above or just sprinkle remaining streusel around.
  8. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes.

Notes

This recipe can be made years in advance. A skeleton mold is needed for the decorative topping. The author traditionally makes this with pumpkin spice cake variation.

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Hi, I'm Jessie. 

I’m a Los Angeles mama, home renovator, and lifelong creative, sharing the things that make everyday life a little more beautiful. I believe food is one of the best ways to bring people together, which is why I love cooking: it turns an ordinary Tuesday into something worth remembering. From recipes I make on repeat to DIY projects, home design, and a little bit of real life in between — welcome to my corner of the internet. I’m so glad you’re here.

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