Inspired by the rustic morning treat served in French farmhouses throughout the countryside, this simple breakfast cake is flavored with warm vanilla and cozy nutmeg. It’s perfect alongside a cup of tea or a mug of coffee!
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If you’re looking for even more coffee cake recipes, be sure to try this old-fashioned blueberry buckle, an easy cinnamon coffee cake with cake mix, and this whole wheat banana bread, too!
Oh boy. This was so easy to make and the taste is just right! Why adulterate it with anything else! Pure simple buttery goodness!
– Laura
The French refer to this as “breakfast cake,” because it’s only slightly sweet and therefore perfectly acceptable for serving at the morning meal. In America, however, we often call this type of dish a coffee cake because the traditional sweet pound cake is an ideal complement to a cup of coffee or a foamy latte. When you’ve got a warm beverage and a slice of this French treat on your plate, it’s definitely not bad to eat cake for breakfast!
An Easy Breakfast Cake Recipe that Will Transport You to the French Countryside
I first discovered this easy breakfast cake recipe when reading Susan Loomis’ French Farmhouse Cookbook. I’ve slightly tweaked her version for my own farmhouse kitchen, but the basics remain the same: a rich, buttery pound cake that’s seasoned simply with nutmeg and vanilla, then dusted with powdered sugar.
Home cooks in Brittany, France regularly serve a version of le gâteau du petit déjeuner when hosting company for a morning meal. It’s not too sweet, has a slightly coarse texture, and is ideal for dipping in a big bowl of coffee. The cake reminds me of a Southern pound cake that we enjoy for dessert, but it’s smaller and baked in a round cake pan (rather than in a Bundt pan or loaf pan). It’s truly a morning delight, and one that you can conveniently prepare in advance so that you’re not fussing in the kitchen on a relaxing weekend.
Ingredient Notes and Tips for Success
- I use salted butter for this recipe. If you prefer to start with unsalted butter, you’ll need to add about ¼ teaspoon of salt for every stick of butter used.
- Make sure that the butter and eggs are at room temperature before preparing the batter. This will help them blend together smoothly.
- Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour the paper. I like to use a baking spray that has flour in it as a shortcut. The layer of paper between the cake and the pan makes it easy to un-mold, but it also keeps any metallic flavor out of the cake.
- For a blueberry breakfast cake, gently fold 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter.
- For a lemon breakfast cake, add the juice and zest from 1 lemon to the batter. Drizzle with a lemon glaze like this one once the cake has cooled.
How to Make Breakfast Cake
While you can adapt this recipe with dozens of different mix-ins and flavor varieties — from blueberry breakfast cake to lemon breakfast cake — the simple original is truly the best. The rustic cake is seasoned with nutmeg, which makes it taste like an old-fashioned donut! I highly recommend starting with this version, and then playing around with other ingredients for future baking experiments. You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Cream together butter, vanilla, and sugar until it’s nice and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, and then gradually add the sifted dry ingredients.
- Spread the batter in a 9-inch round cake pan that has been greased and floured, lined with parchment, and greased and floured again. The batter will be very thick, so it helps to use a damp spatula to spread it out in an even layer.
- Bake the cake in a 350 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It will be a nice golden-brown color with crisp edges.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to finish cooling completely. Once the cake is cool, dust with powdered sugar.
Serving Suggestions
Serve a slice of the cake on its own with a cup of coffee for a simple and satisfying breakfast. For a more elaborate brunch spread, try pairing the cake with other morning dishes like a fresh fruit salad dressed in honey lemon fruit salad dressing or just a platter of fresh melon and berries and a dollop of thick, creamy yogurt.
The breakfast cake is also tasty alongside a blueberry banana smoothie, Southern shrimp and grits, bacon or breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, crustless quiche with spinach, this ham and egg casserole, this sausage egg and cheese breakfast casserole, an overnight Bisquick breakfast casserole, this quiche Lorraine, or an easy frittata with cheddar and chives. Add it to your Easter brunch buffet with pineapple glazed ham!
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Wrap tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter before warming and serving.
- If you’re enjoying cake a day (or more) later, reheat the leftovers to give the slices a nice, soft texture. Seriously — it tastes like a warm donut! Just loosely cover an individual slice and microwave for 15-20 seconds (or until warm). You can dust with additional powdered sugar, if necessary.
This is SCRUMPTIOUS! I will be making this regularly in the future. My three year old and I just whipped this up for breakfast. We were missing donuts from a local place, your description mentioned tasting like a donut. It does! Thanks for sharing.
– Elena
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, then line with parchment paper. Butter and flour the paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is pale yellow. Add the vanilla and sugar; mix until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually add the flour, being careful not to over-mix the batter. The batter is supposed to be very thick, so don't be alarmed. This will yield a rich, buttery pound cake for breakfast — what could be finer?!
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap it on the counter once or twice to release any air bubbles.
- Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to continue cooling.
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- For a classic coffee cake recipe, season the batter with cinnamon and extra nutmeg, then finish with a brown sugar and pecan streusel topping.
- For crunch, stir in toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Add cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. Fold in diced fresh apples for a fall-inspired morning treat.
- Fresh or dried cranberries with the zest from 1 orange would be a nice twist for the holidays. Dried currants or raisins would also be a good addition — similar to this Williamsburg Queen’s Cake recipe.
- Instead of powdered sugar, try sprinkling the top of your cake with a cinnamon-sugar mixture before it goes in the oven.
More Breakfast Cake Recipes to Try
Originally published in September, 2020, this post was updated in March, 2025.
It tastes very good but I would recommend adding some lemon.
Thanks, Sam! I agree — lemon zest and/or juice plus a lemon glaze would be a delicious twist. 🙂
This is SCRUMPTIOUS! I will be making this regularly in the future. My three year old and I just whipped this up for breakfast. We were missing donuts from a local place, your description mentioned tasting like a donut. It does! Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I’m so happy that it satisfied the craving, Elena! 🙂
Oh boy. This was so easy to make and the taste is just right! Why adulterate it with anything else! Pure simple buttery goodness!
Thank you, Laura!
Is there any chance this could be made vegan with coconut oil instead of butter?
Hi Renna,
We haven’t tested it, but it should work great! We recommend using refined coconut oil as it has a slightly milder coconut taste.
I’d love to try this recipe but only have unsalted butter as opposed to salted. Would using the unsalted option yield a similar result or would it be inadvisable?
Hi Will,
You can absolutely use unsalted butter! We recommend adding in ~1/4 teaspoon of salt for every stick of butter used.
Well, I took it out of the oven and my husband cut a piece right away. He then poured himself a glass of milk and said “it’s a keeper!”
Next time I’ll make it Into a muffins for a grab and go. Delicious!
That’s so good to hear, Deb. I’m glad that it’s a keeper!
Awesome, this cake is a total winner. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Manashi!
I just made this last night, and it is delicious! I had 3 pieces today. 😀 Thank you for sharing!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Chie! Thank you for trying it out.
Very delicious! But I had to use margarine since I can’t eat butter. In spite of that, the cake turned out well. I served it for coffee with guests and they loved it! Right now I’m baking another cake for us, and will be using this recipe often. Thanks for sharing it!!
would i be able to fold in chopped strawberries at the end?
Hi, Laura! Absolutely! I think the berries would be a great addition. 🙂
I made this with white wheat flour. It was amazing and will be in regular rotation in my home. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks, Tia!
Very delicious! But I had to use margarine since I can’t eat butter. In spite of that, the cake turned out well. I served it for coffee with guests and they loved it! Right now I’m baking another cake for us, and will be using this recipe often. Thanks for sharing it!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marcia! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review.
My whole family loves this cake. Its nit overly sweet, and fantastic with tea or coffee.
Thank you, Kate!