Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Coffee Cake (aka My Emotional Support Cake)

Listen, if you think I bake less when the weather starts warming up, you'd be incorrect. Laughably, wildly, baking-through-a-heatwave level incorrect. I’m the person preheating the oven when it’s 82°F outside and people are pulling out their flip-flops and sun hats. It’s fine. We all cope how we cope.

That sourdough starter of mine hasn't been alive almost as long as Ivy and Zander by not getting used, you know what I'm saying? We’ve become the biggest sourdough addicts this side of the Rocky Mountains. Honestly, I’m not even sure if this is still a hobby or if it’s just part of my identity now. I’m “that bread person.” I’m okay with it.

But here’s the thing: as much as I love my bubbly little jar of microbial magic, I am always trying to use up my starter. Discard management is a real thing, folks. I cannot throw it away. It feels rude. Wasteful. Emotionally damaging, even. Like, sorry, do I look like someone who neglects her living ferments? I think not.

So, naturally, I’m constantly looking for new ways to sneak discard into things. Pancakes? Sure. Crackers? Yep. Waffles? Obviously. But this week... this week required something extra.

Miss Ivy has been down with pneumonia. (Cue all the sympathetic sighs, she deserves every one.) It’s been a rough few days over here—fevers, coughing, the whole sad, blanket-cocoon situation. And if you’ve ever had a sick kid, you know the only thing worse than seeing them miserable is the haunting question: What will they eat?

Now, Ivy is normally my little sourdough sidekick. She's my biggest kitchen cheerleader.  But this week, she barely had an appetite. Until—until—she murmured from beneath her mountain of tissues, “Do we have any coffee cake?”

You’d think I’d been handed a divine prophecy.

“Yes,” I said, with the conviction of someone who has no idea what’s in the pantry but will move heaven and earth to deliver a cinnamon-laced baked good to a child in need.

And thus, this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Coffee Cake was born.

Let me tell you, it hits all the right notes: tender crumb, gooey cinnamon swirl, that little tang from the discard that makes you go “Wait—why does this taste so good?” It’s like coffee cake, but better. Cozier. Slightly more responsible-feeling, because you’re “using up starter” and therefore preventing food waste and being a good person.

So whether you’ve had a hell week or everything is going swimmingly, you’ve got to make this coffee cake. You’ll thank me. Your people will thank you. Your starter will thank you. It’s the circle of (sourdough) life.

The Recipe: Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup sourdough discard (unfed, room temp)

• 1/2 cup whole milk (or whatever you’ve got)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

For the cinnamon swirl/filling/struessel topping:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

Optional glaze (if you’re feeling fancy):

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1–2 tbsp milk or cream

• Splash of vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease an 8x8 or 9 inch round baking pan ( I love how pretty this is round). Line with parchment if you want to be able to lift the whole thing out like the baking pro you are.

2. Make the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Cut in the cold butter until it looks like damp sand. Put it in the fridge to keep that baby cold. (Or do. I’m not your mom.)

3. Make the batter: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the sourdough discard, milk, and vanilla. It might look a little curdled. Stay strong.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined.

5. Pour half the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon swirl mix. Swirl it in gently with a butter knife like you're creating edible art. Add the rest of the batter, then top with the remaining cinnamon sugar. 

6. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool slightly before dusting with powdered sugar and drizzling with glaze (if using) or just diving in face-first.

This cake is dangerous in the best possible way. It’s got all the cozy vibes of a classic coffee cake, but that subtle sourdough tang makes it feel like you did something kind of brilliant with your discard. Which you did. Go you.

Ivy had two small slices before falling asleep on the couch with a half-watched episode of Only Murders in the Building playing in the background. I call that a success. 

So go ahead—rescue that jar of discard from the fridge. Bake like it’s mid-January, even if the sun’s out and your neighbors are barbecuing. I promise this cake won’t let you down.

And if you need an excuse to bake? Well, “cake for a sick kid” is a pretty solid one.

(Also “cake for me, because I survived the week” is 100% valid.)

Let me know if you try it! Or if you have other ways you sneak discard into your baking. I'm always on the lookout—especially now that my starter is basically a member of the family.

Now if you'll excuse me, there’s a little triangle of coffee cake with my name on it… and probably some sticky fingers headed toward it, too.