All the Cinnamon Roll Vibes, None of the Effort (High Altitude Coffee Cake)

That’s because our house has been recovering from what I can only describe as The Super Flu™, which was super not fun and deserves zero stars on Yelp. Somehow, through a fog of tissues, cough drops, and questionable levels of caffeine, I managed to pull off Christmas. And now? I am emotionally and physically ready to hibernate until at least March.

But I don’t want to abandon you. I could never just ghost you with nothing but crumbs and unanswered questions.

So I’m here—wrapped in a sweater, moving slowly, but still standing—with an easy, cozy, holiday-morning-approved recipe for when full-on cinnamon rolls feel like climbing Everest. Or for a cold weekend morning… which we haven’t really had lately because Mother Nature is absolutely in a MOOD and Colorado has been acting like it’s May. Everything is dry, everything is brown, and the fire danger is off the charts. Love that for us. 🙃

This cinnamon roll coffee cake gives you all the cinnamon-sugar joy with about half the effort and zero yeast-related emotional breakdowns. It’s soft, buttery, swirly, and perfect for slow mornings, holiday leftovers, or “I survived 2025 and deserve cake for breakfast” days.

Let’s bake something comforting and head into the new year with good vibes, cinnamon sugar, and hope for good things to come.

High Altitude Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¾ cup sour cream (room temp if you’re fancy, straight from the fridge if you’re me)

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 2 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon Swirl

• ½ cup brown sugar, packed

• 1½ tablespoons cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Optional Glaze (Highly Encouraged)

• ¾ cup powdered sugar

• 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan and tell yourself you’ll wash it immediately after baking (you won’t, but the optimism matters).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In another bowl, mix the sour cream, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix—we want tender coffee cake, not emotional resilience training.

5. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter for the swirl.

6. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture evenly over the batter.

7. Spoon the remaining batter on top (don’t worry about perfection—this is a cozy bake, not a Pinterest competition). Sprinkle the rest of the cinnamon sugar over the top.

8. Use a knife to gently swirl everything together. You’re aiming for “effortlessly rustic,” not “chaotic gremlin energy.”

9. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

10. Let cool slightly. If glazing, whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle generously over the top while still warm.

High Altitude Notes (Because We’re Up Here)

• This recipe is already adjusted for high altitude (5,000+ feet)

• Slightly reduced sugar keeps it from collapsing

• Extra structure from sour cream = tender but stable crumb

• If your oven runs hot (looking at you, Colorado kitchens), start checking at 33 minutes

Final Thoughts from Someone Who Is Very Tired But Very Hopeful

This is the kind of bake you make when you want your house to smell like comfort and optimism. When you’re not trying to impress anyone—just feed the people you love (including yourself) something warm and sweet.

Enjoy this one, friends. Take care of yourselves. Rest when you need to. Eat cake for breakfast if it helps. And let’s head into the new year with cinnamon sugar on our plates and hope in our pockets. 💫

You’ve got this. And if not… there’s coffee cake.