Updated for 2023
LAUSD, our public school district in Los Angeles, the 2nd largest one in the US, has a recipe for Coffee Cake that is legendary, it’s so delicious. It’s from 1954, and has been served in Los Angeles schools ever since that day.
Los Angeles Unified School District is responsible for feeding hundreds of thousands of children each day, and this Coffee Cake recipe has been one of their staples for over 60 years. Want to delight your family and friends? Give it a try!

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I don’t want to overstate how delicious this Coffee Cake is, but let me just say this: My then-10-year-old son decided what Middle School he wanted to attend because they served him this Coffee Cake when he visited as a 5th grader. (Middle School Administrators and Food Service workers, please take note.)
The LAUSD 1954 “Old Fashioned” Coffee Cake Recipe
One day, as I was scrolling on Twitter, I saw that Austin Buetner, the Superintendent of LAUSD, had tweeted out the original 1954 recipe. Someday it would be awesome to see how they’ve adapted it to make enough to serve 350,000 at a time, but for now, we have this.
Here’s the 1954 recipe of the famous @LASchools coffee cake. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/I3DbjPScqH
— Austin Beutner (@AustinLASchools) August 16, 2018
The original, likely mimeographed*, version of the recipe is attached below. (*Look it up.)
The ingredients are simple, although not all of us may have nutmeg or buttermilk on hand. But they are worth getting! Delicious.

Related: Serve this coffee cake along with these other terrific Easter Brunch Recipes.

Our notes about this recipe:
The Coffee Cake is really good! It’s got a little bit of a salty taste in the crumble on top, and of course it’s sweet, so the two things help to balance it. It’s not too “cakey,” either – it’s got a lightness in texture. Can we ascribe that to the oil? Maybe.


We used whole nutmeg and we think it makes a big difference in the flavor. You’ll need a grater like this microplane one. (Affiliate link)
We don’t have any idea what they mean by the terms “Baker’s Flour” or “Salad Oil”, but we used All-Purpose Flour and Canola Oil and they worked fine. We have used Canola oil for other baking, so it was what we chose. We are certain you could use some other oil – and you may want to try other oils. Or even Butter as an alternative. Let us know what worked for you in the comments.

Also, we love the word “crumbly” and hope to use it again some day.

We’d like express our gratitude to the LAUSD food service team from 1954 that came up with this recipe – and to the Superintendent for sharing it.
If you make it, let us know how it goes and how you like it.
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LAUSD Coffee Cake

This is the original recipe for the coffee cake made at the Nation's 2nd largest School District: Los Angeles Unified School District. LAUSD has been making their famous Coffee Cake since 1954 and we know why: it's delicious! Did you ever eat it as a kid at LAUSD? Or as a staff member? Let us know in the comments! Try the recipe and let us know what you think.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cups Bakers flour (we used All-Purpose Flour)
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/2 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 3/4 Cup Canola Oil (recipe mentions "Salad Oil")
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9" X 13" pan. (You can use parchment paper lining instead if you'd prefer.
- Combine the first 6 ingredients (flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, nutmeg, and oil) in a large bowl, and mix with a fork until crumbly.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of this flour mixture for the topping in a separate bowl. Then add the cinnamon and set aside.
- Combine the last 4 ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, egg, and buttermilk) in a separate bowl and mix, being sure to thoroughly break up the egg.
- Add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture, and mix until just combined but not over-mixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the cinnamon topping evenly over the top.
- Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Can be served immediately or stored for several days in an airtight container.
Notes
This coffee cake is surprisingly light, and not overly sweet, even though it calls for over 1 1/2 cups of sugar! We think of that as a nice bonus. Oh - and we used freshly grated whole nutmeg; we think it makes it taste amazing!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 292Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 371mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 17gProtein: 4g
This nutrition information provided is only an estimate.

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LAUSD Coffee Cake FAQs
Q: What is coffee cake?
A: Coffee cake is a type of cake that is traditionally served with coffee or tea. It is usually a sweet, soft cake that may be flavored with cinnamon, nuts, fruit, or other ingredients.
Q: What are the ingredients of coffee cake?
A: The ingredients of coffee cake can vary, but typically include flour, sugar, eggs, butter or oil, baking powder, milk, and flavorings such as cinnamon, nuts, or fruit.
Q: Can coffee cake be made without coffee?
A: Yes, coffee cake does not actually contain coffee as an ingredient. The name “coffee cake” refers to the fact that it is a cake that is traditionally served with coffee.
Q: Can I freeze coffee cake?
A: Yes, coffee cake can be frozen. It is best to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before freezing to prevent freezer burn.
Q: How long does coffee cake last?
A: Coffee cake can last for several days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life.
Q: Is coffee cake healthy?
A: Coffee cake is typically high in sugar and calories, so it is not considered a health food. However, some recipes may use healthier ingredients, such as whole wheat flour and reduced sugar, to make a healthier version.
Q: Is coffee cake a breakfast food or a dessert?
A: Coffee cake is often served as a breakfast or brunch food, but it can also be served as a dessert or snack.
Q: What are some variations of coffee cake?
A: There are many variations of coffee cake, including blueberry coffee cake, cinnamon streusel coffee cake, sour cream coffee cake, and pumpkin coffee cake.
Q: Do they really serve this coffee cake in Los Angeles schools?
A: Yes, they really do. And LAUSD has been serving it since 1954. But they don’t serve it all ALL LAUSD Schools, nor do they serve it every day at LAUSD schools.
Q: Did LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner really give out the original recipe in a Tweet?
A: Yes, he really did, which is how I found it.
Q: Did the LAUSD coffee cake really help convince your son which Middle School to choose – because they served it to him on a tour?
A: Yes, that’s really true. He came home from the 5th grade field trip to see the Middle School campus and said – Mom, I want to go there. They have this coffee cake that’s so good.
Q: What does LAUSD stand for?
A: Los Angeles Unified School District.
Q: Is LAUSD the biggest School District in the country?
A: It’s the 2nd largest school district in the United States, serving over 500,000 students from Transitional Kindergarten through High School, at over 700 campuses. New York City has the largest school district.

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Gaby
Wednesday 19th of July 2023
I had this when I worked for LAUSD. I made it and it was so yummy. Just like I remembered it.
Sarah Auerswald
Thursday 20th of July 2023
So glad you made it and enjoyed it! We think it's yummy, too!
Maurice Valerio
Saturday 8th of July 2023
I worked for the LAUSD and the recipe contains powdered milk, not buttermilk. I should know: I mixed it all together and I recall vinegar being added ...
Maggie
Tuesday 5th of September 2023
@Maurice Valerio,
This is off the LAUSD website, and it does have the powdered milk and vinegar. I made the recipe on this website, and it is very good (I use butter), but I'm going to try this one as well. Here's the link to the recipe:
https://www.lausd.org/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/126/LAUSD_CoffeeCake_Recipe.pdf
Sarah Auerswald
Thursday 13th of July 2023
Good to know. Thanks!
Tamila
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
I've been teaching for the district since 1999 and MISS THIS COFFEECAKE. They stopped at some point and now everything is prepackaged and gross.
Thanks! Im making this over winter break :)
Sandy
Sunday 11th of December 2022
@Sarah Auerswald, Hi Sarah, i did try the coffee cake recipe twice, i did use regular flour and baked on middle rack, but it was flattened. Maybe i should use the bakers flour instead.
Sarah Auerswald
Tuesday 8th of November 2022
Oh! I'm so glad you're going to make the recipe and I'm so glad you reached out. Thank you for teaching in LAUSD!
Janie
Sunday 6th of November 2022
This recipe is how I remembered when I went to school at LAUSD. I did use 3/4 tsp of salt since the first time it was to “salty” for me. It did help! My favorite thing to bake :)
Sarah Auerswald
Monday 7th of November 2022
That's a great tip about the amount of salt. Thanks for letting us know!
jenny
Sunday 23rd of October 2022
Wow! I made this recipe, and the taste was exactly the same. I started to enjoy this coffee cake since middle 70's, and the taste is totally there. Bakers flour is Bread Flour.
Jean white
Thursday 26th of January 2023
@jenny, Hi my name is Jean white I went to Stephen M white junior high nearby in the early seventies and they used to serve a peanut butter bread then had a icing over it. It was just like go bread underneath with peanut butter on top and icing over it I was wondering if anyone had that recipe. Love the coffee cake recipe make it all the time but I was looking for the peanut butter bread recipe. My email is [email protected] If you know anybody that has it or resources to get it please let me know thank you so much have a blessed day
Sarah Auerswald
Monday 24th of October 2022
Oh! How fun!