Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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Rich Sour Cream Coffee Cake with cinnamon pecan streusel.

This is our BEST Sour Cream Coffee Cake with a moist, tender crumb and loads of cinnamon and pecans.

When I hear the words sour cream ‘coffee cake’ I think of a buttery, tender cake with a crunchy, nutty topping and a thick ribbon of brown sugar cinnamon running through the middle. What a delicious combination of flavors!

If that’s what you dream about too, you’ll love our perfectly soft, tender cake, the rich cinnamon filling, and a sweet, crunchy pecan streusel topping. This sour cream coffee cake recipe may just be your new family favorite. And, this recipe is so easy even beginner bakers can make it. There’s no mixer needed and our easy to read, step-by-step directions will have you eating warm coffee cake in no time.

How to make Sour Cream Coffee Cake

For the streusel filling and topping you’ll need:

• all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• dark brown sugar
• ground cinnamon
• unsalted butter
• chopped pecans

For the cake batter you’ll need:

• all-purpose flour
• salt
• baking powder
• baking soda
• granulated sugar
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla
• milk
• unsalted butter

To make the streusel filling and topping:

The filling and topping are made from the same base ingredients. First, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon. Remove 1 1/4 cups of this mixture and set aside to use for the filling.

For the topping add melted butter and pecans to the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture and mix well. The topping and filling can both be made one day in advance and refrigerated until needed.

To make the sour cream cake batter:

Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and granulated sugar. Next combine the wet ingredients: eggs, sour cream, vanilla, milk and melted butter. Combine the two mixtures and fold together with a spatula.

To assemble the coffee cake:

Layer a little more than half the cake batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the filling over the cake, then top with the remaining sour cream batter. Top with the streusel topping and bake!

Can you make Sour Cream Coffee Cake ahead?

This coffee cake keeps well for several days if sealed in an airtight container. If needed, bake the coffee cake the day before serving and cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or slice the cake and seal in a container and serve the following day.

Another option is to prepare the streusel topping and filling the day before and refrigerate until needed. Then all you need to do is make the cake batter, assemble and bake. Without a doubt, our Sour Cream Coffee Cake is pretty amazing served slightly warm. It’s worth getting up a few minutes early to get this in the oven before the family invades the kitchen.

Can you freeze Sour Cream Coffee Cake?

Yes indeed! This coffee cake can be frozen, well sealed in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for a few hours.

Can you substitute anything else for the sour cream?

This coffee cake is also delicious made with Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. I recommend using full fat yogurt, however. The cake portion might turn out dry if you use fat-free or low-fat yogurt or sour cream.

Use your favorite nuts instead of pecans.

Walnuts or almonds also work well in the streusel topping. Or, for those with a nut allergy, you can omit the pecans all-together. Add a few whole oats in place of the nuts, if desired. It’s all good!

We found this cake is best baked in a 9×9-inch light-colored baking pan.

I’ve made this coffee cake in a cast iron skillet, a springform pan and many times in the gold square pan pictured here, which is my favorite. For best results, I recommend baking this coffee cake in a light-colored, 9-inch square baking pan. If using a dark pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

Our goldtouch square baker came from Williams Sonoma. I’ve never been disappointed with this pan and wish I had the entire set in my cabinet! If you’re in need of a new pan, it’s worth every penny.

We’ve also used this base cake recipe to make our fantastic Blueberry Coffee Cake. It’s also easy to make with a rich sour cream batter loaded with blueberries and topped with a sweet cinnamon streusel. Give it a try. For a fun twist the kids will love, try this Peanut Butter and Jelly Coffee Cake Recipe.

Finally, If you’re loving all this cinnamon goodness, try our Cinnamon Breakfast Cake which tastes just like a great big snickerdoodle! I bet you’ll also flip for these homemade cinnamon rolls which are out of this world amazing.

Don’t forget to make this Sour Cream Coffee Cake for your next office party, church breakfast, weekend brunch or picnic. Breakfast, brunch, lunch or dessert, it’s all good!

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5 from 1 vote

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 50 mins

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Yield: 9

Course: Breakfast or Brunch, Cake, Dessert

Author: Tricia

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Ingredients

For the streusel filling and topping:

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (85g)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (170g)
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed (113g)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup pecans, chopped fine (113g or 4oz)

For the cake batter:

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (334g)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (170g)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (8oz)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk (2oz)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled (4oz or 113g)

Instructions

To prepare the streusel filling and topping:

• In a medium bowl combine ⅔ cup flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½cup brown sugar and the cinnamon.
• FOR THE FILLING: Remove 1 ¼ cups of the mixture to a small bowl. Set aside to use as the filling.
• FOR THE TOPPING: Add the melted butter and pecans to the remaining flour sugar mixture in the medium bowl. Mix until well blended and set aside to use as the topping.

To prepare the cake batter:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan, set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and ¾ cup of granulated sugar. Make a well in the center.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs until blended. Add the sour cream, vanilla and milk. Whisk until blended. Slowly add the melted butter, while whisking to combine. Pour the sour cream mixture into the flour and sugar mixture. Stir with a spatula until the dry ingredients are moistened. The batter will be thick.

To assemble the coffee cake:

• Pour a little more than half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle all the cinnamon sugar filling (no pecans) evenly over the batter. Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the top and smooth with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the streusel topping (with pecans) over the batter.
• Allow the cake to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
• Bake the cake at 325°F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out with no wet batter. Moist crumbs are okay. Tent the cake with foil halfway through baking to prevent the pecans from over-baking.
• Cool the cake for 20 minutes, then serve slightly warm or at room temperature straight from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Recipe Notes

• The topping and filling can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated until needed.
• Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for longer storage, if desired.
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake may be frozen, well sealed in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or at room temperature for a few hours.
• Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream and almonds or walnuts for the pecans, if desired.