In Old German, “streusel” means “something strewn” which can also be interpreted as something you can easily throw together. In the case of Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake, it also refers to the joyful amounts of crunchy, cinnamon-sweet topping of filling strewn throughout the cake! The rich, buttery cake is already amazing, but the streusel is the star of the show, and you’ll be scraping your plate to get as much of it in every bite as possible. Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake is easily made and can easily impress everyone at your next breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
For the streusel topping and center:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed and divided
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped, and divided
For the cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the pan, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
For the glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Sift together 1 3/4 cups of the flour, the 3/4 cup of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of the salt over a medium bowl.
Step 3 –Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter, or gently massage it in with your fingers until small clumps form. Try to keep the butter as cold as possible.
Step 4 –Fold in the 1/2 cup of the pecans.
Step 5 –Immediately refrigerate the streusel mixture until ready to use.
Step 6 –In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining 1/4 cup of the brown sugar, 1/4 of the teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 cup of the pecans. Set aside.
Step 7 –Butter a 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom.
Step 8 –In a medium bowl, sift the remaining flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, and the 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
Step 9 –In a mixer set to medium speed, beat the remaining butter and the granulated sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Step 10 –While continuing to mix, add in the eggs and vanilla.
Step 11 –While continuing to mix, add in the flour mixture and sour cream, alternating between the two and adding each in thirds. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
Step 12 –Continue to beat until well combined.
Step 13 –Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 14 –Sprinkle 1/2 of the streusel mixture from the fridge evenly over the batter in the pan.
Step 15 –Add in the remaining batter, spreading it evenly using a silicone kitchen spatula.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the remaining streusel topping mixture, both from the fridge and from the set aside pecan cinnamon sugar mixture, evenly over the batter.
Step 17 –Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
Step 18 –Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let it cool completely.
Step 19 –Remove the cake from the pan, and transfer it to parchment paper.
Step 20 –Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and the milk.
Step 21 –Drizzle the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Step 22 –Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 23 –Serve.
