When the coffee cake was first invented, people thought it couldn’t get much better. Sour Cream Coffee Cake proved everyone wrong by being even more delectably moist and sweet. The sour cream tang infuses the cake, adding a lovely contrast to the crunchy, nutty crumble that’s both on top of the cake and ribboned throughout it. Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a great treat at brunch or for sharing over an afternoon coffee or as a dessert in its own right. It really doesn’t get much better than this!
Ingredients
For the crumb topping:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold
For the cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Combine 1/4 cup flour with the brown sugar, coconut, nuts, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
Step 4 –Using a grater, grate 1/2 cup of very cold butter into the dry crumb mixture. Make sure to keep the butter as cold as possible during this process as the butter warming up too much will ruin the texture.
Step 5 –Toss the grated butter and dry crumb mixture together using a fork until evenly mixed. The mixture should still look dry.
Step 6 –Let the crumb mixture rest in the fridge.
Step 7 –Sift the remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt together into a medium-sized bowl.
Step 8 –In the bowl of a stand mixer or by hand, whisk 1 cup softened butter until light and fluffy.
Step 9 –Add the white sugar slowly into the butter while whisking.
Step 10 –Add the eggs 1 at a time, whisking until each is fully incorporated before adding the next one.
Step 11 –Into the butter mixture alternate adding 1/3 of the dry ingredients mixture and 1/3 of the sour cream. Beat the mixture after each addition of 1/3 of the dry ingredients and 1/3 of the sour cream before adding more and repeating the process.
Step 12 –Beat the mixture on high for about 3 minutes.
Step 13 –Add half of the cake batter and half of the crumble mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Step 14 –Add the remaining batter and crumble mixture.
Step 15 –Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Step 16 –Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving!
