Sour Cream Coffee Cake, with a sweet and crunchy streusel topping and a cinnamon sugar layer in the middle, is the most delicious coffee cake recipe you'll find!
This is the perfect sweet treat to make for entertaining or to bring to a breakfast get together with friends. The inside of the coffee cake is super moist!
Sour Cream Coffee Cake is one of my favorite things to bake. There's just something irresistable about that crunchy cinnamon sugar topping and the light and fluffy texture of the cake. I loved this recipe so much that I'm pretty confident my jeans are now just a wee bit tighter as a result.
What is in a coffee cake?
I am willing to bet most of my readers know the answer to this one, but in case you aren't familiar with this American classic, allow me to describe it for you.
Coffee cake does not have coffee in it. I think that's the main reason people might wonder what is in a coffee cake. From my understanding, it is called a coffee cake because it is best enjoyed for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee. But I feel the same way about cobblers and pies, but they aren't called coffee cobblers or coffee pies. Maybe they should.
Coffee cake consists of a tender, moist cake that often has some kind of cinnamon sugar swirl mixed into the batter. The addition of nuts is usually personal preference. When there's a choice to add nuts, my answer is usually YES.
The defining part of a coffee cake, however, is the crunchy cinnamon sugar topping. It is oh-so-naughty, yet worth every calorie.
The combination of sweet and crunchy with moist and tender is the perfect flavor and texture marriage!
If you're wondering what coffee cake tastes like...
There is a fair amount of cinnamon sugar flavor throughout.
The cake portion, however, has a large amount of both egg and sour cream. These two ingredients are what create the moist cake. The flavor of the cake isn't super sweet when compared to the topping.
If you're wondering what this coffee cake tastes like, I will tell you that it was the best damn coffee cake I've ever eaten.
Coffee cake variations:
If you're looking for that same great cinnamon sugar coffee cake flavor, but with a twist, you might want to try these recipes:
- Upside Down Cranberry Coffee Cake
- Strawberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Can you freeze coffee cake?
Yes!
This recipe makes a lot, so it is perfect for large family gatherings or potlucks. Or, if you're like me and enjoy this coffee cake way too much, you can always freeze what you can't eat.
I have frozen this exact recipe and it thawed and tasted perfectly.
I will admit that I thought I could take the thawed frozen leftovers and turn it into a bread pudding. It was a recipe fail. Stick to challah or brioche for your bread puddings, friends! This coffee cake is not meant to be transformed into anything else!
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
FILLING:
- ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cups chopped pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
STREUSEL TOPPING
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
- 6 tablespoons butter (melted)
CAKE:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¼ cup white sugar
- 3 eggs (slightly beaten)
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 10-inch angel food tube pan or a 9x13 baking dish.
- In small bowl, mix together filling ingredients. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, make the topping by whisking together the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, stirring until well combined. Set aside.
- To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar using the paddle attachment on high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs and vanilla on low speed until combined. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Do not over mix.
- Spread ⅓ of the cake batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with ½ of the filling mixture. Cover with another third of the cake batter, then the remaining filling, and then the remaining cake batter.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture over the batter in the pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes if using Angel Food Pan (might be done sooner in 9x13 baking dish), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then lift bottom out of pan (remove sides) to allow cake to finish cooling. Once completely cool, you can loosen the cake from the center and bottom with a knife and then use a couple spatulas to lift the cake off of the cake pan bottom and transfer to a platter.
- Best if served the same or very next day. Store in an airtight container.
Linda
My Mom made one like this when I was growing up.I will use yours this weekend. Thanks for the memories!
De
I just took this out of the oven. I can tell right away that the topping is going to just fall off. I did press it way down into the batter before cooking. It’s still just laying on top. Will fall off when I cut it.
Krissy
Some of it will and it's unavoidable. I just smash the coffee cake bites onto the crumbs before I shove it into my mouth!
Marian
Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose? Also, how many chopped nuts should I incorporate? Maybe I missed something, but I didn’t see nuts in the recipe.
Krissy
Bread flour should work. Bread flour is higher in protein and produces higher amounts of gluten. I don't think that would hurt the coffee cake, but I have never made it with bread flour. The recipe uses 1/2 cup pecans in the filling but you can use a different nut if you want.
Sierra
I think I used the wrong kind of pan. I used a Bundt cake pan and in the directions for how it says to take the cake out… yea no… you can’t just lift the bottom out in a Bundt cake pan… so now I have to serve it in the pan itself…
Krissy
I'm super sorry about that! I took that line out in the post. The recipe called for the right kind of pan - angel food with removeable bottom. I've also made this in a 9x13 baking dish. Hope you still liked it!
Paige
Boy this looks like a beauty, and one that I'm looking forward to making.
Sara Welch
I don't think there are many thinks I could love more than coffee cake and this is no exception! Excited to enjoy this over the weekend; looks amazing!
Katie
Making this coffee cake for Saturday brunch! Thank you!!!
Jennifer
I would so love this for breakfast! Looks so delicious!
Noemi Ramirez
Loved this recipe. Best cake ever.
Noemi Ramirez
Amazing Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Loved it.
Becca
Hi Krissy, if I make this in a bundt pan do I put the topping in first before the batter, or do I put it in last still like your recipe says? I do not have an angel food cake pan and I saw in your recipe notes that this was originally made for a bundt pan, but I'm wondering how the topping will turn out. Thanks in advance!
Krissy
Hmmm... I would layer it and put some in the middle and some on top. Problem is that if you have to invert it to get it out of the pan, the crunchy topping would be on the bottom. If you put the topping in first to sit at the bottom of the pan while it cooks, you won't get any of that crunchy goodness. Make sense? Krissy
Ashley DaDalt
Thank you so much for the incredible recipe! I do have one question though - everything turned out tasting lovely when I made it, but the topping did not stick together on top of the cake... it all just crumbled off into the mess it was in the bowl. Any idea how to make the topping stick better to the cake and to itself? Thanks in advance!!
Krissy
Hi Ashley, You can press it down into the batter before you bake it and the bread should grip it better. Glad you liked it!
Annette
Can I make this in a rectangular pan and if so what size? I want to be able to take to work in my insulated carrier so it will stay warm.
Krissy
It can! You will likely need to reduce your cooking time since it's not as deep. I think a 9x13 will work.
David
Is it 571 calories per serving?
Krissy
Yes... but it's a big serving. 🙂
Renetta
This recipe looks very similar to one I used to make. Can it be baked in a bundt pan?
Krissy
Yes, but the tube pan makes it easier to get it out.