Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This incredible sour cream coffee cake is a buttery and moist cake with a ribbon of crunch from a cinnamon streusel within the cake and of course on top. We used a good bit of streusel—really, no skimping is allowed for a classic cake like this one. Browned butter in the streusel yields even richer flavor so that every slice is warm and inviting—so much so that you may want a second slice.

Learn how to make sour cream coffee cake, and then claim it as it your own. Everyone will ask you to bring your famous coffee cake to bridal teas, baby showers, and of your next book club.

Why Is It Called a Coffee Cake?

Despite the name, there is no actual coffee in coffee cake. At least not typically. Instead, this type of buttery cake is meant to be enjoyed with coffee. Or with tea, orange juice, mimosas, or any other beverage you prefer.

It's not strictly a dessert cake either. Coffee cakes are often served at brunches because they have a just-right flavor of sweet, tangy, and spicy, and they aren't loaded down with a fussy frosting.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Ingredients

A well-stocked baking pantry and fridge will have just about everything you need for this sour cream coffee cake. Here's what you should gather when you're ready to bake:

For the streusel:

• Unsalted butter: The butter will be melted and browned to really boost the flavor of the streusel. The extra minutes it takes to cook and cool the butter are absolutely worth it.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the streusel some heft so it won't sink and disappear into the batter.
• Light brown sugar: The moisture in the brown sugar keeps the streusel crispy and tender without it turning hard.
• Granulated sugar: Lends sweetness and a bit of the crunch you crave in a good coffee cake streusel.
• Ground cinnamon: This warm spice is perfect for a classic coffee cake like this one.
• Table salt: A bit of salt helps to balance the streusel's sweetness.
• Pecans: Chopped and toasted, they add great texture to the cake. You could use walnuts if you want.

For the cake:

• Baking spray with flour: Coat the pan with baking spray so you get easy release.
• All-purpose flour: You need a thick batter to hold up the streusel, and all-purpose flour lends that great texture.
• Baking powder and baking soda: Both are the leavening agents this cake needs to bake up nice and tall.
• Table salt: A little salt is needed to balance the cake's overall sweetness.
• Unsalted butter and granulated sugar: Butter and sugar are creamed to make the base of the cake.
• Eggs: Helps the cake bind together and gives it some lift.
• Vanilla extract: This adds warmth and an undertone of rich flavor to the entire cake.
• Sour cream: It's not sour cream coffee cake without sour cream. It adds a great tang to the cake to contrast the sweetness. It also makes the cake extra moist.

How To Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is not complicated. You make the two elements separately, and then layer them before baking. Here's a brief outline; the full recipe is further below:

• Step 1. Make the streusel: Brown and cool the butter. Combine the remaining ingredients of the streusel, and when the butter has started to harden again, mix everything together with the pecans to make a crumbly streusel.
• Step 2. Make the cake batter: Combine the dry ingredients, and cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream, until the batter is complete. Be careful to not overmix the coffee cake batter; it'll be dry and tough if you do.
• Step 3. Assemble cake: Spoon half of the batter into a springform pan that has been coated with baking spray and lined with parchment paper. Use a spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Sprinkle half the streusel on top of the batter. Then, spoon the remaining batter on top of the streusel, and level it as best you can with a knife or spatula. Finish with the remaining streusel.
• Step 4. Bake the cake: Bake the cake at 350°F until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. This should take about 50 to 60 minutes.
• Step 5. Cool the cake: Let the cake cool in the pan about 10 minutes. Then, remove the pan's side and bottom. Let the cake cool completely before serving.

Tips for the Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake

We've made a few coffee cake recipes in our time, so we're sharing our best hard-learned tips for making excellent coffee cakes:

• Spoon batter: When you add batter on top of the streusel, we suggest you spoon or dollop it and cover as much of the surface as you can. Then, use a spatula or knife to gently spread the batter to fill in gaps. This way, you don't risk mixing too much of the streusel up into the batter as you spread it and you get that beautiful ribbon in each slice.
• Pan shape: We made this cake in a 9-inch round pan, but you could use a 9-inch square pan and have very little difference in bake time.
• Cool completely: Warm cake is never a bad idea, but in this case, the textures of the cake benefit from cooling entirely. This way, you get the contrast of the tender cake with the crisp streusel and crunchy pecans.

How To Store Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Sour cream coffee cake can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap it tightly, and store it in the fridge up to 5 days.

You can also freeze coffee cake up to 3 months. Just be sure to wrap it well in storage wrap, then aluminum foil or a freezer-safe bag. We highly recommend freezing in slices so you can enjoy one whenever you want and don't have to wait for the whole cake to thaw.