Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Tips & Tricks:

• 🔪 This entire recipe can be made ahead. Store, covered, on the counter at room temperature for three days or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.
• 🧈 I do this trick to soften butter while I gather my mise en place.
• 🥚If the eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before cracking them.
• ❌Make this cake gluten free by using equal amounts of GF All Purpose Flour (1 1/8 cup) + 1/8 cup of cornstarch.
• 🥣Don't have a stand mixer? Use a handheld electric mixer, or get a good arm workout with a wooden spatula or strong rubber spatula.
• 🍰If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup cornstarch.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 5/8 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour (or 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/8 cup cornstarch)
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the streusel:

• 1/8 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
• Disposable loaf pan (9x5x3) if you don’t have one

Directions:

1. Mise En Place
1. Gather all your ingredients for this recipe. This is important for every type of recipe and something I do before I cook anything, but I find it especially important for baking. A lot of times ingredients need to be at room temp, more accurately measured, and the order of ingredients can be most important. So, when it is all laid out and measured in front of me, there is less pressure to follow a recipe correctly.
2. Oven Prep
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Set the shelf in the middle level of the oven.
3. Grease a standard loaf pan(9x5x3) using butter or oil and a sprinkle of flour; set aside.
3. Cake Bater Time
1. Cream (mix very well) the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until it turns a light yellow (almost white) color.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined.
5. Finish by lightly folding with a spatula to be sure the batter is well mixed.
4. Streusel
1. Place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts if using.
5. Baking Time
1. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a spatula.
2. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the streusel.
3. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top.
4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean.
6. Serve
1. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes (or on a raised grated stove top).
2. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel-side up, onto a serving plate.
3. Serve at room temperature.