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Learn how to make an old-fashioned sour cream coffee cake. The sour cream leaves this cake extra tender and so flavorful! And the pecan crumb topping is so addicting!
Sour cream coffee cake aka my coffees BFFL.
My coffee said it was feeling lonely, so I decided to bake an Old Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake to keep it company.
It’s been dessert but it’s also been my favorite item at brunch. And I knew that if I didn’t get everything but one slice out of the house, I’d be in deep trouble.
The delicious buttery cake flavored with pecan crumb mixture if trouble from the start.A homemade sour cream coffee cake is an essential breakfast treat that doesn’t require much work and makes enough to share with family or friends.
It’s one of these easiest recipes I’ve shared that has a crumb cake filling. The nutty topping is the same as the filling in the middle of the cake.
Thank you for this recipe!! I made it for a brunch I was invited to and it was gone within minutes! Absolutely delicious! Made it just the way you gave it to me! BRAVO!!
What is old fashioned coffee cake?
Coffee cake, or a crumb cake, is a tender, lightly sweetened cake that pairs well with coffee. It sometimes contains a cinnamon streusel-like crumb topping and occasionally, some cakes also have this in the center. Sometime’s their drizzled with a glaze or icing. A coffee cake with sour cream, if also called a sour cream coffee cake.
Ingredients for sour cream coffee cake
To keep things simple, I made us a crumb filling that also doubles as the topping
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder and baking soda: the leavening agents used in the cake to help it rise.
- Kosher salt
- Butter: typically, most sour cream coffee cake recipes call for unsalted butter, but I like to take the unconventional route and use salted butter for this recipe.
- Eggs: add protein and structure to the cake. Making it
- vanilla extract
- sour cream
- Sugar: you’ll. need brown light brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- chopped pecans: add a needed crunch to the cake. Feel free to swap with walnuts if you prefer.
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
How to make the best sour cream coffee cake
Please note that this sour cream coffee cake batter will be a litter thicker than most cake batters we’ve made in the past.
- Start by whipping the butter and sugar together on medium speed in the mixer. This step will help make the cake nice and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Wait until the first is entirely incorporated before adding the next. Then, flavor with vanilla.
- Have the dry ingredients all mixed and ready to go in a bowl. Lower the speed on the mixer, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients. Save the rest for later.
- Add ½ the sour cream. Then, repeat. ⅓ of the flour, the remaining sour cream and follow it up with, you guessed it, the remaining flour. Stop the mixer when *just combined*
- Spread half of the cake batter in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the topping mixture.
- Drop the remaining batter in dollops of the cake. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining crumb topping.
- Bake in the oven until a cake tester comes out clean.
Helpful Tips
- The trick to spreading the batter with ease Since this coffee cake batter is quite thick, I’ve found the best way to ensure the second cake layer goes on smooth is to drop the batter in dollops all over the cake and then gently spread it using an offset or rubber spatula. I like to spray my spatula with just a bit of cooking spray to keep the batter from sticking to the spatula too much! Works like a charm!
- Baking dish size Bake the coffee cake in an 9×13 baking dish. It’s the right size for our cake to crumb ratio and will bake up in the time listed. When you look at the cake batter, it’s gonna look like it’s not enough but trust me; the leavening agents are going to help make the coffee cake rise nice and tall. I haven’t tried baking this is a tube pan or a bundt pan, so I’m unsure if the size would work with the batter.
- Making an easy glaze the icing or glaze for this coffee cake is completely optional. Combine ½ cup of powdered sugar (also known and confectioners sugar) and 1-3 teaspoons of milk. Start with one teaspoon and if that glaze is too thick, add more milk until it just pours easily.
- Storing leftovers Leftover cake should be wrapped and covered tightly and kept for up to 4 days at room temperature.
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Crumb:
- ¼ cup EACH: light brown sugar AND granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon EACH: salt AND ground nutmeg
Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon EACH: baking powder AND baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups sour cream room temperature
Instructions
- PREP: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside for later. In a small bowl toss together the light brown sugar, ¼ cup of granulated sugar, pecans, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and melted butter; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk; set aside.
- CAKE: In a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for one to incorporate before adding the next, then add the vanilla. Lower the speed on the mixer to medium-low, and add in one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream, then one-third of the flour mixture, the remaining sour cream, and finally the last third of the flour mixture. Allow each to combine before adding the next.
- BAKE: Pour about half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Then sprinkle half of the crumb mixture from step one, evenly over the batter. Drop the remaining cake batter in dollops over the cinnamon sugar mixture and carefully spread using an offset spatula or knife. If the batter sticks to the spatula, just spray the spatula with cooking spray. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the cake batter and bake the cake for 30-36 minutes or until a toothpick comes out without any wet cake batter. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool before slicing and serving. Check the post for how to make a yummy glaze!
Notes
- If you’d like to make the glaze, it’s just a ½ cup of powdered sugar (also known and confectioners sugar) and 1-3 teaspoons of milk. Start with one teaspoon and if that glaze is too thick, add more milk until it just pours easily!
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
My batter seemed really thick. Was hard to spread.
I put it in a 8×8’pan.
Just baking it now.
I’ve already made this 3 times and EVERYONE loves it. This week, I added 1 T cocoa powder [for my chocolate loving friend] and added just a bit more butter to the crumb mix. I’m back to using a ‘regular’ amount of spray as when I used less, it was harder to remove from the pan. It stays well in a air tight container and freezes beautifully. This morning someone came over [for a scheduled meeting] and asked for the recipe, having heard how wonderful it is. I’m so happy to have this recipe! It’s the best – easy to make, store, and of course EAT! thank you!
It is SO delicious! I had a hard time not eating it. The only thing I’d do different is spray the pan more lightly. The bottom was a bit greasy tho NO ONE complained. In fact, I was asked to make it again. I also made 3 muffins – 2 for neighbors and one for me to taste. Yeah that didn’t work. I still ate some from the pan. I also had it for breakfast. Good thing I had decided to cut and plate it before going to a friend’s home. I couldn’t find my mother’s recipe anywhere. Your recipe is every bit as good as hers. It’s a keeper and now in my recipe folder.
I like this cake. I usually have the ingredients for it already in my kitchen. It delicious.
Very, very good! I didn’t have any pecans so I made it without. I considered doubling or tripling the crumb to make up for the missing nuts so I would still get that center stripe & full coverage on top, but I was afraid that might make it too sweet. It’s perfect as is. The cake part is delicious as well. Often coffee cakes have a lot of topping covering a dull, floury cake, but this cake is excellent. Thank you!
Looked perfect then sunk a little in the middle when cooling. I tasted a corner and flavor was wonderful.
It’s in the oven now. I’m a bit concerned that the batter wasn’t as thick as the picture shows.
Love, Love, Love this! Thank You for sharing.
So glad to hear that, Celeste! Appreciate you taking the time to circling back to leave a comment 🙂
So Good! This one is a keeper. Thank You for sharing!
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Gaia! 🙂
Do I wait until the cake cools to put the glaze on?
Yes, you’ll want to let it cool to room temp so the glaze doesn’t run.
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in the cake?
Either would work in this recipe, but I almost always use salted butter when I bake ?
Made this recipe for my 4th of July potluck! It’s already gone 🙂 had to bake it for close to 40min but it was perfect!
Thank you for this recipe!! I made it for a brunch I was invited to and it was gone within minutes! Absolutely delicious! Made it just the way you gave it to me! BRAVO!!
Oh this looks so good. My daughter loves all things cinnamon so will definitely try. Btw I love how your blog has evolved over the years ??.
Thank you so much, Asma! Hope you all enjoy the coffee cake! 🙂
Have you ever halved this recipe? Would you suggest baking it in an 8×8?
I haven’t! But it freezes beautifully if you want to bake the whole thing and store half! 🙂