Sour Cream Coffee Cake for a Cold Day
Few things make a house feel warm and “homey” like the sweet smell of cinnamon goods baking away in the oven. And I guarantee this will warm your home (and heart) right up – Filled and topped with cinnamon-sugar goodness this coffee cake is a sure-fire home run. Keep this recipe on hand for your next brunch, and your guests won’t be disappointed!
The last time I purchased sour cream, they were out of the small containers so I was forced to buy a large one. Now, in a house of two people, where only one of us eats sour cream, and there are clearly a limited number of options for items that are complemented by sour cream (tacos… and um… tacos?).
Since I hate letting things go to waste, I was trying to think of something to do with the rest of this sour cream… what could I make? Then it hit me – SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE.
The sour cream in this cake gives it a subtle flavor boost and added moisture to an item that tends to be overly dry in bakeries and coffee shops nationwide. I decided to use the King Arthur Flour recipe since it has the key thing I look for in any recipe – simplicity.
I was a little weirded out by their “streusel” recipe- it was the first time I’d ever seen a streusel recipe that didn’t call for butter. I went for it anyway though, adding just a touch of brown sugar for extra flavor and texture. The cake recipe itself was very forgiving, delivering a delightfully tender coffee cake despite an oven mishap 
Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
For Streusel:
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 Tb brown sugar
For Cake:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 C AP flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 C sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 C sour cream (I used light)
*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Make the topping: Combine topping ingredients, stir and set aside.
Make the cake:
1. Spray pan with baking spray (I used an 8×8, a 9×9 would work as well, or an 8 or 9-inch round pan), set aside.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter & sugar, add eggs and beat until smooth.
4. Add the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan, and sprinkle with half of the topping. Repeat with remaining batter and topping.
5. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 min (depending on size of pan). Cool on wire rack.
– Adapted from KAF
