This is an irresistible glazed coffee cake that combines the warm flavor of cinnamon, a rich batter with sour cream, and a crunchy pecan streusel. Topped with a generous layer of sweet glaze, it's the ultimate brunch and bake sale addition or snack cake.
Coffee cakes are a wonderful breed, full of ingredients we love, glazed to perfection, and with that crunchy cinnamon streusel we secretly wish we had more of.
We have a nice bunch of recipes you can choose from: glazed pumpkin coffee cake, fresh apple cake, the unique chocolate crumb cake or a fantastic zucchini cake with cinnamon streusel.
It's the ultimate brunch coffee crumb cake, old-fashioned and homemade.
If there's a brunch table, I always go for the glazed coffee cake first. Well, maybe after something savory, like quiche.
This recipe has all the usual ingredients but is lighter and not as dense as a pound cake. And yet, make no mistake, it remains a solid, amazing, worth-every-calorie cinnamon pecan coffee cake.
The crumb texture and flavor are one of the best I ever had. I tell you, it's the stuff of dreams.
Ingredient list
- Sour cream: use the regular type, full-fat sour cream. It adds richness and moisture.
- White granulated sugar.
- Light brown sugar.
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- All-purpose flour.
- Baking powder and baking soda: are used as leaveners to help the cake rise, so make sure they aren't expired.
- Cinnamon: any ground cinnamon you normally use works fine. I like Frontier Vietnamese cinnamon and Simply Organic Ceylon cinnamon.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade Oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
- Salt: I like using kosher salt or fine sea salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Unsalted butter.
- Pecans or walnuts: they will be chopped, so no need to buy the whole ones that are more expensive.
- Powdered sugar: also called confectioners or icing sugar, you can easily buy it online. Domino powdered sugar is a very popular one.
- Lemon juice: optional, for the glaze. You can also use milk or cream.
See the recipe card towards the end of this post for quantities.
Variations & substitutions
- Greek yogurt: substitute it for sour cream. Make sure it's thick and unflavored (natural).
- Spices: add a touch of ground nutmeg and allspice.
- Chocolate chips: use them instead of, or in addition to, the pecans or walnuts.
- Orange: use 1 teaspoon of orange zest in the batter and orange juice for the glaze.
The crumb topping
The streusel layer has pecans, brown sugar, and some cocoa. The combo with the cinnamon is outstanding as we all know. Nothing new here.
Pecans or walnuts can be used interchangeably. It makes little difference in my opinion.
I like toasting them a little, just a bit since the flavor deepens, but not too much since the upper layer will be in direct contact with the heat and if your nuts are very toasted they will even more by the time you take out your pecan coffee cake from the oven.
But that's really a thing I have. I toast nuts. Almost always.
How to make sour cream coffee cake
Vanilla cake batter: this is a thick mixture that is easier made with an electric mixer or a stand mixer.
Crumb mixture: use a medium bowl and a pastry cutter (or your hands) to cut in the butter and then a fork to incorporate with the pecans.
Layering: the cake batter and the streusel are divided in two and layered. To spread the batter more easily, dip the back of a spoon in water and use it as an offset spatula.
The cinnamon streusel is floury and will seem like too much or too loose. That's fine.
This is a large cake so it takes its time to fully bake. Always let it cool on a wire rack before attempting to remove it.
Vintage Kitchen tip: run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen up any bit that might be stuck before turning it upside-down to remove it. Do this gently so the crumb topping stays put.
Powdered sugar glaze
The glaze is simple and works wonders with this type of cake. We like it so much that we have a whole post explaining how to make a simple glaze.
Lemon juice is my favorite liquid because it cuts a tiny bit through the overall sweetness. And it makes the glaze stay white, which I like. I would not trade flavor for color, but it's two birds with one stone.
But you can use milk, cream or orange juice.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Damp spoon: to easily spread the second layer of cake batter, run the back of a spoon under tap water and use the damp spoon to spread the mixture.
- Storing: leftovers can be left at room temperature for 3 days. Always cover it well with plastic wrap, a cake dome or use an airtight container. You can freeze it for a month and thaw at room temperature, unwrapped.
Related recipes you might like:
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Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the streusel:
- ½ cup 100g brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup 65g all-purpose or cake flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, cold and diced
- ½ cup 50g pecans, coarsely chopped
For the cake:
- 3 cups 400g cake flour (or all-purpose)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups 300g granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
For the streusel:
- Mix all dry ingredients, all the butter and work with your hands until it is clumpy with no dry spots.
- Add pecans and mix. Reserve.
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Butter or spray a 10-inch simple bundt or tube cake pan (see Notes below) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and add sugar gradually, beating until creamy, 3 minutes. Use an electric mixer.
- Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts. You start and end with flour. You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice).
- Mix well but don't overbeat. The cake batter will be thick and velvety.
- Put half of this mixture in the prepared pan. Smooth it with the back of a damp spoon (it will glide more easily) and add half the streusel mixture over it.
- Drop mounds of remaining batter mixture by tablespoons and carefully smooth it with the back of a spoon (if it sticks, dampen the spoon again).
- Sprinkle the remaining streusel over it.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out dry.
- Let it cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Use a flat knife to carefully loosen the edges that might be stuck due to the sugar in the streusel.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing. Place a wire rack on top of the pan and carefully turn it upside down.
- Transfer to a plate and glaze.
For the glaze:
- Mix ingredients in a bowl until creamy.
- Pour over cold cake and let drip down the sides.
- It keeps for a few days, well wrapped, at room temperature.
Paula Montenegro says
I agree about the flour! Too bad most don't realize that and only use all-purpose. Have a great day Deb!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
My mouth is watering :-)) Can't resist anything with streusel!
Paula Montenegro says
Me neither.