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Classic Sour-Cream Coffee Cake

Photo Credit
Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
8-inch cake
Category
Quickbreads, Coffee Cakes
Course
Breakfast & Brunches
Occasions
Christmas
Easter Sunday
Preparation Method
Bake

This is the classic coffee cake made with sour cream (substitute with yogurt, if desired) and a sweet, crunchy, cinnamon topping! It’s a family favorite!

Bake in a regular 8-inch cake pan or bake in an 8-cup tube pan. It’s a beautiful coffee cake for a Sunday breakfast, holidays, church potluck, or gift!

We do recommend using tangy sour cream which gives the coffee cake that moistness but you could also use full-fat plain yogurt or crème fraîche if you are out of sour cream.

In terms of the topping, we use walnuts for texture but you could also use pecans. Here’s another great tip: After you add the topping, swirl gently into the batter with a fork so the topping sticks better to the cake as it cools!

If you’d like to glaze your coffee cake, mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 3 tbsp. milk and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Coffee Cake

Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-cup tube pan or 8-inch cake pan.

Mix chopped nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon to make topping and set aside.

Stir or sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt until dry ingredients are well combined.

Cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture in alternate thirds with the sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and sprinkle with half the topping, then add remaining batter and sprinkle on the rest of the topping.

Bake for 40 minutes without opening the oven, then test for doneness (a toothpick should come out clean). Coffee cake may need another 5 to 10 minutes of baking.

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<span>Patti</span> Thu, 02/23/2023 - 08:08
One of our favorite things to have baking in the oven! This is a great recipe, will definitely add it to our recipe box of favorites .
<span>Tom Chase</span> Thu, 09/29/2022 - 14:08
A Coffee Cake without coffee grounds and a Tea Cake without Tea Leaves, a Pound Cake without a weight. reads like politician gibberish.
<span>Diamondgirl88</span> Thu, 11/03/2022 - 09:24
POUND CAKE is so named because original recipes were 1 lb. Butter, 1 lb. Sugar, 1 lb. Flour. If you're a proper "Foodie", the history of Hospitality is grounded on the generosity of serving expensive refreshments as TEA and COFFEE imported from far, far away, along with sweets made with precious white flour and sugar, also imported into Europe and North America. Bon Appetit!
<span>Helen</span> Sun, 01/23/2022 - 09:13
Where is the coffee
<span>Natasha</span> Fri, 02/04/2022 - 13:46
There’s always one.
<span>Jenny</span> Mon, 01/31/2022 - 10:35
A "coffee cake" is a type of cake. It's a cake you'll enjoy with a nice cup of coffee. My 7 years old niece would know that.... Please educate yourself. 🙄
<span>Denise T</span> Sun, 01/23/2022 - 10:27
LOL! Seriously? I love it.
<span>Darlene</span> Sun, 01/23/2022 - 09:25
The coffee is in your cup. Drink coffee while eating this cake. That's why it is called coffee cake.
<span>Anne</span> Sun, 01/23/2022 - 09:58
like Tea Cakes to go with Tea;
<span>Sharon Brown</span> Thu, 02/23/2023 - 13:47
You guys crack me up! You'd get along great with my family's sense of humor! 😝