Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel is a classic coffee cake that is moist and delicious. The perfect addition to your brunch menu!
I first made this America's Test Kitchen Coffee Cake for a Mother's Day brunch many years ago. It's made in a Bundt pan and has the flavors of a classic coffee cake, with a streusel layer in the middle and on top.
Due to my nut allergy, I left out the pecans, but I kept them optional in the recipe because I know a lot of people like them, especially in streusels.
This coffee cake goes great with a Classic Quiche or Cheesy Amish Breakfast Casserole.
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Make the Streusel
Place the flour, sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon in a food processer and process until combined.
Transfer a portion of the mixture to a small bowl. Stir in more brown sugar and set aside. This will be used for the filling.
To the remaining mixture, add butter and the pecans, if using. Pulse until the nuts and/or butter resemble small pebbly pieces. This will be used for the topping of the cake. Set it aside while you make the cake batter.
Make the Cake Batter
Preheat the oven, and grease a tube or Bundt pan with softened butter. Alternatively, spray the pan with a non-stick baking spray containing flour, such as Pam for Baking.
Whisk the eggs, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed, about 30 seconds.
Add the butter and more sour cream and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand. Increase the speed to medium until the batter comes together. Then, lower the speed and add the egg mixture in three additions. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy.
Assemble and Bake the Cake
Spread about 2 cups of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
Sprinkle the surface with half of the streusel filling (without butter or nuts).
Spread 2 more cups of batter on top, then sprinkle the remaining filling on the batter.
Add the remaining cake batter on top, then add the streusel with the butter (and nuts if using) to the top.
Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes until the cake is finished.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then invert the cake on a rimmed baking sheet. The streusel will be face down. Carefully remove the pan.
Place a wire rack on top of the cake and reinvert so the streusel side is up.
Cool the cake until it reaches room temperature, about 2 hours.
Serving
I highly recommend using a sharp serrated knife, like a bread knife, to slice this cake. When I used a regular knife, it looked messy, but when I used the serrated knife, the slices came out very clean.
Storage
The cake can be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Gluten Free Option
Use a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour in place of all purpose flour. Use butter to grease the pan, not baking spray containing flour.
📖 Recipe
Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel
Equipment
- 1 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan
Ingredients
For the Streusel:
- ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter (chilled and cut into 2 pieces)
For the Pan:
- 2 tablespoons butter (softened or baking spray)
For the Cake:
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 12 tablespoons butter (softened but still cool, cut into ½-inch cubes)
Instructions
Make the Streusel:
- In a food processor, process the flour, granulated sugar, ¼ cup of the brown sugar, and the cinnamon until combined, about 15 seconds.¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- Transfer 1¼ cups of the flour-sugar mixture to a small bowl. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar. Set the bowl aside to use for the filling in the cake.
- Add the pecans, if using, and butter to the flour-sugar mixture in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts and butter resemble small pebbly pieces, about 10 pulses. Set this mixture aside to use for the topping of the cake.1 cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons butter
Make the Cake Batter:
- Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-cup tube or Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons of softened butter or spray with baking spray containing flour, such as Pam for Baking.2 tablespoons butter
- Whisk the eggs, 1 cup of the sour cream, and the vanilla together in a medium bowl until combined.4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Mix the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.2¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour, 1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Add the remaining 12 tablespoons butter and remaining ½ cup sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened and the mixture resembles wet sand, with a few large butter pieces remaining, about 1½ minutes.12 tablespoons butter
- Increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter comes together, about 10 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- Lower the speed to medium-low and gradually add the egg mixture in three additions, beating for 20 seconds after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Assemble and Bake the Cake:
- Using a rubber spatula, spread 2 cups of the batter in the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the surface.
- Sprinkle evenly with half of the filling without butter or nuts. Repeat with another 2 cups batter and the remaining half of filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter on top.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with the streusel topping containing the butter and nuts, if using.
- Bake the cake until it feels firm to the touch and a long toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, with only bits of sugar from the streusel on the tester., about 50 to 60 minutes.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rimmed baking sheet. The cake will be streusel side down. Remove the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake, and reinvert the cake streusel side up.
- Cool the cake to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- Cut into wedges using a sharp serrated knife and serve.
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