pecan-sour-cream-coffee-cake

Easy Recipes

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Chef John's coffee cake is like two coffee cakes in one. It has a sour cream coffee cake layer topped with a pecan streusel topping that is then repeated for a delicious cake with tons of crunchy, buttery crumbs.

Ingredients

Crumb Topping:

  • 1 ½ cups pecans, finely chopped

  • ⅓ cup white sugar

  • ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoons melted butter

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

Cake:

  • 1 ⅞ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche

  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter an 8x10-inch baking dish.

  2. Make the topping: Mix pecans, white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined and all components are coated with butter, 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

  4. Mix sugar and butter together in a large bowl with a spatula until well blended. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Gradually whisk in flour mixture until flour is just incorporated; do not overmix.

  5. Spread 1/2 of the batter over the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with 1/2 of the topping. Carefully spoon remaining batter over topping, then sprinkle with remaining topping; very gently press topping into batter.

  6. Bake in the preheated oven until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.