For daily wit & wisdom, get the Almanac newsletter.

Classic Sour-Cream Coffee Cake

Image 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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-cup tube pan or 8-inch cake pan.
  2. Mix chopped nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon to make topping and set aside.
  3. Stir or sift flour with baking powder, baking soda, and salt until dry ingredients are well combined.
  4. Cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  5. Add the flour mixture in alternate thirds with the sour cream, beating well after each addition.
  6. 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.
  7. 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

We love introducing fun new recipes as well as time-tested recipes, straight from the archives!

Read more from The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

What's cooking in The Old Farmer's Store?

More Like This

Comments

<span>Denise T</span> Fri, 09/29/2023 - 11:34
Sharon, I'd love to meet 'em! ☝