Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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Sometimes traditional coffee cakes get a rep for being on the dry side, but I find that using sour cream in my recipe makes the coffee cake beautifully moist, soft, and slightly tangy. It's the perfect not-so-secret ingredient to balance the sweet sugar and cinnamon streusel ribbons in the tender cake and delightful buttery crumbles on top!

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Total Time1 15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: large pieces

Calories: 638kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

For the Crumble Topping

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes (1 ½ sticks)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

For the Cake Batter

1 cup unsalted butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream about 1 ¾ cups
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Crumble: Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
Add the cold butter cubes and use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse crumble forms. The mixture should have both small crumbs and larger buttery chunks for the best texture. Refrigerate the crumble topping while preparing the cake batter.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
For the Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 3- 5 minutes, until light, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color. This step creates a soft, tender cake, so don't rush it.
Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Then add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until smooth.
Add the salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix briefly, then slowly add the flour, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix! Once the flour is incorporated, turn off the mixer to keep the cake light and tender.
Spread half of the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chilled crumble mixture evenly over the batter.
Carefully spoon the remaining batter over the crumble layer. Gently spread it into an even layer, taking care not to disturb the crumble underneath. Finish by sprinkling the remaining crumble evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, until the center is puffed, the topping is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Allow the coffee cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This gives the cake time to set, making cleaner slices.

Video

Notes

To keep the breakfast cake as moist as possible, wrap each piece or larger section tightly in plastic wrap. But not too tightly that it completely squashes the crumble topping. You can also place it inside an airtight container or plastic ziploc bag. The cake will technically keep well at room temperature for up to 3-5 days, although I think the crumbs start to get a bit too moist for my liking by day 4. So for longer storage I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to 10 days.

This sour cream coffee cake recipe is great to freeze! Wrap the cake in a few layers of plastic wrap - again, trying to not squash the top. Then wrap tightly in a couple of layers of aluminum foil or seal tightly in a freezer-safe plastic ziploc bag. The cake will stay fresh for up to 3 months. Then thaw it overnight in the fridge or on the countertop in less than an hour to share... Or not!

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