This moist pecan sour cream coffee cake recipe is so easy to make! It takes just 20 minutes to prepare this coffee crumb cake, and is the perfect cake recipe to have for a Sunday brunch, bake sale, or just to have with a cup of coffee.
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I love how easy this coffee crumb cake is to make. It has a brown sugar cinnamon filling and a streusel topping made from pecans. I think this might be the best coffee cake yet, along with my chai coffee cake recipe.
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Tell me about this recipe!
- This soft and fluffy coffee cake takes just 20 minutes to prepare, meaning you can whip it up over the weekend when you're in the mood for cake.
- The cake is a yellow fluffy cake made with sour cream, making it extra moist and giving a tender crumb.
- The cake has a brown sugar cinnamon filling, which I think is a must have for coffee cake!
- The cake has a crumbly topping made from pecans, flour, butter and sugar.
Ingredients Needed
- Flour: I use all purpose flour in this coffee cake recipe, this is known as plain flour if you're based in the UK.
- Butter: I always use European style butter in my recipes. Why? European style butter has a higher butterfat content, making your finished dessert much creamier and richer.
- Cardamom: I love adding cardamom to my breakfast and brunch recipes, I think it pairs up perfectly with cinnamon. If you don't have any cardamom for the cake, then you can substitute it for cinnamon or leave it out completely.
- Sour Cream: sour cream is what gives us a moist and tender cake, but you could substitute it for full fat yogurt.
- Pecans: this is what adds a delicious crunch to our streusel! You could substitute it for walnuts if you prefer.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: In a jug or medium bowl, whisk together your topping ingredients. First whisk your sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon together. Pour over your melted butter, then use a whisk or a fork to combine it. Make sure there are no dry spots left and everything is moistened. Fold in your chopped up pecans. Place in the fridge while you make the cake.
Step 2: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat your butter, salt, light brown sugar, sugar, cardamom, baking powder and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 3: Add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Make sure you use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom of the bowl so the whole mixture is mixed thoroughly!
Step 4: Add one third of the flour then beat on your lowest speed until just combined. Add half of your sour cream and beat again. Repeat this once more, then finish with the last third of flour. Make sure there are no flour pockets but don't overmix!
Step 5: Whisk your brown sugar and cinnamon together for your filling.
Step 6: In a greased and lined 8x8 baking pan, pour half of your cake batter in. Sprinkle that cinnamon brown sugar filling on top, making sure it evenly covers the bottom layer.
Step 7: Pour the other half of your cake batter. Use a small offset spatula to evenly cover the filling.
Step 8: Take out your streusel topping from the fridge. Sprinkle it over the cake batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- I recommend using a weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. It makes a huge difference to your baking and is the most accurate way to bake!
- Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature before you start baking. Pull out the eggs, sour cream and butter 1-2 hours before you start the recipe.
- Have the parchment paper overhang your baking pan, this will make it easier to lift it out.
- Make sure you thoroughly mix the pecan streusel ingredients. If it isn't evenly moist and there are dry spots, some of the crumb topping may sink while the cake is baking.
- Use a light metal pan for this recipe. A dark metal will scorch the sides of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding sour cream instead of just milk is going to make your cake more moist as well as give your cake a more tender crumb. This is going to make your cake much softer.
You don't need to keep your cake in the fridge, you can keep it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or up to a week in the fridge.
You can substitute sour cream for full fat yogurt. I don't recommend using low fat or no fat yogurt or sour cream as it will impact the texture and flavor.
Feel free to use any nuts you like if you aren't a fan of pecans! I've tested this recipe with walnuts which was delicious.
Try these recipes next!
Have you made this recipe? Make sure to tag me on Instagram @alpineella and leave a review below if you have! If you want more baking ideas, you can follow me on Pinterest.
Recipe
Pecan Sour Cream Coffee
Equipment
- 8x8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 85 grams (¾ stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 36 grams (3 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 227 grams (1 ¾ cups) all purpose flour
- 226 ml (1 cup) sour cream
Filling
- 71 grams (0.32 cups) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel
- 99 grams (5 ½ tablespoons) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 60 grams (½ cup) all purpose flour
- 63 grams (½ stick) unsalted butter
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 57 grams (½ cup) pecans diced
Instructions
Prepare Filling
- Whisk together your brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Prepare Streusel
- In a medium jug or bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt, flour and cinnamon
- Melt your butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Pour the melted butter over your dry ingredients and use a whisk to get the dry ingredients evenly moistened. Fold in your chopped pecans. Make sure there are no dry spots left, as these may sink in the cake batter. Place the jug or bowl in the fridge to firm up while you make the cake.
Make cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease a 8x8" pan with butter and parchment paper. Have the paper overhang the sides of the pan, this will make it easier to remove the coffee cake when it has cooled.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter, salt, sugars, cardamom, baking powder and vanilla until smooth with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add ⅓ of flour to the stand mixer bowl, beating until well combined. Add ⅓ of the the sour cream. Repeat this once more, then end with the final third of flour. Make sure there are no flour pockets but don't overmix the batter.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the filling on the batter, then pour the remaining batter on top. Use an offset spatula to evenly cover the filling. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter.
- Bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted will come out clean
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Nicole says
Great recipe. Got loads of compliments and it was so easy to make.
Another recipe that is a keeper. Thank you.
Laurence says
Made two of these cakes yesterday and I am holding back from eating them all! Loved the addition of cardamom to the cake batter and the streusel topping is delicious with the pecan crunch!
NickiDE says
The cake is very good - moist and nice texture. However, I did not care for the streusel. It was not enough to cover the cake, and had a very hard texture when baked. I will try to find another topping while keeping the cake recipe.
Sue says
This cake is wonderful. Everything about it - the cake and the streusel topping. Very moreish. Had to freeze some to avoid eating it all.