*PLEASE READ THE WHOLE RECIPE BEFORE YOU START
I’m pretty sure this is my dad’s favorite recipe. He always gives me notes on every single recipe without fail but not THE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE so I guess it must be good.
What I love most about this cake is that it’s filled with texture. One problem I have with a lot of cake recipes is that when you bite into them it’s soft and spongy but not much else. THE SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE is packed with a diverse range of textures from the light cake to the crunchy crumble and if you eat it with a cup of coffee in the morning, I recommend doing a quick dunk. If I had to compare this treat to any other it would be to a cinnamon roll, but I would argue this is much simpler and less time-consuming to make. So, if you feel like making something cozy, especially as we approach fall, this would be a great recipe for you.
This recipe is fairly straightforward. I know I break a few cake rules in this recipe but this is the way it has worked out best for me. I hope you enjoy baking this cake and as always, use this recipe as a skeleton for your own creations. Change the flavors, add more textures, maybe make it chocolate? Whatever you want to do with this recipe is fine with me as long as you enjoy the process of baking and enjoy the food you end up making.
Supplies
- 1 8″ Cake Tin
- 1 Electronic Hand Mixer
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Medium Bowl
- Parchment Paper
- Measuring Cups
- Spatula (optional)
- Food Scale (optional)
Ingredients
Batter
- 3/4 Cups Soft Butter
- 2/3 Cup White Sugar
- 3/8 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs + 1 Egg Yolk
- 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 Cup Sour Cream
- 1 Cup Butter Milk
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Cups AP Flour
Crumb Topping
- 1/4 Cup Soft Butter
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/3 Cups AP Flour
Icing
- 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/8 Cup Sour Cream
Serves 8
Prep Time = 15 minutes
Bake Time = 45 minutes
Total Time = 1 hour
Instructions
- Prep your cake tin with parchment paper and set the oven to 350°F.
- Whip your butter in a large bowl for 30 seconds – 1 minute until butter has lightened in color and texture.
- Add your sugars and cream until the sugar no longer feels granulated then add your eggs one at a time and whip until combined on a medium speed.
- Whip in your vanilla, sour cream, and salt.
- Lower your mixing speed and pour in your buttermilk carefully. It is normal for the batter to appear like it has tiny lumps of curds.
- Continuing with the low speed or switching to a spatula, add your baking powder and all-purpose flour in sections. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix until just combined.
- In a separate bowl combine all the ingredients for your crumb topping with your spatula or a fork.
- Now it’s time to assemble! There are two ways to go about this. You can either layer your cake with half the batter separated with crumble and add crumble on top or you can simply put the crumble on top. If you want to layer, either eyeball the amount of batter and the amount of crumble to about half and layer: batter, crumble, batter, crumble. Or, get out a food scale and measure out half your batter precisely. This will lead to a cleaner-looking cake but it is more work.
- After layering your cake how you like, place it in the 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake has about 5 minutes left until it’s done baking, get a small bowl (or reuse a bowl from before) and combine all the ingredients for your icing. The icing should have a thin consistency you can drizzle on top of the cake.
- Take the cake out and coat it with your icing. I used the back of a large spoon to quickly move the icing across the cake in long lines but feel free to get creative.
- Serve in the morning with a cup of coffee either warm or room temperature.
Notes
- I highly recommend an electronic hand mixer if you do not own a stand mixer. You could definitively make this recipe by using a whisk but it will be more difficult to get the desired texture.
- I prep my parchment paper by cutting enough to cover the entire pan and scrunching it into a ball before unraveling and placing it inside the cake tin.
- If you do not have buttermilk combine 1 cup of milk (whole or plant-based) with 1 tbsp of vinegar or lemon juice. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using it in your recipe.
- If your cake does not cook in the center but is finished on the perimeter, cover the cake in tin foil and continue baking.
- I unfortunately could not get a picture of the inside of this cake before my dad ate it all but the inside should have a very nice swirly line of cinnamon crumble.
