sour cream coffee cake

I love me a good sour cream coffee cake.

Culled from an old Bon Appetit issue, this recipe is a Jinx and Jefferson Morgan creation. I normally have a terrible memory, but who can forget a name like Jinx? I've tweaked it over the years, reducing the baking soda and adding a little butter and salt. (As an aside, I googled them and now they're owners of a resort in the British Virgin Isles. Sounds like a great, idyllic life!)


Hallmarks of a tasty sour cream coffee cake?

 Butter in the batter.

Brown sugar butter crumb,

layered in between batter and sprinkled on top.

The flavor is perfectly buttery, the texture is slightly dense. It is a solid piece of cake. If you like a finer, lighter crumb, try using cake flour. If you are a streusel fan, try doubling the amount for more of the cinnamony goodnes. The cake definitely needs to be eaten day of, as it is noticeably drier the next day.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
from Bon Appetit, circa 1990

Topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, cold and cut into pieces

Cake:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter an 8x8-inch square pan.

Prepare topping:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles small pebbles.

Prepare cake:
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the beater attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Add eggs and scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate with butter mixture. Add sour cream and vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture, just until combined. Add nuts.

In prepared pan, spread half the batter, then half the topping, and repeat. The batter is rather thick and might need a little coaxing. Be patient, use the long side of a rubber spatula, and it should cooperate.

Bake for 40 minutes.



This post is linked up with Lolly Jane