Josh's Coffee Cake
Submitted by periperi
Sour cream coffee cake with a buttery cinnamon crumb topping and optional blueberries or walnuts. Tender, moist, and perfect with morning coffee.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThis coffee cake gets its incredibly moist, tender crumb from a full cup of sour cream in the batter. No oil, no melted butter in the cake itself. The sour cream provides all the fat and moisture while adding a subtle tang that keeps the sweetness in check.
The crumb topping is what makes it. Sugar, butter, and cinnamon get worked together with a fork until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. That texture is the goal. Smooth paste won’t crumble. You need those fine, sandy crumbs that bake into a crunchy, sweet layer on top.
Fruit or nuts are optional but worth adding. Scatter blueberries or chopped walnuts over the batter and stir them in just slightly so they stay near the top where you can see and taste them in every slice.
Kitchen Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter once the wet and dry ingredients come together. Beat until smooth and stop. Over-mixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
- The recipe specifically warns: don’t serve this with salted butter. The cake is sweet and delicate, and salt competes with the cinnamon-sugar topping.
- If using an 8-inch pan instead of 9-inch, add 5 minutes to the bake time. The thicker batter needs more time to cook through.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. This cake doesn’t need to be hot from the oven to be at its best.
Variations
- Use fresh raspberries or diced peaches instead of blueberries for a seasonal twist.
- Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the crumb topping for a deeper, more caramel flavor.
- Fold in a teaspoon of lemon zest to the batter for a bright citrus note.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
In a large mixing bowl, resift flour with baking power, baking soda, salt and about 1 cup of sugar.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
Add egg mixture to flour mixture and beat until smooth.
Oil a 9 inch square baking pan (you can also use an 8 inch square pan, or anything of similar surface area, if you increase the baking time by about 5 minutes).
Spread the batter in the pan.
If you are using fruit or nuts, scatter them over the batter and stir a little bit so that they stay in the top layer.
In a small bowl, mix about 5 tablespoon sugar with the butter and cinnamon with a sturdy fork, until they are blended and resemble cornmeal (i. e., you should have a mixture of fine crumbs, not smooth).
Sprinkle topping over batter.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a clean toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.
Cool slightly; serve warm or at room temperature.
Don’t ruin it by serving it with salted butter.
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