Sour Cream Coffee Cake
You’ve come to the right place if you're looking for an out-of-this-world, above-and-beyond coffee cake. This classic sour cream coffee cake is wonderfully tender and moist. It has a streusel-y cinnamon swirl running through the center and even more streusel on top, finished with a maple glaze. It’s absolute perfection!
It’s probably been nearly twenty years since I watched Ina Garten make this cake on an episode of Barefoot Contessa and promptly ran into the kitchen to whip it up. It was every bit as delicious as it looked on the screen, and the smell that enveloped the house while it was baking was absolutely heavenly!
It probably isn't shocking to hear that the streusel that runs through the middle of this cake and graces the top steals the show. The cake flour gives the cake a lighter, less-dense texture, and the maple-flavored glaze makes it an absolutely fabulous accompaniment to a cup of coffee or your favorite tea.
This is a wonderful option for holiday breakfasts, brunches, afternoon coffee with friends, or dessert any day of the week!
Key Ingredients
This coffee cake uses mostly pantry staples, but I wanted to highlight a couple of ingredients and discuss potential substitutions.
As always, check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Cake Flour – This helps to keep the cake tender and moist. It is sold in most grocery stores in the baking aisle, however if you are unable to get any, use this substitution: Measure out 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, remove 5 tablespoons of the flour, and replace it with 5 tablespoons of cornstarch, then whisk to combine and proceed with the recipe.
- Sour Cream – Be sure to use full-fat sour cream, as this will ensure a wonderfully moist cake. You can substitute the sour cream with full-fat plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk.
- Walnuts – These give the streusel in the center and on top of the cake a delicious crunch, but they can be omitted if you’d like. You can also substitute other nuts; pecans would be delicious!
- Maple Syrup – This is mixed together with powdered sugar for the glaze that is drizzled on top of the cake. Be sure to buy real (pure) maple syrup, and not pancake syrup!
How to Make the Coffee Cake
This cake comes together easily with traditional mixing methods! Here’s what you’ll do:
Step 1: Mix Together the Cake Batter – You will cream together the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Next, sift together the dry ingredients and mix into the batter on low speed, stirring with a spatula until just combined.
Step 2: Make the Streusel – Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and mix it together with your fingers, until it forms a crumbly texture. Stir in the walnuts, if you are using them.
Step 3: Assemble the Cake – Spoon half of the batter into the bottom of the pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle ¾ cup of the streusel over the batter, then top with the remaining batter, smoothing into an even layer. Top with the remaining streusel.
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Step 4: Bake the Cake – Bake until a cake tester inserted halfway between the edge and center of the cake comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes.
Step 5: Drizzle the Glaze – Transfer the cake, streusel-side-up, to a serving platter. Whisk together the powdered sugar and maple syrup in a small bowl, then drizzle over the cake using a fork or spoon.
Can You Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes! In fact, making this the day before you serve it can help all of the flavors meld together wonderfully.
Once the cake is completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until you are ready to serve. I would recommend drizzling the glaze on the day you plan to serve the cake.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
This cake stores and freezes beautifully!
Storage Instructions – Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing Instructions – You can freeze the entire cake or individual slices. In both cases, wrap well with plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months (if the cake doesn’t fit in a ziploc freezer bag, wrap it in an extra layer of aluminum foil). You can either thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for a couple of hours at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Equipment – This recipe uses at 10-inch tube pan (the same one you would use for angel food cake), but you can also substitute a standard Bundt pan. If you use a Bundt pan, reverse the order of assembling the cake, pudding streusel down first, then cake batter, streusel, and cake batter again. That way when you turn the cake out, there will be streusel on top.
- Streusel – If you love streusel, you can double the amount for a more substantial filling and topping.
- Sour Cream Substitute – You can also use full-fat plain Greek yogurt or buttermilk.
More Delicious Coffee Cake Recipes
- Cake Mix Coffee Cake
- Peach Coffee Cake
- Blueberry-Peach Coffee Cake
- Strawberry-Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Yeasted Coffee Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
If you make this sour cream coffee cake recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, (1½ sticks )
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (287.5 ml) sour cream
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) cake flour, not self-rising
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
For the streusel:
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¾ cup (87.75 g) chopped walnuts, optional
For the glaze:
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
- For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
- Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published in March 2009.
Photography by Dee Frances.
Thank you for sharing! I made this in 2 foil square 9” cake pans and baked at 350 for 30 minutes and they were perfect! 😊
Followed recipe as written and was very disappointed in the results. Seemed more like a pound cake to us. We thought it needed more streusel inside. Sorry, had high hopes for this recipe but it missed the mark for us.
Hi there — I want to make this cake, but I don’t have a bundt pan (I’ve made it this long without one, and I have no where to store one, so I’m no looking to purchase one). Could I make this in a loaf pan, or a rectangular cake/casserole pan? If so, would i need to adjust the cooking time and/or temperature?
Hi Anna, A 9×13 or casserole pan would be too small, but you could use this recipe to make two 9×5-inch loaves. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this twice now and it is an outstanding cake. Today I made it “upside down” in a bundt pan and it worked beautifully. Incredibly moist with a great crumb, just melted in the mouth. One substitution I made – I didn’t have any sour creme so I used 3/4 cup ricotta and 1/2 cup plain yogurt instead. Worked fantastic. Thank you for this terrific cake! PS I think the cake part would also work nicely without the strusel as a basic yellow cake to bake and decorate etc. Can’t wait to play around with other versions of the cake!
Fabulous! I was looking for something just like this – I did change up the streusel a bit, split it in half and added some cocoa and granulated sugar to half of it and used that in the swirl, used the original mixture on the top. It was truly amazing – thank you for posting this!
Can i use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?? Would there be a difference in the end product??
Hi Ana, Yes, there will be a difference in the end product. Cake flour produces a lighter, finer texture.
I found this for you Ana, I know anna Olsen has showed her viewer how to make your own cake flour too! I just couldn’t find the link! hope this helps! Good luck! Rosehttp://www.wikihow.com/Make-Cake-Flour
Should I use
Can u use large eggs, instead of extra large if I Can How many sad would I use.
Hi Laura, You can use large eggs. Use 3 as well.
I was wondering if you can use muffin tins instead if you don’t have a tube pan? And how long in the oven if using the batter to make them into muffins?
Thank you!
Hi TY, I have not tried making this into muffins, but it never hurts to try! You’ll need to reduce the baking time, but I am not sure how long exactly, as I haven’t made them that way.
It is in the oven as we speak………can hardly wait! Made slightly more topping than called for, but really, is there such thing as TOO much streusel?
My mom won an award for this cake, back in 1965. She was 30, had 4 young children and baked this coffee cake for a contest in our local news paper.
She won cook of the month, then “cook of the year”. She was awarded a check for $100.00. I baked 5 of these two years ago and gave one to each of my siblings for Christmas morning. Wrapped pretty with a copy of our mom and her recipe. (the 5th cake went to my aunt, who my mom got the recipe from in the 1st place) This year I am again making them as gifts and sending them all over the United States.
Hi
Just a question evn thouigh there’s no coffee in the cake why is it called coffee cake.
Regards
Hi there, The term coffee cake is used loosely in the U.S. (not sure if it’s common in other areas) to refer to what is usually a single-layer cake that’s square or ring-shaped with some type of streusel and/or glaze. It got its name because these types of cakes are sometimes eaten for breakfast, served during coffee breaks, or offered to house guests around the coffee table.
Interesting I always loved coffee cake but I never had it with icing. that’s a amaze final touch.
I’d love to make this today for my father’s birthday cake but I only have a bundt pan. WhileI know it will still be delicious, it might look a bit ridiculous sitting “upside down”. Do you think that it would fit in a springform pan or might it be too big?
Hi Kristina, this definitely is too big for a springform pan. It should still be delicious in a Bundt pan :)