Moist Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
A tender, buttery sour cream cake with a ribbon of cinnamon-brown sugar streusel through the middle and a thick, crunchy crumb topping. It stays moist for days and is ideal with coffee at breakfast or brunch.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 50 min
- Makes
- 1 cake (12 squares), baked in a 9×13-inch pan
Steps
Before you start
- Set out the butter, eggs and sour cream 1 hour ahead so they are at room temperature (about 68–70°F / 20–21°C); the batter will be smoother and the cake more tender.
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the streusel first and keep it in the fridge while you mix the batter; cold streusel stays crumbly instead of melting in.
- Plan for 45 minutes of cooling so the cake slices cleanly.
Prep oven and panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) metal pan with the 1 tablespoon softened butter, covering the bottom and sides.
- Optionally line the bottom with parchment, leaving an overhang on the long sides to lift the cake out.
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Ready when: Oven is fully preheated and the pan is evenly greased with no bare spots.
Tip: Use a metal pan; glass bakes slower and can leave the edges dry before the center sets.
Make the streusel
- In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup (125 g) flour, the brown sugar, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture looks like damp sand and forms clumps.
- Pinch some of the mixture into pea-sized to marble-sized crumbs.
- Stir in the pecans, if using.
- Refrigerate while you make the batter.
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Ready when: Mixture holds together when squeezed and breaks into chunky crumbs, with no dry flour pockets.
Tip: If the butter is hot the streusel turns pasty; let it cool for a few minutes first.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the 2¾ cups (345 g) flour, baking powder, baking soda and ¾ teaspoon salt until evenly combined, about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: No streaks of baking soda or baking powder remain.
Cream butter and sugar
- In a separate large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice, until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter in color.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale yellow, fluffy and looks almost like whipped frosting.
Tip: Butter that is too soft or greasy will not hold air; it should dent easily but not look shiny.
Beat in eggs and vanilla
- Add the eggs one at a time on medium speed, beating about 30 seconds after each until fully blended.
- Beat in the vanilla.
- Scrape down the bowl.
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Ready when: Batter looks smooth and glossy with no visible streaks of egg.
Tip: If the mixture looks curdled, it is too cold; keep mixing and it will come together once the flour is added.
Combine batter
- Whisk the sour cream and the ¼ cup (60 ml) milk together in a small bowl or measuring cup.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two additions, beginning and ending with flour.
- Mix just until the last streaks of flour disappear, then finish folding once or twice with a spatula.
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Ready when: Batter is thick, fluffy and uniform with no dry flour streaks.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough, so stop as soon as the flour is incorporated.
Layer cake and streusel
- Spread half of the batter (about 3½ cups) evenly in the prepared pan, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to reach the corners.
- Sprinkle with about one-third of the streusel in an even layer.
- Dollop the remaining batter over the streusel and gently spread to cover; it's fine if a little streusel mixes in.
- Scatter the remaining streusel over the top, breaking up any large clumps and pressing very lightly.
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Ready when: Batter is level, the center ribbon of streusel is covered, and the top is thickly and evenly crumbled.
Tip: Drop the top batter in spoonfuls across the surface, then spread lightly, to avoid dragging the streusel layer.
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake on the center rack at 350°F (175°C) for 38 to 45 minutes.
- The cake is done when the top is deep golden, the center springs back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the streusel) comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- If the streusel is browning too fast after 30 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
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Ready when: Toothpick shows moist crumbs, edges pull slightly from the pan, top is golden brown. Internal temperature is about 205°F (96°C).
Tip: Avoid opening the oven door before 30 minutes, as the cake may sink.
Cool the cake
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool for at least 45 minutes before cutting.
- It will be warm, which is the best time to eat it, but the crumb needs this time to set so the squares hold together.
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Ready when: Pan is warm, not hot, to the touch and the cake no longer feels fragile.
Glaze and serve
- If using the glaze, stir the powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons milk together in a small bowl until smooth and thick but pourable; add a few drops more milk if needed.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake in thin zigzags.
- Cut into 12 squares (3 rows by 4 rows) and serve.
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Ready when: Glaze runs off the spoon in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a moment.
Tip: Glaze only once the cake is mostly cool, or it will melt into the streusel and disappear.
Good to know
Tips
- Weigh the flour if you can; too much flour is the most common cause of a dry coffee cake.
- Use full-fat sour cream for the moistest crumb; low-fat versions contain more water and less richness.
- Keep streusel chunky by squeezing it into clumps and not over-stirring it.
- Rotate the pan front to back at the 25-minute mark if your oven has hot spots.
Make ahead
"Bake the cake up to 1 day ahead, cool completely, cover tightly and store at room temperature; add the glaze just before serving. The streusel can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge, or frozen for up to 1 month."
Storage & reheating
"Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days (bring to room temperature before serving). Freeze unglazed squares, individually wrapped, for up to 2 months; thaw overnight at room temperature. Reheat squares at 325°F (165°C) for 8 to 10 minutes or microwave for 15 to 20 seconds."
Substitutions
- full-fat sour cream → full-fat plain Greek yogurt. Use the same weight; the cake will be very slightly tangier and a touch denser.
- pecans → walnuts or omit. Walnuts give a similar crunch; leaving out nuts makes a nut-free cake.
- packed light brown sugar → dark brown sugar. Gives a deeper molasses flavor in the streusel.
- whole milk → buttermilk. Same amount; adds extra tenderness and tang.
