Author's Notes: Butter, brown sugar, aromatic Saigon cinnamon, rich vanilla bean paste and crunchy pecans; who could ask for more? This luscious sour cream coffee cake with a crunchy streusel topping is the perfect pairing for a morning cup of coffee or afternoon tea. We used King Arthur Baking Co.’s Measure for Measure Flour to make this gluten free. Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.

Cinnamon Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake Print Recipe

Ingredients:

    Streusel:
  • ¾ Cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • ½ Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
  • 2 Tbs. Gryffon Ridge Saigon Cinnamon**
  • 2 Tbs. Butter, cold, cut into 2 pieces
  • 1 Cup Pecans, chopped
    • Cake:
  • 12 Tbs. Butter (1 ½ sticks), softened, cut into cubes
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 ½ Cups Sour Cream
  • 1 Tbs. Pure Vanilla Extract** or Vanilla Bean Paste**
  • 2 ¼ Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tbs. Baking Powder
  • ¾ Tsp. Baking Soda
  • ¾ Tsp. Salt**

Preparation:

    For the Streusel:
  1. In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, process flour, granulated sugar, ¼ cup dark brown sugar and cinnamon until combined.
  2. Remove 1 ¼ cups of mixture to a small bowl. Stir in remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and set aside for streusel filling - this is the streusel mixture.
  3. In food processor, add butter and pecans to remaining mixture and pulse until nuts and butter resemble small pebbles - this is the nut mixture.
  4. Set both streusel mixture and nut mixture aside.
    5. For the Cake:
  5. Preheat oven to 350˚F, and adjust oven rack to lowest position.
  6. Grease a tube or angel food cake pan, (preferably one with removable bottom), using softened butter.
  7. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, 1 cup sour cream and vanilla until combined.
  8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix on low for 30 seconds, just to blend ingredients.
  9. Add softened butter and remaining ½ cup of sour cream; mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles wet sand. Add bowl of whisked eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.
  10. Increase mixer to medium speed and beat until batter comes together, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
  11. Spread one third of the cake batter (about 2 cups) into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Sprinkle evenly with half of the streusel mixture. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining streusel mixture. Spread the remaining batter over the streusel mixture, then sprinkle with the nut mixture.
  12. Bake 50 – 60 minutes, until the cake feels firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean (bits of sugar from the streusel may stick to the tester).
  13. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, run a knife around the outside of the cake to loosen it from the pan, then remove the ring from the cake.
  14. Allow to cool an additional 30 minutes, before removing the bottom and placing on a serving platter.