Sour Cream Coffee Cake
A tender sour cream coffee cake with a cinnamon-sugar swirl through the middle and a thick, buttery crumb topping, baked in one 9-inch square pan.
25% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Cooking
- 47 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Serves
- 9
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 7 g
- Per serving
- $0.81
Why this recipe works
Coffee cake is named for what it's eaten with, not for what's in it. This is the classic American kind: soft and buttery, with a ribbon of cinnamon and more crumb topping than seems reasonable.
- Sour cream makes a thick, rich batter that holds the cinnamon swirl in place and bakes up moist.
- Melted butter stirred into the topping until it clumps bakes into big, crisp crumbs instead of sandy dust.
- Layering half the batter, then the cinnamon sugar, then the rest puts the swirl in the middle, where it stays soft.
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
For the swirl
For the cake
You will need
- 9-inch square metal baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Stand or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Fork
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Prepare
Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square metal pan and line it with a parchment sling.
Make the topping and swirl
Stir the topping flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together, pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until it forms large, damp clumps. Chill it while you make the batter. In a small bowl, mix the swirl brown sugar and cinnamon.
Make the batter
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat the soft butter and sugar until fluffy, 2 minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time, the vanilla and the sour cream. Add the flour mixture on low until just combined; the batter will be thick.
Layer
Spread half the batter in the pan and sprinkle the swirl over it evenly. Dollop the rest of the batter on top and spread it gently to cover. Scatter the crumb topping over, breaking it into pieces of different sizes.
Bake and cool
Bake until the crumbs are golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Cook's notes
- Cold crumbs hold their shape and stay crunchy, so chill the topping while you mix the batter.
- A metal pan bakes most evenly. In a glass dish, lower the oven to 325°F and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer.
- Keep it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, and warm slices for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Nutrition per serving
560 calories
$0.81 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 5% of calories | 7 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 52% of calories | 74 g |
| Fat | 43% of calories | 27 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | |
| Sodium | 400 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Why is it called coffee cake if there's no coffee in it?
Because it's meant to be eaten with coffee. American coffee cake is a buttery cinnamon cake with a crumb topping.
Can I make coffee cake without sour cream?
Yes. Use the same amount of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt; the cake will be just as moist and slightly tangier.
Why did my crumb topping sink?
Either the batter was too thin or the crumbs were too fine and wet. This batter is deliberately thick, and large, chilled crumbs stay on top.
