Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Coffee Cake (Printable)
Moist coffee cake with cinnamon sugar layers and crunchy toasted pecans, ideal for breakfast or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crunch Topping and Filling
01 - 1 cup chopped pecans (120 g)
02 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (130 g)
03 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30 g)
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (60 g)
→ Cake Batter
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (115 g)
11 - 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (240 ml)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 9-inch round springform pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and melted butter. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon pecan crunch mixture uniformly over the batter.
07 - Spread the remaining batter over the pecan layer and top with the rest of the crunch mixture, distributing it evenly across the surface.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sour cream keeps every slice ridiculously moist for days, which means this cake actually tastes better on day two.
- That pecan crunch layer buried in the middle is a complete surprise to anyone cutting into it for the first time.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in will make the cake tough and chewy instead of soft and tender.
- The middle crunch layer sometimes sinks slightly if the batter is too thin, so make sure your sour cream is full fat and cold.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for three minutes before using them and you will never go back to raw nuts again.
- Let the cake cool completely before covering it or the steam will soften that beautiful crunch topping into something sad.