Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Most coffeecakes aren’t much more than yellow cake swirled with a sugary streusel . The flavor is bland and the texture--due to the heavy streusel--is dense and wet.This is a light coffeecake deeply flavored with pecans and spices. Here’s what you do...

• Make the cake with a unique method in which very soft butter and eggs are beaten directly into the dry ingredients before the wet ingredients are incorporated.
• The butter coats the flour, which makes the cake tender and moist, and never dense.
• Toast the pecans in a skillet over medium heat to intensify their flavor.
• Incorporate ground pecans into both the cake and the streusel.
• Use maple syrup to both boost the nuts’ flavor and keep the cake moist

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Adapted from Cooks Country)

Ingredients

For the streusel

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) pecans, toasted and cooled - then finely ground
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cinnamon

Cake batter

• 16 tablespoons (240 ml) unsalted butter, very soft
• 6 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups (420 ml) sour cream ( I used 2 % plain yogurt)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 ml) vanilla extract
• 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) pecans, toasted and cooled - then finely ground
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 ml) baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (6 ml) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. To make the streusel, mix together the ground pecans, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
3. To make the batter, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, maple syrup, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, ground pecans, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add all the soft butter by tablespoons, then add half of the egg mixture. On low speed, beat the mixture just until it starts to combine.
5. Add the rest of the egg mixture, scrape the bowl, and then beat about 2 minutes on medium speed; the batter should be light and kind of fluffy.
6. Spray a 12 cup (2.88 L) tube pan with cooking spray that has flour added (like Bakers Joy or Pam with Flour). Add about 5 cups (1.2 L) of the cake batter and smooth the top.
7. Scatter the streusel on top, then scoop and spread the remaining batter on top. Save a little streusel for the top of the cake.
8. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then invert on a wire rack to cool completely.