We all have a beloved recipe, one that often becomes an expected tradition at gatherings, one that becomes a source of comfort for family and/or friends, and one committed to memory because we have been making it for decades. The recipe for this Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake aka my friend Trish's Coffee Cake (originally called "The Most Wanted Sour Cream Coffee Cake in the World") is one of those. It's the coffee cake she has brought to her annual winter getaway girls' weekends for years, the one she made weekly for an ill friend, as well as the one she makes for her family. It's a signature dish that has stood the test of time.
Who knows what took me so long, but I finally got around to asking her for the recipe. After a quick scan of the list of ingredients I realized I had everything I needed to make it. Less than 24 hours after getting her recipe, the Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake was in the oven. But before assembling it I had one question "did it need to be made in a bundt pan?". The answer was yes.
As with most recipes written more than 30 years ago, there was often not a differentiation between the use of salted or unsalted butter, using table salt versus Kosher salt, specifying whether the eggs and/or butter should be chilled or at room temperature, or whether the nuts should be toasted or untoasted. Which meant I had some decisions to make. I decided to use unsalted butter and increase the amount of salt from a 1/4 teaspoon to a 1/2 teaspoon. I took the eggs and butter out the night before to bring them close to room temperature. And I toasted the nuts before chopping them up. Other than that, I followed the recipe as it was given to me with one exception. I finished off the baked coffee cake with a generous sprinkling of confectionary sugar.
I used a traditional 10" non-stick fluted bundt pan but I think a 9" bundt pan might work even better. To help ensure the coffee cake would unmold perfectly, I decided to let the pan chill in the refrigerator (after it was buttered and floured) while I made the batter. The recipe recommended waiting 15 minutes before unmolding and I waited exactly 15 minutes. Whether it was the cold bundt pan or the generously buttering it or giving it exactly 15 minutes of resting time before unmolding or the combination of all three of those factors that resulted in a flawless unmolding I can't say for certain. However, going forward I will do those same three things again. Because there is nothing more satisfying than having a cake come out of a bundt pan perfectly.
In just one bite, I understood why this coffee cake has been one of my friend's treasured recipes. The exterior of the coffee cake has a bit of crunch to it while the interior is tender and moist crumbed. It has the kind of flavor and texture you would expect a great classic sour cream coffee cake should have.
After eating a piece of the coffee cake shortly after it came out of the oven and then again the next day when it had cooled completely, I decided serving it slightly warm optimized the flavors and texture of the coffee cake. Reheating it in the microwave on high for 15-16 seconds made me understand completely why this coffee cake was originally described as "The Most Wanted Sour Cream Coffee Cake in the World". One bite of a warm slice of this Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake makes you feel as if you are eating something incredibly indulgent. And, you are.
This just become one of your most beloved coffee cake recipes. The one you bring to gatherings, the one you make for much loved friends, and the one for your family.
Recipe
Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Serves 10-12, depending on how you slice it
Ingredients
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (240g) sour cream
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
1/2 cup (75g) pecan or walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Confectionary sugar for finishing
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Generously butter and dust with flour a 9" or 10" non-stick bundt pan. Put in the refrigerator to chill while assembling cake.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together to chopped pecans or walnuts, light brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for approximately 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in the granulated sugar and beat until creamy (about 3-4 minutes).
5. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Mix in the vanilla.
7. Sift the flour, baking powder and Kosher salt. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Beat until the flour has been incorporated.
8. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Smooth out as much as possible. Evenly sprinkle half of the nut/sugar/cinnamon mixture on top. Spoon another 1/3 of the batter into the pan. Again, carefully smooth out. Evenly sprinkle on the remaining nut/sugar/cinnamon mixture. Finish with spooning on the remaining 1/3 batter. Smooth the top.
9. Place the bundt pan on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 50-65 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
11. Invert the cake onto your serving platter. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before generously dusting with confectionary sugar.
12. Serve immediately or cover and serve later. Highly recommend warming cut pieces of the room temperature pound cake in the microwave (about 15-16 seconds on high) before serving to optimize the eating experience.
Notes: (1) Always toast your nuts before chopping and using. In a 350-degree (F) oven, pecans and walnuts will be toasted in 7-8 minutes. (2) To ensure the layers of the cake were even, I measured them out. If you are good at eyeballing dividing the dough into thirds, I envy you.
Grand Tetons, September 2024