Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
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Discover the ultimate Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe – moist, tender cake with irresistible cinnamon streusel layers. Easy to make, perfect for brunch or dessert!
This Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe is a classic, moist, and tender cake with layers of cinnamon streusel that make it irresistible. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat with coffee. As a busy mom and home cook, I’ve been baking this family favorite for years—it’s the kind of recipe that fills your kitchen with warm cinnamon aromas and disappears quickly at gatherings!
If you’re searching for the best sour cream coffee cake recipe, look no further. The sour cream keeps the cake incredibly soft and fluffy, while the buttery cinnamon crumb topping adds just the right amount of crunch. This version is straightforward, uses pantry staples, and can be ready in under an hour. Whether you’re a beginner baker or a seasoned pro, you’ll love how foolproof it is.
Why You’ll Love This Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Moist and Tender Texture: The sour cream adds richness and keeps the cake from drying out, making it perfect for make-ahead occasions.
- Cinnamon Streusel Layers: A sweet, crunchy filling and topping that elevates this from a basic coffee cake to something special.
- Easy to Customize: Add nuts, blueberries, or even a simple glaze for variations.
- Family-Friendly: Kid-approved and great for holidays, potlucks, or weekend brunches.
I’ve tweaked this recipe over time to make it even simpler, drawing from my grandma’s old cookbook but updating it for modern kitchens. The added tang and moisture from sour cream is a game-changer!
Ingredients for Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Gather these everyday ingredients for a delicious result. I’ve divided them into sections for the cake batter, the streusel, and then the maple glaze for ease.
For the coffee cake batter: you’ll need butter, sugar, egg, sour cream, milk, vanilla extract, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
For the streusel: you’ll need flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. You can also include pecans if you’d like.
For the maple glaze: you’ll need confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup.
Step by Step Instructions
- Make the streusel topping: Add the streusel ingredients to a mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork.
- Make the coffee cake batter: Cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Mix in the dry ingredients.
- Spread half of the cake batter into the prepared baking pan.
- Top with half of the streusel topping.
- Carefully spread the rest of the cake batter on top of the streusel topping layer.
- Top with the remaining streusel topping and bake.
- Drizzle the maple glaze over the top of the cake once baked and cooled.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best texture, ensure your butter, eggs, and sour cream are at room temperature. This helps everything blend smoothly.
- Make it Nut-Free: Skip the pecans or walnuts if allergies are a concern—the streusel is still delicious without them.
- Pan Size Adjustments: For a 9×13-inch pan, double the recipe and bake for 45-55 minutes. For a bundt pan, grease well and bake 50-60 minutes.
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend and ensure all other ingredients are naturally or certified gluten-free.
- Why Sour Cream? It adds moisture and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness, making this cake stay fresh longer than traditional versions.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Room Temperature: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the streusel and batter up to 24 hours ahead, store separately in the fridge, then assemble and bake fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
The sour cream adds fat and acidity, which tenderizes the crumb and prevents dryness. It’s a classic trick for bakery-style results at home!
Yes, full-fat Greek yogurt works as a substitute in a pinch, though the flavor will be slightly tangier.
Coffee cake is meant to be enjoyed with coffee! It’s a sweet breakfast cake tradition in many cultures, often featuring cinnamon and streusel.
The batter is thick enough to hold it in place, but chilling the streusel for 10 minutes before assembling can help.
Absolutely! With step-by-step instructions and simple ingredients, it’s perfect for new bakers.
If you try this sour cream coffee cake recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out—leave a comment below or tag me on social media. For more easy baking ideas, check out my Morning Glory Bundt Cake or Best Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Happy baking!
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Baking Pan (8×8-inch)
Ingredients
Coffee Cake:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (99 g) sugar
- 1 large (50 g) egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (25 g) milk, whole milk or half and half
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) baking soda
Streusel:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (71 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (2.5 g) ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (54.5 g) chopped pecans, optional
Maple Glaze:
- 1/4 cup (28 g) confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon (20 g) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Prep: Grease 8×8 baking dish or coat with Cake Goop. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Make Streusel: Add the ingredients for the streusel to a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour and sugar with a fork until the butter is pea-sized sized pieces. Stir in the nuts, if using.
- Make the Cake Batter: Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, sour cream, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined.
- Assemble the Cake: Smooth half of the cake batter into the prepared 8×8 baking dish. Spread half of the streusel mixture over the layer of cake batter. Spread the remaining cake batter on top of the streusel and then sprinkle the top of the cake batter with the remaining streusel.
- Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes to make sure it is not browning too much on top. You can cover with a piece of foil if needed to prevent it from overbrowning. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Glaze the cake: (Optional) Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, add a splash more maple syrup or even half and half. If too thin, add a teaspoon more confectioners' sugar. Drizzle over the baked and cooled cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
