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    The Life Jolie » Dessert » Sour Cream Coffee Cake

    Sour Cream Coffee Cake

    Published: Dec 12, 2016 · Modified: Jul 6, 2022 by Jessy Freimann · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

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    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    This post contains Affiliate Links. Please see the disclaimer here.

    As you may remember, I mentioned in my Orange Roll Monkey Bread post that I'd be sharing my Grandma Eve's Sour Cream Coffee Cake. This amazingly delicious cake was major standby throughout my childhood. It's an excellent Christmas morning/dish-to-pass/just because cake and a great excuse to eat cake for breakfast (Psssh. As if we need an excuse!).

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    When I was a kid, I didn't quite have the penchant for coffee that I do now. In fact, I thought it was gross. So when my mom would mention the fact that she was making coffee cake, my brain would never go to this cake. Instead, I imagined something bitter like strong, unsweetened coffee (as you've probably gathered, I prefer mine moderately light, sweet and hazelnut flavored!).

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    But then she would bring the cake out and I would remember that it wasn't made with actual coffee (sometimes kids are so literal!). To this day, I still don't really know why they call it coffee cake. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume it's because it tastes great with a nice cup of coffee but I cannot confirm this (Anyone know the answer? Leave it in the comments. Bonus points for snark if you leave it in the form of a Let Me Google That link).

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    Anyway, the main cake part is moist and delicious without being overly sweet. A good, solid coffee cake, if ever there was one. But that's not my favorite part. No-sir-ee.

    My absolute favorite part of this cake is the crispy, sugary mixture that makes it's way through the middle of the cake. Always has been. Always will be. One single bite immediately transports me back to my childhood on any given snowy morning with a blanket wrapped around my pajama'd torso and a cup of hot cocoa.

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    This sugar mixture adds the most fantastic crunchy texture and a fantastic sweetness. The sweetness I'm referring to is a more interesting type of sweet than your typical sugary treat. It's the addition of the brown sugar that adds this great depth, as only brown sugar can.

    Not only is this an awesome candidate for a cake to eat for breakfast (remember, no need for an excuse!) it also makes a tasty dessert. It's great when you need something to bring to a brunch or dinner. It's also a lovely cake to give if you want to brighten someone's day like new parents or a gift for a neighbor.

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    Here are some other great Christmas Morning options:

    Orange Roll Monkey Bread

    Grandma Hinz’s Apple Pancakes

    Egg Stuffed Bread

    Sweet Potato and Chorizo Hash

    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).

    Sour Cream Coffee Cake

    Jessy Freimann
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Breakfast, Christmas, Holiday, Sweet
    Servings 8 -10 servings

    Ingredients
      

    Cake Ingredients

    • 1 cup of granulated sugar
    • ½ cup of shortening I used butter
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ pint 8 oz. of sour cream
    • 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
    • 2 cups of sifted flour
    • 1 tsp. of baking powder
    • 1 tsp. of baking soda
    • ½ tsp. of salt

    Sugar Mixture Ingredients

    • ⅔ cup of brown sugar
    • ½ cup of nuts optional- I don't use them
    • 1 tsp. of cinnamon
    • 2 Tbsp. of soft butter or margarine I use butter

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a bundt pan or angel food pan.
    • Blend together the granulated sugar, ½ cup of butter, eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
    • Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    • Stir the flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture and beat well.
    • Put half the batter into the bundt pan
    • Mix the brown sugar, nuts (if using), cinnamon and 2 Tbsp. of butter well (the original recipe says to use a pastry blender but I used a whisk with great success).
    • Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture onto the batter in the pan. top with the rest of the batter and then sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture on top.
    • Bake for 45-50 minutes or until your cake tester comes out clean.
    • Let it cool for a couple of minutes and then turn it onto your serving plate while it's still warm (a fellow reader noted having trouble with it sticking if you let it cool all the way) and enjoy!
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is such an easy cake to make from scratch. This is a family recipe that has been passed down for years and is moist and delicious but also simple to put together. This is the best excuse to eat cake for breakfast and is a great holiday dessert as well (Christmas morning, anyone?!).
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    Comments

    1. Veena Azmanov says

      December 12, 2016 at 10:32 am

      I love coffee cakes...! especially when they are still warm. This looks so inviting. Must try!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        December 15, 2016 at 11:04 pm

        Veena- YES! Fresh out of the oven is always the best :)
        Reply
    2. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

      December 12, 2016 at 10:51 am

      I love coffeecake, it's a socially acceptable excuse to have dessert in the morning.
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        December 15, 2016 at 11:03 pm

        Me too- and I'm with you on the cake-for-breakfast thing. Always a good idea!
        Reply
    3. Allison - Celebrating Sweets says

      December 12, 2016 at 10:56 am

      Nothing like a classic! I love any reason to eat cake for breakfast! ;)
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        December 12, 2016 at 10:56 am

        You and me both :)
        Reply
    4. Judy says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:45 am

      I made this for a holiday brunch this weekend and it was a big hit! Used walnuts with the brown sugar topping, baked for 45 minutes and it was done. I did not unmold while it was warm which was a big mistake. Ended up surrounding the pan with very hot wet towels to create some steam (per directions I found online) in order to get it out of pan, it slid right out after that. May make again next weekend for Christmas!
      Reply
      • Jessy says

        December 19, 2016 at 10:20 am

        Thanks for the feedback- I've never unmolded without it being warm so I'll be sure to update the recipe so others know! So glad you loved it- Merry Christmas!
        Reply

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