Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is the best coffee cake recipe if you love crispy, crunchy, buttery crumb toppings. Chef John uses twice as many crumbs — there's even a layer inside!

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 634 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.75 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.33333334326744 cup white sugar
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 0.125 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 0.33333334326744 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1.875 cups all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups pecans, finely chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter an 8x10-inch baking dish.

Step 2

Make the topping: Mix pecans, white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined and all components are coated with butter, 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 3

Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Step 4

Mix sugar and butter together in a large bowl with a spatula until well blended. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Gradually whisk in flour mixture until flour is just incorporated; do not overmix.

Step 5

Spread 1/2 of the batter over the bottom of the prepared baking dish, then sprinkle with 1/2 of the topping. Carefully spoon remaining batter over topping, then sprinkle with remaining topping; very gently press topping into batter.

Step 6

Bake in the preheated oven until a bamboo skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.