Sourdough Pecan Coffee Cake

If you enjoy using sourdough, you know it can be a challenge to time the bake with time to feed your starter! When it's time to feed, it's time to discard some of the starter, and you may or may not be ready to bake bread. This recipe uses the starter that you discard to create a yummy coffee cake for those mornings when you have just a bit of extra time. I like to make the streusel first, so it's ready to go when I need it. There is also an optional glaze.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 35 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 395 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
• ½ cup pecans, broken into pieces
• 1 cup sourdough starter discard
• 5 ⅓ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and lightly flour an 8x8-inch cake pan.

Step 2

Cut cold butter into small pieces with a knife and place in a medium mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Use a pastry knife or 2 forks to cut butter into dry ingredients until large crumbs form. Set streusel aside.

Step 3

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Step 4

Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy. Add egg and mix for 1 minute. Add sourdough discard and dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle streusel on top, followed by the pecan pieces.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Stir confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt together to make the glaze. Add more sugar to make a thicker glaze, or more milk to make a thinner glaze.

Step 7

Pour the glaze into a resealable plastic bag and seal. Snip a tiny piece, about 1/8 of an inch, off one of the bottom corners. Hold bag over the cake and squeeze the glaze through the tiny opening, moving your hand across the top, drizzling glaze as you go. Cut cake into 9 pieces and serve.