Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Crumb Topping
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
A soft soured-cream cake with a cinnamon ripple through the middle and a buttery crumb topping.
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Method
- 1
Heat the oven. Set the oven to 175°C (155°C fan) and let it heat for a minimum of 20 minutes before baking, with a shelf positioned centrally. Starting with a fully heated oven matters because the crumb topping needs an immediate blast of heat to set rather than melt into the batter.
- 2
Make the crumb topping. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt for the topping, pour in the melted butter, and stir with a fork before squeezing the mixture into clumps the size of peas to hazelnuts. Chill the crumbs while you make the batter, since cold butter in the clumps holds its shape in the oven instead of spreading flat.
- 3
Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter, sugar and salt together for about 3 minutes until pale and light, then beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla. This stage builds the air bubbles that give the cake its soft, light texture.
- 4
Build the batter. Mix in half the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then the soured cream, then the remaining flour mixture on low speed, just until smooth; the batter will be noticeably thick. Alternating the dry ingredients and soured cream this way keeps the batter from splitting and gives it the moisture and tang soured cream is known for.
- 5
Mix the cinnamon ripple. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the ripple. Having it ready before you start layering means the batter doesn't sit around losing air while you measure things out.
- 6
Layer and swirl. Spread half the batter in the tin, scatter the cinnamon ripple evenly over it, then dollop the rest of the batter on top and gently spread it to cover, taking care not to drag the ripple layer up through it. Spreading gently keeps the ripple as a distinct line running through the middle rather than blending into the crumb.
- 7
Top with crumbs and bake. Scatter the chilled crumb topping evenly over the surface, then bake for 45-55 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The crumb topping will look done well before the centre is fully set, so rely on the skewer rather than the colour on top.
- 8
Cool before cutting. Leave the cake in the tin for at least 30 minutes before lifting it out by the paper sling and cutting into squares. Cutting it too soon, while the crumb is still hot and soft, will drag the topping and tear the slices.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature or warm gently before serving.
Equipment
- 20 cm square metal baking tin (not glass), lined with a baking-paper sling
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- 2 bowls
- fork
- skewer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 384 kcal |
| Protein | 4.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 52 g |
| of which sugars | 28.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 28 g |
| Fat | 17.8 g |
| of which saturates | 10.5 g |
| Fibre | 1.1 g |
| Salt | 0.63 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
