Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake (Print)
Moist coffee cake layered with cinnamon sugar and crunchy toasted pecans for breakfast or anytime.
# What You Need:
→ Crunch Topping and Filling
01 - 1 cup chopped pecans
02 - ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
04 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
05 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cake Batter
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1½ tsp baking powder
08 - ½ tsp baking soda
09 - ½ tsp salt
10 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1½ tsp vanilla extract
14 - 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or a 9-inch round springform pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and melted butter. Mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon pecan crunch mixture uniformly over the batter.
07 - Spread the remaining batter over the filling layer and top with the rest of the pecan crunch mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
08 - Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The double layer of cinnamon pecan crunch means you get that toasted nutty goodness in every single slice, not just on top.
- Sour cream keeps the cake impossibly moist for days, so it tastes just as good on Tuesday as it did straight from the oven on Sunday morning.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in develops gluten and turns your tender cake into something rubbery, so fold with a gentle hand and walk away.
- The crunch topping will sink slightly into the batter during baking, which is exactly what you want because it creates that gorgeous marbled layer in the center.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for four to five minutes before adding them to the crunch mixture, it doubles the flavor with almost zero extra effort.
- Let the cake cool for the full twenty minutes before slicing because the crumb structure needs time to set and cutting too early means the layers slide apart.