Coffee Cake with an Espresso Swirl
User Reviews
4.6
Coffee Cake with an Espresso Swirl
Description
The recipe combines a rich sour cream coffee cake base with distinctive espresso and cinnamon swirls and a brown butter streusel topping. The streusel is prepared by melting butter until browned, which imparts a nutty flavor, then mixing it with flour, sugar, and salt to create a crumbly texture with larger chunks. The espresso swirl, made from instant espresso powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon, adds a warming bitterness that contrasts nicely with the sweeter elements.
The cake batter itself uses butter and sugar creamed together, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and sour cream for moisture and tenderness. The layers are built by alternating cake batter, espresso swirl, and streusel. Baking the cake in a parchment-lined and buttered pan helps it bake evenly and release cleanly.
The result is a moist, flavorful coffee cake ideal for breakfast or an afternoon treat, pairing well with coffee or tea due to its espresso notes and soft crumb balanced by a crunchy topping.
Ingredients
For the brown butter streusel
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup plus 1 heaped tablespoon light brown sugar or just blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery, or superfine sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- 1 tick plus 1 tablespoon (4 ½ ounces) butter unsalted
For the espresso swirl
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons instant espresso powder or more to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the sour cream coffee cake
- 1 ½ ticks plus 1 teaspoon (6 oz) butter at room temperature, plus more for the pan, unsalted
- 1 ½ cups sugar superfine; or blitz granulated sugar in a blender until finely ground but not powdery
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large egg
- ¾ cup sour cream preferably full fat
Instructions
Make the streusel
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, light brown or superfine sugar, and salt.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring frequently. The butter will melt, sizzle, splatter, and then start to foam. As it foams, little golden brown flecks will start to appear. Before these flecks burn, remove the pan from the heat.
- Immediately pour the butter over the dry ingredients, using a fork to stir until it all clumps together. You’re looking for a mix of fine crumbs and big chunks. Stash the bowl in the freezer while you prepare the swirl and cake.
Make the espresso swirl
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, espresso powder, and cinnamon.
Make the sour cream coffee cake
- Crank the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking pan and line it with parchment paper long enough to overhang the 2 long sides of the pan.
- Beat the butter and sugar In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, until light and fluffy, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and mix briefly to combine. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined before adding another. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream, starting and finishing with the flour.
Assemble the cake
- Spoon 1/2 of the cake batter in the prepared pan, spreading it in an even layer. This is a thick batter, but persists. It's worth it.
- Sprinkle it with the espresso swirl. Dollop small spoonfuls of the remaining batter on the swirl, covering as much of it as possible before gently spreading it with a spatula so that all of the swirl mixture is covered.
- Crumble the streusel on the batter in an even layer. Bake until the cake is lightly browned at the edges, wonderfully aromatic, and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool and serve
- Let the coffee cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use the parchment paper handles to gently lift the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut into squares and serve. (You can keep the coffee cake, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 503 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1piece | |
| Calories | 503kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 66g | 22% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 107mg | 36% |
| Sodium | 327mg | 14% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 35g | 70% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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