Zingerman's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
User Reviews
4.8
Zingerman's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Description
This recipe combines a rich batter made from creamed butter and sugar with eggs, full-fat sour cream, and vanilla extract, creating a moist and tender crumb. The dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, baking soda, and sea salt. A cinnamon nut swirl is made separately by toasting walnut halves until golden and combining them finely chopped with brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
The batter is layered in a thoroughly greased and floured bundt pan alternated with the cinnamon nut mixture, then baked initially at 325°F and then lowered to 300°F to finish baking gently. The resulting cake is moist from the sour cream, with a tender crumb and a distinct nutty, cinnamon swirl that adds texture and spice.
Serving the coffee cake alongside coffee or tea makes for a classic breakfast or snack treat. The balance of sweet, nutty, and lightly spiced layers provides a comforting and richly textured bite.
A variation in the notes suggests omitting the cinnamon nut swirl and adding lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and ground poppy seeds to the batter for a different flavor profile, while maintaining the baking temperature and time.
Ingredients
For the cinnamon nut swirl
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons walnut halves
- 3 packed tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the sour cream coffee cake batter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 ticks (8 oz) butter room temperature, unsalted
- 3 large egg
- 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sour cream full fat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt sea salt
Instructions
Make the cinnamon nut swirl
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Toast the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until they’re a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Move the walnuts to a plate to cool. Turn the oven down to 300°F (150°C).
- Finely chop the cooled toasted walnuts. In a small bowl, mix together the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Make the sour cream coffee cake batter
- Spray a 9-in (23-cm) Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat with flour. Tap out any excess flour.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and butter. Beat with the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on medium speed until the color lightens, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg until it’s completely incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla and mix well until light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix by hand or with a mixer on low speed until smooth and homogeneous.
- Scoop 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/2 the nut mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with another 1/2 the remaining batter, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter evenly over the pan and to the edges after each addition. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture evenly over the batter and cover with the remaining batter, again spreading it evenly over the nut mixture.
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer or uncooked strand of spaghetti comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes. Don’t let the cake cool in the pan for much longer than this or the brown sugar in the streusel might stick to the sides of the pan and make it difficult to release the cake.
- Place the wire cooling rack on top of the Bundt pan and then invert the pan to release the cake. Cool to room temperature before slicing.
Notes
- Omit the cinnamon nut swirl and instead add lemon zest, lemon juice, and ground poppy seeds to the batter for an alternative lemon poppy seed version.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 369 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 369kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 43g | 14% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 73mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 207mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 28g | 56% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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