We love living in California but if my husband and I could change just one thing it would be to have our families closer. Both sets of parents and most of our siblings live on the East Coast. On Mother’s Day we catch up with our moms on the phone and send cards but we usually aren’t near enough to sit down together for a good old-fashioned Mother’s Day brunch. So this year, in honor of our moms, I’m preparing a little “virtual” brunch on Cooking On the Side – along with an IOU to make the real thing the next time we see each other. Two dishes, this post and the next, both special occasion-worthy and incredibly delicious.
If I didn’t already know that today’s Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake recipe came from a box of dark brown sugar I probably could have guessed it. It has very pronounced brown sugar flavor and, with the help of the sour cream in the mix, the texture is melt-in-your mouth. Pecan streusel is layered throughout so you encounter nuts and spices (and more brown sugar!) in every decadent bite. I baked this coffee cake in a larger Bundt pan than was recommended so it’s a little on the shallower side but it made no difference when it came to taste. I loved this coffee cake and I know our moms will too when we see them next.
Stay tuned for the next Mother’s Day recipe – a savory Sausage Breakfast Casserole that you can assemble the night before!
P.S. I’m submitting this to the Celebrating Mother’s Day blog event on Kopiaste.. to Greek Hospitality – the roundup of dishes will be posted on May 10.
Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake
From the back of the C&H Pure Cane Dark Brown Sugar box
INGREDIENTS:
Topping:
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened (if you use unsalted butter, as I did, add 1 teaspoon salt)
1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8-cup tube pan (I recommend using baking spray, if you have it – thanks to Lydia from The Perfect Pantry for that great tip!).
Topping:
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
Cake:
Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the batter until well blended.
Sprinkle 1/4 of the topping into the prepared pan. Spoon on 1/3 of the batter. Continue layering, ending with topping mixture.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan; remove from pan to a cooling rach. Serve warm.
Maybe we could trade houses sometime…my family lives in California! (Although my guess is that by “East Coast,” you don’t mean Kentucky. 😉 )
Mindy’s last blog post..Monday Mouthful Roundup and the Next Challenge: Spaetzle
what a cute idea 🙂
Dani’s last blog post..#60) Cinnamon Bun-fins (& Joy)
Nothing like a good coffee cake. I have coffee right now, but nothing as good as this to go with it.
dawn’s last blog post..the ultimate peanut butter cookie
Mmm. This look so tasty, especially the topping.
Pam’s last blog post..Creamy Clam Dip
Absolutely perfect (and gorgeous pictures as usual – I actually tried to pick one of those grapes off the screen). This WILL be made… as a little surprise treat for a new mom that we’ll see this weekend.
And here’s to hoping we all get to see our moms soon!
Kara’s last blog post..I Wish It Was Sunday Again
Wow, if it tastes nearly as good as those pictures look, you’ve got yourself a great coffee cake.
Michelle’s last blog post..Zucchini fries
moist yet properly crumbly, nutty and sugary. this looks like a definite winner!
Wow, incredible! This cake looks so good. Perfect for mother’s day!
The cake is perfect for Mother’s Day and I am sure your mom and mom-in-law will be equally thrilled with your virtual brunch, as mostly it’s the thought that counts.
Ivy’s last blog post..Orange Yoghurt Cake
Hi Kathy
Using dark brown sugar in this recipe, do it overpower the other flavors in this cake, I was thinking about using light brown sugar instead, which is not as strong.
Hi Jackie – Brown sugar is the dominant flavor (it’s intended that way) but I’m sure it would be just as good if you wanted to use light brown sugar rather than dark.
Quick question. You mention cinnamon when describing the cake, but your ingredient list doesn’t mention cinnamon anywhere. Which is it?
Hi Stacy – thanks for the heads up. I went back to the original recipe on the box and it actually doesn’t call for cinnamon. I must have just tossed some in because I like the flavor 🙂 So there’s no confusion, I’ll go ahead and edit my commentary. But if you do decide to add in a little cinnamon, it does taste good!
Lol, thanks. You’re probably like me, coffee cake=cinnamon. I’ll hopefully be making this cake this weekend.
Just made it, but I went with cashews instead of pecans (the Missus is allergic to pecans).
I misread the recipe and combined all the cake ingredients, mixing with a wire whisk. The result was still really good — it had a rustic quality that we really like.
So glad it still worked out for you – the flavor is fantastic on this cake. 🙂
Hey Kathy!
is it too much sour? Just asking before trying 🙂
Not sour at all — the sour cream gives texture, not flavor. ~Kathy