Sour Cream Coffee Cake

What was originally going to be an impressive lemon tart morphed into a fairly pedestrian-looking coffee cake.

Okay, so my laziness was purely to blame. But I was always taught to never go to anyone's home empty-handed, and I certainly couldn't show up to my aunt and uncle's with nothing to offer them, so I turned to a tried-and-true recipe that I knew would be really easy to make.

I used to make this cake all the time (and I mean ALL the time). Then it somehow got forgotten after it was filed away into a binder and left on my bookshelf to collect dust. But when I saw the container of sour cream I had in my fridge, I instantly thought of it and quickly dug it out.

It's super moist, super light and not too sweet, with a touch of cinnamon and toasted walnuts in each bite. A great afternoon treat with a cup of your favourite tea, or a little slice of indulgence at breakfast the next day!

I have baked this recipe in the past in loaf pans as well—just bake it for at least 50 to 60 minutes instead (and as always, as long as the toothpick comes out clean, you are good!).


Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Makes one 8-inch square cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and stir in sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir into wet ingredients until just incorporated.

In another bowl, combine all ingredients for topping. Scrape half of the coffee cake batter into a greased 8-inch square cake pan and level. Sprinkle half of the topping over cake and cover with remaining batter. Finish with topping and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester inserted int he centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at temperature.