Sour Cream Bundt Coffee Cake

If you’re looking for a year-round staple of an impressive breakfast treat, our sour cream bundt coffee cake recipe is it. The base is a velvety sour cream pound cake with a fine, tender crumb and a light vanilla flavor. The addition of sour cream to the batter, as in many of our favorite sour cream desserts, practically guarantees a rich, moist cake thanks to the extra fat and acid it contributes. Cut a slice to reveal a ribbon of warm, cinnamon-scented brown sugar and pecan streusel winding through the cross-section of the cake. Another layer of streusel is hidden on the bottom surface of each slice, a welcome addition that provides a secret crunch. Though it may look like a simple cake, it’s an ideal candidate for baking in a fluted tube pan because a Bundt pan gives it those beautiful ridges, transforming something simple into something elegant. It’s a perfect canvas for macerated fruit in summer, and a lovely companion to a cup of coffee or tea any time of year at all.

Ingredients for Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bundt

• Pecans: Chopped pecans add a delightful crunch to the ribbon of streusel in the cake, but you can leave them out if you like.
• Brown Sugar: In addition to adding sweetness to the pecan streusel ribbon and topping, brown sugar contributes a molasses flavor.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds wonderful warmth to the streusel, contrasting with the light vanilla flavor of the cake.
• Butter: For the best sour cream coffee cake, choose an unsalted, high-quality butter. These are our Test Kitchen’s picks for the best butter brands.
• Sugar: Sugar locks moisture into the batter and inhibits gluten development for an ultra-soft and tender crumb.
• Eggs: Beaten eggs provide the muffin batter with structure and elasticity. It’s always best to use room-temperature eggs when baking.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract, whether store-bought or homemade vanilla, adds a delicate aroma to the coffee cake batter.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is the base of this sour cream coffee cake recipe. You can substitute a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
• Baking powder and baking soda: The added fat and moisture in this coffee cake recipe make the batter heavier than a standard vanilla cake. Dual leavening ingredients give this thick cake batter a boost, helping lift even rich ingredients.
• Sour cream: Sour cream adds a delightful tang to the batter, but also extra fat and acid, which helps create an undeniably moist and rich cake.
• Confectioners’ sugar: A dusting of confectioners’ sugar on top of the bundt cake is all the adornment it needs, which keeps the decorating simple and sweet.

Directions 

Step 1: Make streusel and cake batter

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Step 2: Layer streusel and cake batter in the cake pan

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Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan; sprinkle with half of the pecan mixture. Gently top with remaining batter and pecan mixture.

Step 3: Bake coffee cake

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Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bundt Variations

• Swap the spices: Trade the ground cinnamon in the streusel with ground ginger, pumpkin pie spice or ground cardamom to tweak the flavor of the finished cake.
• Add dried fruit: Sprinkle some raisins, dried pineapple tidbits, dried blueberries or dried pitted cherries into the pecan streusel mixture.
• Change out the nuts: You can substitute the pecans for any other chopped nut you like. Walnuts, macadamia nuts or hazelnuts would all be particularly good.
• Ice the cake: Though an understated sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar is all this cake needs on top, you can easily add a ribbon of our quick vanilla glaze for an even more striking presentation.

How to Store Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bundt

Store leftover sour cream coffee cake at room temperature in a cake dome or air-tight container for up to three days.

Can you freeze Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bundt?

Yes, you can freeze this sour cream coffee cake bundt whole, well wrapped, for up to two months. While the texture will be fine for longer than that, the cake might start to lose moisture or absorb aromas from the freezer so we recommend defrosting it and using it within that time window. To freeze cake, allow it to cool completely after baking, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and double-wrap in foil or a freezer bag. Let it thaw in the fridge or at room temperature. You can also cut and wrap individual slices and defrost them as needed either at room temperature or by warming them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Bundt Tips

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Can you bake this sour cream coffee cake in a different kind of cake pan?

Yes. If you don’t have a fluted tube pan, also called a bundt pan, you can bake this batter in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan, a 9-inch tube pan, a 10-inch springform pan, or even as about two dozen coffee cake muffins in a muffin tin.

What’s the best way to grease a bundt pan so sour cream coffee cake doesn’t stick to it?

The best way to ensure your cake comes out of the pan cleanly is to grease it well from the start. We recommend using shortening to grease Bundt pans, even those with a nonstick coating. We don’t recommend using butter to grease a fluted tube pan because the milk solids in butter can caramelize in the pan’s surface in the heat of the oven and cause your cake to stick. To grease a Bundt pan, take a dollop of shortening on a paper towel and wipe the interior of the pan. Do your best to get into every nook and cranny, especially if you’re using an elaborately designed pan. Then dust with flour and tap away the excess.

Is there a healthier substitute for sour cream in this coffee cake recipe?

If you’re looking to cut the fat content of this recipe, consider replacing the sour cream with non-fat plain Greek yogurt.