This decadent sour cream coffee cake loaf is too good to pass up. It has a big cinnamon swirl right through the middle of the soft cake, topped with a brown sugar crumb and icing drizzle. I would serve this for breakfast, brunch, dessert or a special occasion get together.
This recipe was first published on 8/29/2021.
For as long as I can remember coffee cake was always my favorite dessert as a kid. My mom would host get togethers with friends at her house and I was always counting on someone to bring coffee cake.
This coffee cake combines all my favorite things about coffee cake. Soft sour cream vanilla cake, big thick brown sugar cinnamon swirl in the middle of the cake and topped with both a sweet crumb topping and icing glaze.
To me, that's the absolute perfect coffee cake. And of course it has to be (taboo word) moist. Sorry no other word describes it, the synonyms for it aren't any better. Thanks to the sour cream and buttermilk, it's such a soft cake! Another favorite super soft cake is this cinnamon apple loaf cake.
I've got no room for dry coffee cake you guys! Sorry to yell. But I don't. For that reason I bake all loaf cakes at 325 degree Fahrenheit to ensure that the cake bakes slow and even. I do the same for this lemon poppyseed loaf cake, banana bread and this raspberry loaf cake.
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What You Will Love About This Recipe
Cake. The crumb on this cake is so soft!!!
Cinnamon swirl center. If you take a look at the picture you can see just how fat the brown sugar cinnamon swirl is right smack dab in the middle of the cake. You do not want to skip this layering step. It is rich and sweet.
Crumb topping. The crumb topping is the same mixture as the brown sugar cinnamon swirl in the middle of the cake. It's crisp and perfect. Make sure to only use ⅓ of that for the top.
Icing drizzle. What coffee cake is complete without the iconic icing on top? You can make as much or as little as you want. If you like lots of icing then double the recipe.
Ingredients
- butter - for both the cake and crumb topping
- white sugar and brown sugar - the cake calls for white sugar and the crumb topping is all brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- sour cream
- buttermilk
- eggs
- flour - all purpose flour
- baking soda and baking powder - you need the baking soda since we are using sour cream and buttermilk, both are acidic so the baking soda balances that out
- salt
- cinnamon
- powdered sugar - for the icing glaze
How To Make Coffee Cake Loaf
Step 1 - Mix together the flour, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking powder to make the crumb topping. This also goes in the middle of the cake.
Step 2 - Make the batter and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the coffee cake not stick and come out of the pan easily after you bake it. Spread half the batter in the pan then sprinkle on ⅔ of the crump topping (press it down).
Step 3 - Add the rest of the batter and the remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes, turning halfway through so it bakes evenly.
Step 4 - Pull your coffee cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 1 hour. Remove it to a wire rack and drizzle on the icing.
How To Store
To store your coffee cake loaf you should wrap it up in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge so it stays fresh and lasts the longest. It will stay soft and fresh for 3-4 days.
If you want to freeze your cake make sure it's wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then place it in a ziploc bag. When you are ready to thaw it out, you can transfer it to the fridge or let it come to room temperature on a counter.
FAQ
Despite it's name, coffee cake has absolutely zero coffee in it.
It's called coffee cake because it is a cake that is served best with coffee.
Yes you can freeze this coffee cake loaf after you bake it. It's best eaten within 4-6 months of freezing when properly wrapped up.
Irresistible Sour Cream Coffee Cake Loaf
This decadent sour cream coffee cake loaf is too good to pass up. It has a big cinnamon swirl right through the middle of the soft cake, topped with a brown sugar crumb and icing drizzle. I would serve this for breakfast, brunch, dessert or a special occasion get together.
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ c butter, room temp
- 1 c white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¾ c sour cream
- ½ c buttermilk
- 3 eggs
- 2 c all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
Crumb Topping
- ⅔ c all purpose flour
- ⅓ c brown sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp butter, room temp
- ⅛ tsp baking powder
Icing Glaze
- ½ c powdered sugar
- 3 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light, airy and fluffy looking
- Keep the mixer on low speed
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, mix until combined
- Add the sour cream and buttermilk
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt
- Add this to the mixer, stir until just combined
- To assemble the crumb topping combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and softened butter - mix this together until its completely incorporated, no big chunks of butter left
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
- Fill the pan with half of the batter
- Add in ⅔ of the crumb topping, pressing down gently
- Add the rest of the batter then finish the top with the remaining ⅓ crumb topping
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Rotate the pan and bake an additional 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean
- Let it cool in the pan for 1 hour then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
- In a little bowl mix together the powdered sugar and water (or leave off the glaze if you prefer)
- Drizzle over the coffee cake
Notes
If you raise the temperature higher than 325 you run the risk of the cake being dry, or the edges being too dry and the middle underbaked
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 355Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 447mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 1gSugar: 27gProtein: 5g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Karen
So good I made 2, 1 for now and 1 for later.