Brunch Basics: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Coffee cakes make such a nice breakfast when coupled with fruit, as you can see I did above, or even just on their own.  I have always found sour cream based coffee cakes to be so moist and delicious.  The addition of brown sugar and walnuts, as well as a light vanilla glaze makes it perfection.  This recipe comes from the Betty Crocker Cookbook and is one of my favorites.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• Brown Sugar Filing (recipe below)
• Vanilla Glaze (recipe below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottom and side of a bundt cake pan with shortening or cooking spray.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in large bowl on medium speed until creamed.  Beat about one fourth of the flour mixture and sour cream at a time alternately into sugar mixture until blended.

Make Brown Sugar Filling by mixing the following ingredients:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or other nut if you prefer)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Spread one-third of the batter in greased pan, then sprinkle with one-third of the brown sugar filing; repeat twice.

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.  Remove from pan and cool another 20 minutes.  Drizzle with Vanilla Glaze.  Serve warm or cool.

Vanilla Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp milk

Mix all ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle.