Sour Cream Coffee Cake (2024)

December 13, 2021 by Caryn 2 Comments

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When it comes to kosher food dairy desserts, this is the Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe we could find. It is so easy to make and is ready in under an hour. This recipe is chock full of butter, sugar, sour cream, cinnamon sugar, and chopped pecans. A perfect compliment to a dairy meal or as an afternoon snack. This recipe is kosher and dairy.

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Serve Sour Cream Coffee Cake Warm or Cold
Recipe Tips for The Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Serving Suggestions
The Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe FAQ
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This recipe comes straight from The 2nd Ave Deli Cookbook, a book we received as an engagement present from Ben's aunt Ruth. Aunt Ruth wasn't really Ben's aunt, but his grandmother's childhood best friend. Aunt Ruth and grandma Gigi were best friends from age 11 until Ruth's passing a few years ago at close to age 90. When we received the cookbook I taped Aunt Ruth's hand written note to the inside cover of the book where it still remains with its blessing wishing us success in everything we make.

Serve Sour Cream Coffee Cake Warm or Cold

This cake freezes amazingly well so keep one in your freezer for impromptu coffee dates with drop-in guests. Serve slices of this cake with coffee or a big glass of milk.

Believe it or not, this cake actually tastes better chilled. I cannot explain why but it may have something to do with the fact that the dairy ingredients (butter and sour cream) take on a more solid texture while the rest of the cake remains light and fluffy. Eating the cake while warm will not disappoint either.

Recipe Tips for The Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I like to use a bundt pan which I know scares some people because of the possibility of the cake sticking to the pan.
Grease and flour your pan very well. Use a ton of butter or non-stick cooking spray and then sprinkle a handful of flour into the pan. Tip it around in all directions to coat the entire pan. Tap the outside firmly to get out all the loose flour. I recommend doing this over the garbage can.
If greasing and flouring seems to much of a hassle or mess to you then I suggest trying an all-in-one no-stick cooking spray. The flour is included in the spray and it's pretty miraculous.
Take care not to let the nuts or dry ingredients touch the sides of the cake pan. This sour cream coffee cake recipe has a cinnamon and chopped pecan mixture that is sprinkled both on top and in the middle of two layers of cake batter. Be mindful to keep the cinnamon mixture away from the pan as the nuts really like to stick.
Before inverting the pan, carefully run a butter knife around all the edges of the bundt pan to be totally sure no nuts are clinging on to the sides or center of the pan.

Serving Suggestions

Not only does this cake taste amazing by itself but you can also try:

Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake. top with blueberries or add ½ cup of blueberries to the cake batter before baking.
Apple Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Top with ¼ cup of apple pie filling. Also try putting ½ cup of peeled and chopped apples into the sour cream cake batter before baking.
A drizzle of chocolate or caramel syrup.
Top with a dab of lemon curd.
Vanilla custard on the side or over the top.
Whipped cream.

The Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe FAQ

What does adding sour cream to cake do?

Sour cream is a rich dense flavorful ingredient and that causes this cake to be rich, dense, and flavorful! The high fat content of the sour cream is responsible for making this cake moist and dense. The tartness of the sour cream gives the coffee cake a little zip that works perfectly with the sweetness of the brown sugar.

Does sour cream coffee cake need to be refrigerated?

Technically you do not have to refrigerate the cake as long as you eat it within 2-3 days. If you are keeping the cake at room temperature, make sure that it is sealed in an airtight container to maintain freshness for as long as possible. That being said, this cake is super yummy right out of the refrigerator and it will keep for up to a week when refrigerated.

What is the difference between cake and coffee cake?

Cake is the general category of recipe and coffee cake is the specific type of cake. What makes a coffee cake unique is that it usually has a topping of brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Coffee cake has been said to have originated in Germany and is best when served alongside a cup of coffee.

Can I use yogurt instead of sour cream?

You are able to substitute yogurt for sour cream in this coffee cake recipe. Yogurt has a lower fat content and will result in lighter coffee cake than using sour cream.

Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it?

Yes. After it bakes, let the cake cool completely before freezing it. Cover with aluminum foil and then with plastic wrap to ensure that you can avoid freezer burn. Remove it from the freezer about an hour before serving.

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