Name: Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons light brown sugar; 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ½ cup light brown sugar; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ⅛ teaspoon table salt; ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional); ½ cup cold unsalted butter (cubed); ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick, softened); 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 cup sour cream (full-fat); ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ¼ teaspoon table salt

Kristen's Keys for Sour Cream Coffee Cake

There are a few key tips that will make this a recipe you quietly become known for.

Sour cream is key. It balances the sweetness and keeps the cake tender and moist for days, just as it does in my Banana Cake, Chocolate Bundt Cake, and Texas Sheet Cake. Be sure to use full-fat sour cream for the best consistency and flavor.
Don't skip the flour in the cinnamon swirl. It may seem unnecessary, but that little bit of flour keeps the swirl from melting into the batter as it bakes. Without it, the cinnamon disappears instead of staying layered.
Cold butter matters for the streusel. Using cold, cubed butter creates those crumbly, bakery-style clusters that gives the coffee cake an irresistible crunchy finish.

How to Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This sour cream cake comes together with minimal effort, especially if you pay attention to this section that guides you through the process.

Step One: Prepare Cinnamon Swirl

Simply whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a small bowl and set aside for assembling the cake.

Cinnamon filling for sour cream coffee cake being whisked together in small bowl.

Step Two: Prepare Streusel

In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and salt. Add in the cold cubed butter, and using your hands, combine the mixture until crumbs form and the butter is well distributed through the flour and sugar. Set aside for assembling the cake.

👉🏻Nuts are optional. Adding chopped pecans or walnuts adds a nice crunch and rich finish to the coffee cake, but feel free to omit them. The cake will still be incredible.

Mixing bowl with buttery cinnamon streusel combined to look like wet sand in mixing bowl.

Step Three: Prepare Cake Batter

A coffee cake batter comes together just like most cake batters. Cream the wet ingredients together, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, and then use a gentle hand to fold in the dry ingredients to keep the cake light, rather than dense.

Wet ingredients in mixing bowl for sour cream coffee cake.

Wet and dry ingredients folded together in mixing bowl.

Step Four: Assemble Coffee Cake

To assemble the cake, spread half the batter into a well-buttered 8×8 pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl evenly over the top, then dollop the remaining batter over it and gently smooth it out. Finish with an even layer of streusel.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake batter in cake pan with cinnamon swirl sprinkled over batter.

Layered coffee cake batter in cake pan topped with streusel.

Step Five: Bake

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. I recommend checking on the cake at the 30 minute mark. If you notice the streusel is browning quickly, tent the cake with foil to prevent the streusel from burning.

Baked Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake In metal cake pan.

Serving Suggestions

This coffee cake fits in just as easily at Christmas breakfast as it does on a regular Saturday morning. I love serving it with something savory, like hash brown casserole or green chile egg casserole, and something fresh, like fruit salad, to balance out brunch. Just don't forget the coffee😉 Preferably a homemade latte.

Spatula removing slice of coffee cake from pan.

Storage Tips

Thanks to the sour cream, this coffee cake keeps well for several days, making it an optimal make-ahead brunch recipe.

At Room Temperature: Once cooled, store the cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, tightly wrapped or in an airtight container.
To Freeze: Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and place it in a freezer-safe bag. This triple layer keeps freezer burn away. Thaw overnight in the fridge.