Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe
Next time you’re in need of a little boost, try making my Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe! Despite being made with healthier whole wheat flour, this tasty snacking cake has a soft, moist, and tender crumb that is simply divine. The addition of a crunchy cinnamon streusel ring takes this afternoon treat completely over the top. YUM!
What Is Coffee Cake?
While this sour cream cake is often called a “coffee cake,” do not be misled. There’s no actual coffee in the cake! Coffee cake gets its name from the fact that it is often served with coffee and tea for brunch or luncheons. When all is said and done, this is just an eggless sour cream cake recipe, and it is divine.
About This Recipe
I had some sour cream left after making Veg Tacos the other night, so I was looking for a good way to use it up. We were feeling a bit of a sweet tooth, so I started perusing my cookbook “Bakin’ Without Eggs: Delicious Egg-Free Dessert Recipes” by Rosemarie Emro. I stumbled upon a recipe for coffee cake, which I loosely adapted into this tasty recipe!
This cake is both egg-free and makes use of whole wheat flour. While some whole grain bakes can take on a dense, dry consistency, nothing could be further from the truth for this coffee cake. It has a soft and moist crumb that’ll have you going back for seconds.
The cinnamon-flavored streusel stuffing is the proverbial icing on the cake. Filled with dry fruits and nuts plus lots of warming spices, the streusel is a lovely contrast to the softness of the cake. I have a feeling you’re going to love it!
The sour cream helps in making the cake soft, moist and rich. While the recipe does call for sour cream, don’t feel limited. You can easily swap in Greek yogurt or hung curd instead.
Also, I have mixed and beaten all the ingredients in a stand mixer, but the recipe will work just as well with a hand beater.
Next time you need something sweet to serve at tea-time, look no further! This eggless sour cream coffee cake is the perfect recipe to see you through.
How To Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
This sour cream coffee cake is made with humble ingredients that simply sing when baked together. Here’s how it’s made:
Prep and make Streusel
1. Grease 2 small bundt (5.5 inches) pans with butter. You can also use a 7.5 to 8 inches round cake tin or 1 large bundt pan.
2. In a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.
3. On a low flame begin to melt butter.
4. Remove the bowl from the stove burner and turn down the heat.
5. Add ¼ cup finely chopped nuts. You can use any crunchy nuts. I have added an equal mix of chopped pistachios, cashews and almonds.
6. Then add 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Do use ground cinnamon made from true cinnamon. Avoid using cassia cinnamon powder as it will make the flavors in the streusel highly fragrant and intense.
7. Mix very well. Keep this streusel filling aside.
Make coffee cake batter
8. In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl take 150 grams sugar (¾ cup sugar) and 57 to 60 grams softened unsalted butter (¼ cup unsalted butter). Meanwhile preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.
9. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat on medium to high speed till butter becomes fluffy. You can also use a hand held electric beater to whip butter.
10. The butter-sugar mixture should become fluffy and loose, so beat well.
11. Add the following ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or white vinegar
12. Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds till the ingredients are incorporated evenly.
13. Add 110 grams of sour cream (½ cup).
Instead of sour cream you can also use fresh curd or yogurt. If you make this swap, make sure that the curd is thick and not thin or watery.
14. Beat on medium-low speed for 30 to 45 seconds.
15. Add 180 grams of whole wheat flour (1.5 cups) and 1 to 1.25 cups of water or add as required.
You can first add 1 cup of water and if the batter looks too thick, then add ¼ cup of water later.
16. Beat on low speed for a minute or more till everything is mixed well and there are no lumps. Do not overbeat.
If batter looks very thick then add more water. I used 1.25 cups water. The batter consistency is thick. Some small lumps are alright.
Assemble sour cream cake
17. Take spoonfuls of the batter and place it in the greased bundt pan. Fill till ⅓ of the volume of the bundt pan. Using a spatula, even the batter.
18. Now evenly spread the prepared streusel stuffing all over the cake batter.
19. Again add some batter and fill it till ⅔ or ¾ ᵗʰ volume of the pan.
20. With a spatula make the batter even from top.
Bake coffee cake
21. Place the cake pans in the preheated oven in the center rack. If using an OTG, then use the bake option where only the bottom heating element is heated.
22. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes or till the top is golden. Since temperatures in ovens vary, make sure to keep an eye on it.
23. To check doneness, insert a bamboo skewer in the cake; it should come out clean. If there is sticky batter on the skewer, this means the cake needs to be baked for some more time. For cooling keep the cake on a wired rack.
24. When cooled completely, unmould the sour cream coffee cake from the pan.
25. Slice and serve.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
26. Serve sour cream coffee cake with coffee or tea or as a dessert. Enjoy!
Keep any leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator. This coffee cake keeps well for about a week in the fridge.
On refrigeration the butter in the cake will become solid. So while serving warm the cake in the oven or microwave oven.
FAQs
What should I serve with my sour cream coffee cake?
Go full-on cafe-style with one of my favorite coffee drinks. Try Filter Coffee, Cold Coffee , Hot Coffee , or Korean Dalgona Coffee. It is also lovely with tea like Masala Chai.
Can I make the streusel nut-free?
Absolutely! Swap in your choice of seeds, granola, rolled oats, or even crushed pretzels.
Are crumb cake and coffee cake the same thing?
While the two terms are often used interchangeably, I believe a true crumb cake should have a larger crumb-to-cake ratio than a normal coffee cake.
What can I use in place of the brown sugar?
Feel free to use raw sugar or unrefined cane sugar.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For the coffee cake
- 150 grams sugar – ¾ cup sugar
- 57 to 60 grams Butter – ¼ cup, softened and unsalted
- 180 grams whole wheat flour – 1.5 cups
- 110 grams sour cream – ½ cup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 to 1.25 cups water or add as required
For the streusel stuffing
- 1 tablespoon Butter – unsalted
- ¼ cup finely chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios)
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (true cinnamon powder)
Instructions
Preparation and making streusel
- Grease 2 bundt cake pans (5.5 inches diameter) with butter. You can also use a 7.5 to 8 inches round pan.
- In a bowl take 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
- On a low heat begin to melt butter. You only need to melt the butter.
- Remove the bowl from the stove burner and keep on the countertop as soon as the butter is melted.
- Add ¼ cup finely chopped nuts. You can use any crunchy nuts. I have added an equal mix of chopped pistachios, cashews and almonds.
- Then add 4 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour and 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder.
- Mix very well. Keep the streusel filling aside.
Making coffee cake batter
- In a mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl take sugar and softened unsalted butter. Meanwhile preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenehit for 20 minutes.
- Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat on medium to high speed till the butter becomes fluffy. Scrape the sides while beating.
- Then add baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. You can even add ½ teaspoon vanilla essence or 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
- Beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Add sour cream. Instead of sour cream you can also use fresh curd or yogurt. Do make sure that the yogurt is thick and not thin or watery.
- Beat on medium low speed for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add whole wheat flour and 1 to 1.25 cups water or add as required.
- Beat on low speed for a minute or more till everything is mixed well. If there are many lumps then beat for some more seconds. Do not over beat. If batter looks very thick then add more water. I added 1.25 cups water. The batter consistency is thick. Some tiny lumps are fine in the batter.
Baking sour cream coffee cake
- Take spoonfuls of the batter and place it in the greased bundt pan. Fill till ⅓ of the volume of the bundt pan. Using a spatula even the batter.
- Now take spoonfuls of the prepared streusel stuffing and top it all over evenly on the cake batter.
- Again add some batter and fill it till ⅔ or ¾ ᵗʰ volume of the pan.
- With a spatula make the batter even from top.
- Place the cake pans in the preheated oven in the center rack. If using an OTG, then use the bake option where only the bottom heating element is heated.
- Bake the cake at 180 degrees Celsius/356 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes or till the top is golden. since temperatures in ovens vary, do keep a check.
- To check doneness, insert a bamboo skewer in the cake and it should come clean. If there is sticky batter on the skewer, this means the cake needs to be baked for some more time. For cooling keep the cake on a wired rack.
- When cooled completely, unmould the cake from the pan.
- Slice and serve streusel sour cream coffee cake with coffee or tea or as a dessert.
Notes
- If you prefer you can skip making the streusel.
- Instead of brown sugar, you can easily use raw sugar in the streusel. Also make sure to use ground cinnamon made from true cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon) and not cassia cinnamon.
- Both baking powder and baking soda are needed in this coffee cake recipe.
- If you do not like the flavor of whole wheat flour, opt to make the cake with all-purpose flour.
- Sour cream is an ingredient which makes the cake soft and moist. Easily swap it with yogurt or curd. But make sure that the curd is not tangy or sour.
- Baking times in various ovens vary. So keep this in mind while baking the cake. It can take more or less time in your oven for this sour cream coffee cake to bake.
Nutrition
This Sour Cream Coffee Cake recipe post from the archives first published in February 2018 has been republished and updated on 25 May 2022.
It is a good recipe where the sour cream can be used and nothing is wasted. And of course taste really good . The cake is soft and moist after using sour cream.
Yes agree on that and thanks for the feedback on the recipe and the rating as well.
Namaste Dassana! I haven’t had coffee cake since I stopped eating eggs, and I was really missing it. Your recipe is delicious and was just what I was missing 🙂 ! Very fluffy and moist and just the right amount of sweetness.
The way we make it is a little different in the American Midwest (in a square pan with cinnamon streusel topping) so I tweaked that part accordingly and added milk instead of water to the batter.
Thanks again! Love your website!
namaste tara. thank you for the review and rating on coffee cake. this is also our favorite coffee cake.
also thanks for sharing your version and the variation you made. welcome and happy cooking.
Hi dassana,
The cake pics are lovely. Would like to try this one.
I had some queries regarding this recipe..
1. Whole wheat flour which is added in the streusel, does it also get ‘cooked’ while baking? (since it remains separate from rest of the cake batter)
2. Does this cake have mild sweetness? or usual sweetness like normal cakes. I plan to use fresh curd & l want the cake to turn out more on the sweet side (folks at my place prefer the desserts to be sweet)
3. What kind of cinnamon powder do you use? Is it simply cinnamon sticks ground in mixie..
Thank you for sharing all the amazing recipes!
thanks ruchi and welcome. your queries answered below.
1. yes the whole wheat flour in the streusel does get cooked.
2. the cake is lightly sweet but the streusel does add some extra sweetness when eating. so it kind of balances the sweet taste. but for a sweeter cake you can add 1 cup sugar as you are using fresh curd.
3. yes it is cinnamon ground in a mixie. cinnamon sticks that we get in india are of two types.
1. one is cassia cinnamon also known as just cassia, which is not actually cinnamon. most shops or online stores you will get cassia cinnamon which is a cheap substitute of cinnamon. it has a very strong aroma and the sticks are thick and kind of like a tree bark.
2. true cinnamon or the real cinnamon has thin sticks and in a rolled shape, they look like cigar rolls. the aroma is not very strong and intense. i have used both versions and real cinnamon gives a better flavor and aroma than cassia. also cassia cinnamon is not good for health and toxic. so better to avoid. on google, you can get to see both varieties and also get to know the difference.
Hi Dassana,
Thank you for the amazing recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
One question- Is it necessary to use that kind of cake pan? Will it still taste good if I use normal cake pan… or a bread pan?
One comment- When I saw “sour cream coffee cake”, i thought there will be coffee in it and I was about to skip this recipe because we don’t eat coffee. I don’t know if that is what this cake is authentically called but if not, I would consider changing the title for those 0.1% of weird users like me 😉
Thank you!
welcome suhani. you can use normal cake pan too. it will taste the same whether bundt pan is used or normal cake pan is used. this cake is actually and authentically called coffee cake. but it does not have any coffee in it. i have kept the same title as thats what its known by and so it helps the readers to find the recipe who know the name of this cake.
Thanks Dassana!
Are there any substitutes for brown sugar?
welcome. you can use regular white sugar or even unrefined cane sugar. even jaggery can be used.
Tried honey instead of brown sugar and made it in a bread pan. Came out delicious!! But honey being heavy sunk at the bottom. Need to get brown sugar for next time.
Thanks, Dassana, for such an awesome recipe! I love the fact that you focus on healthy recipes…. using wheat flour instead of maida.
thanks for sharing suhani. yes with honey it will sink due to it being viscous and heavy. being a baker, i would not suggest using honey for baking or while cooking. honey on being heated becomes toxic according to ayurveda. even i was not aware of this fact some years back and i would add a bit of honey in tomato based gravies instead of sugar and i have also made brown bread once with honey instead of sugar. but now i do not add honey in baked goods and i always suggest blog readers to avoid heating honey. honey is best had raw plain or with some mixed fruits or cereals.
made the cake with fresh curds. it turned out very well. thnx for the recipe 🙂
thanks for letting me know sowndarya. nice to know. happy baking.
very sweet nice done
Hi Dassana, really love your recipes. One of the most authentic recipes on the Web. Can u please post some gluten free cakes and bread recipes as my husband has celiac disease
thanks zainab. i have got some requests for sharing gluten free cakes and breads but have never got around making one as the recipe needs to be developed and tested. this takes time. but i have noted down your request and will try to add the recipes.