Sour Cream Coffee Cake (3 Recipes)
Sour Cream Coffee Cake (3 Recipes) brings together three vintage favorites with moist sour-cream batter and cinnamon-nut toppings. Choose a simple pan version, a bundt cake that starts in a cold oven, or a richer tube-pan cake with a vanilla drizzle.
Each recipe is written as-is from a classic community-cookbook style—perfect for brunch, holidays, or everyday coffee time.
Recipes on this page
Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 pint sour cream
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup broken nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 12-inch pan.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs.
- Mix in baking soda and sour cream.
- Stir in flour, baking powder, and vanilla until combined.
- Spread half the batter in the pan.
- Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle half the topping over the batter and marble gently with a knife.
- Add remaining batter and sprinkle remaining topping on top.
- Bake 35–40 minutes.
Servings: 12
Sour Cream Coffee Cake – 2
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1 stick margarine, melted
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 pint sour cream (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups flour
- Dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Nut Mixture
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Note: This recipe starts in a cold oven.
- Grease a bundt pan.
- Mix melted margarine, sugar, and eggs until creamy.
- Beat in sour cream.
- Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix by hand (batter will be stiff).
- Mix the nut mixture ingredients together.
- Put half the batter in the bundt pan. Sprinkle most of the nut mixture over the batter (save a little for the top).
- Add remaining batter and sprinkle the rest of the nut mixture on top.
- Place in a cold oven, set to 350°F, and bake about 55 minutes.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake – 3
Ingredients
- 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups commercial sour cream
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan.
- Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream.
- Gradually add dry ingredients and beat until well blended.
- Mix nuts, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Spoon 1/3 batter into pan and sprinkle 1/3 nut mixture over it.
- Spoon half of the remaining batter and half of the remaining nut mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and nut mixture.
- Mix 2 tablespoons vanilla with 2 tablespoons water and spoon over the top.
- Bake 60–70 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan, and dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Servings: 8–10
FAQ
Why does sour cream make coffee cake better?
Sour cream adds moisture and richness, and its acidity helps create a tender crumb.
What is “sour milk” and can I substitute it?
Sour milk is milk with a little vinegar or lemon juice added. Buttermilk is a good substitute.
Why does one recipe start in a cold oven?
Some older bundt-style recipes were written to warm gradually as the oven heats. Follow the cookbook method for best results.
How do I store sour cream coffee cake?
Store airtight at room temperature for 1–2 days, refrigerate for longer, or freeze slices for later.