Sour Cream Coffee Cake

From the book Barefoot Contessa Parties! by Ina Garten

Serves

8 to 10

Introduction

This is the ultimate breakfast treat. My goal was a homemade version of a Drake's Cake, but better. As if the cake wasn’t delicious enough, I decided to drizzle maple icing on the top and give it an extra-special flavor. This recipe can also be made into muffins.

Ingredients

Cake

	12	Tbsp. butter (1½ sticks) at room-temperature
	1½	cups granulated sugar
	3	eggs, extra-large, at room temperature
	1½	tsp. pure vanilla extract
	1¼	cups sour cream
	2½	cups cake flour (not self-rising)
	2	tsp. baking powder
	½	tsp. baking soda
	½	tsp. kosher salt

Streusel

	¾	cup brown sugar, packed
	½	cup all-purpose flour
	1½	tsp. ground cinnamon
	¼	tsp. kosher salt
	3	Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
	¾	cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Glaze

	½	cup confectioners’ sugar
	2	Tbsp. real maple syrup

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the four baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
3. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.
4. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with ¾ cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
5. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel-side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Notes

If you don’t have cake flour, you can substitute 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch.

If the eggs are cold, place the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes before cracking them.

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