Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cake (Printable)
Moist coffee cake swirled with cinnamon and crowned with a pecan-studded crunch topping.
# What you need:
→ Pecan Crunch Topping
01 - 1 cup chopped pecans
02 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
04 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cake Batter
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 cup sour cream
14 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until the mixture forms coarse, crumbly clusters. Set aside.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy.
05 - Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth.
06 - Gradually fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Spread half the batter evenly across the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the topping mixture over the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top and finish with the rest of the topping.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sour cream keeps this cake impossibly moist for days, so you can bake it Sunday and still enjoy tender slices by Wednesday.
- That pecan crunch topping gets golden and caramelized in the oven, creating a texture contrast that makes every bite exciting.
- It doubles as both a breakfast treat and a respectable dessert, which means you get two excuses to eat it in one day.
02 -
- If you slice this cake while it is still hot, the layers will smear together and fall apart, so patience here genuinely pays off.
- Adding chocolate chips sounds tempting but it can weigh down the batter, so fold them in very gently and reduce the sugar slightly if you do.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about four minutes before making the topping, stirring constantly so they deepen in color without burning.
- Room temperature sour cream and eggs blend into the batter much more smoothly than cold ones, so pull them out of the fridge about an hour before you start baking.