Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I was in the mood for a sour cream cake. I hate when I get in the mood for something so specific because I know chances are greater that I will make something that doesn't hit the spot than making something that does. Luckily enough, I made this recipe and it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted a cake with sour cream in it because I love the flavor and texture sour cream gives desserts. Desserts just taste silkier to me when sour cream is an ingredient.

This cake is easy to put together and it fills your kitchen up with the most delightful of smells. The cake is delicious warm and at room temperature but I feel it's even better the next morning for breakfast.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Source: Carole Bloom's The Essential Baker
Yields one 9 1/2-inch round cake

For the cake
6 oz (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

For the topping
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 granulated sugar
1/4 firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

Place the butter in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until it is fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the sugar to the butter, and cream together well. Stop occasionally and scrape down the bottom and the sides with a rubber spatula.

Add the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add the sour cream and vanilla to the butter mixture and blend together thoroughly.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the salt and toss together to blend.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 stages, blending thoroughly after each addition.

Combine all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl.

Transfer half the batter to the prepared pan. The batter is very thick, so use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly into the pan. Sprinkle half the topping over the batter. Transfer the remaining batter to the pan and spread it evenly over the topping. Sprinkle the remaining topping over the batter.

Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack. Remove the side of the springform pan and lift off the cake.

Slice the cake and enjoy!