Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cake (Printable View)
Moist coffee cake with cinnamon sugar layers and crunchy toasted pecans, ideal for breakfast or dessert.
# What You Need:
→ Crunch Topping and Filling
01 - 1 cup chopped pecans
02 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cake Batter
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
08 - 1/2 tsp baking soda
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
14 - 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 9-inch round springform pan with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pecans, packed light brown sugar, ground cinnamon, all-purpose flour, and melted unsalted butter. Stir until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and set aside.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, light, and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add the large eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract.
06 - Alternately add the dry flour mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
07 - Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon pecan crunch mixture uniformly over the batter layer.
08 - Carefully spread the remaining batter over the pecan layer, smoothing the top. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the cinnamon pecan crunch mixture evenly across the surface.
09 - Bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
10 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before slicing into squares and serving warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cinnamon pecan layer hides inside the cake like a secret, and every bite gives you that buttery crunch without needing any frosting.
- Sour cream keeps the crumb impossibly soft for days, so you can bake it on Sunday and still enjoy tender slices by Wednesday morning.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in develops gluten and turns your tender coffee cake into something closer to a bread, so stop stirring as soon as the last streak of flour vanishes.
- If you use a springform pan instead of a 9x13 dish, the cake will be thicker and may need an extra five minutes in the oven, so check with a toothpick before pulling it out.
03 -
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for three to four minutes before adding them to the topping, because that one extra step makes the nuttiness exponentially more fragrant.
- Full fat sour cream produces the most luxurious texture, but plain Greek yogurt works beautifully if that is what you have on hand.