Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake – Now with More Crumbs

I’m sure I’ve said it here before, but I’m not a big cake guy. I’ll take a few bites at a wedding for appearances, and of course on a birthday, since that’s what you do, but besides that, cake is none of my business. However, one big exception would be the crumby goodness that is pecan sour cream coffee cake. 

As I mention in the video, the best part of a coffee cake is the crispy, crunchy, buttery crumbs; so we significantly upped the amounts used. I’m not sure why everyone doesn’t do this…maybe their health? Regardless, it creates what I think is the “ultimate” coffee cake experience.

One tip for placing on the second layer of batter: You can use a piping bag to squeeze an even layer, and then touch it up with a spatula. Having said that, as you saw in the clip, even if you spread by hand, and mix in a few nuts, it still comes out beautifully.

This recipe is really foolproof, but mind your baking time. I used an 8” x 12” cast iron casserole dish, and it took about 35 minutes, but times will vary for glass dishes, as well as for slightly larger dishes, like the classic 9” x 13.” I’d start checking around 30 minutes, and go from there. I really hope you give this extra crumby coffee cake a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 8 to 12 portions:

For the crumb:
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the cake:
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
1 7/8 cups all-purpose flour (Almost 2 cups. Do not pack cups. Spoon in gently.)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

- Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

50 comments:

Paul said...

I don't know if you realize this, but with your "You're the Drake of your coffee cake" comment, you made a fantastic Seinfeld reference (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZU05h3U2Hw) in addition to referencing the singer.

Frank said...

Welcome back from retirement.

Devilsedge said...

Awesome job ... my Mom makes this way which is always great

Unknown said...

Do pecans need to be toasted beforehand? Will make this Saturday! Thanks! Olga

Unknown said...

Let me start by saying this cake looks amazing, and I'm sure it taste amazing too, however, I have never understood why you Americans call a cake with no coffee in it a Coffee Cake, it would sound just a lovely as a Pecan Sour Cream Cake. Also, when you say foolproof, I'm sure it would stand more chance of being foolproof if you provided actual weight measurements(grams/ounces), using cup measurements increases risk of inaccuracy and what a faf having to put all the ingredients into cups when it would be far easier to add the next ingredient directly into the mixing bowl that's just placed on a scales. Finally, I really am loving your work, keep it up!

Dustin said...

Is there a replacement for sour cream if I have a non fan?

Would my stomach hurt if I ate the entire pan myself?

Unknown said...

Would it be possible to substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream or a mixture of sour cream and greek yogurt? Thank you, this looks delicious!

Tej! said...

Can I replace the sour cream with mayonnaise...and the pecans with tomatoes...and the cake with bread? Also can I add bacon and lettuce?

I really just want a BLT.

mom of chef said...

This looks so good - just like somebody, somewhere in my past made. Must make!!

Chris said...

Excellent choice of placemats, Chef John. May I request the classic red and white checkered pattern for next time?

James Hawk III said...

Hey, Paul--I thought he meant Sir Francis Drake, second-in-command of the English fleet versus the Spanish Armada in 1588. Why would he be referencing a pop singer?

FSB said...

I think you should offer a "LIKE" button for some of these comments!

Golph said...

I think I've commented here one other time, though I am a huge fan of each video. Seriously though (and I came here just to say this), this came out amazing. I like some people, am not really a huge dessert person in general. Cake for me is like, "Why is this not bacon?". That said, this coffee cake was absolutely amazing (I think this, and my family Tiramisu) are going to be my "go to's" from now on. Well done Sir.

Unknown said...

Welcome back !!! Glad you're outta retirement, or 'up' from a long nap after you 'retired' for the evening. In any case, 'spot on' with this video as my mouth has been watering a long time for THIS coffee cake. Keep 'em coming !

Unknown said...

What we have here is the basic 'Jewish Coffee Cake'. My recipe used walnuts, but pecans are great. If one has a bundt pan, one could put the 'topping' in the bottom firstly, and then proceed. Yum. All things considered, the amount of guilt one feels after demolishing one of these cakes can be ignored by the satisfaction.

Gandalf said...

to Claire Thomas - it's a "coffee cake" because it is traditionally something you eat with your coffee ....

Chef John - are you trying to make me fat(ter) again with this yumminess?!?!?!

Connie said...

Wow this looks amazing. The crumb toppings are always my favorite part. Now I'm picturing a crumb base layer and crumb walls in addition to the middle and top layers of crumb.

Derek Scuteri said...

Dear Chef John, my Mom is ALWAYS up for a good Coffee
Cake! I made this last night, kind of on the spur of
the moment. It is quick and easy. When I took it out
of the oven, I could not wait for it to cool down and
ate 2 pieces, burning hot sugar and all! A cool glass
of milk just went so well afterwards.

Unknown said...

Hi chef John , this cake looks awesome! I am gonna try it!!
One question: can the sour cream be substitute with plain yogurt?

Al said...

Thank you for the recipe and video! Due to a nut allergy in the family I replaced the pecans with toasted rolled oats, (using a dry non stick pan to toast). While I'm sure it's not as tasty as the pecan version it was delicious none the less. I was indeed the "Drake of my coffee cake"

Charity said...

You can't go wrong with more crumbs! Always love your recipes! Thanks!

Unknown said...

Chef John I made it this passed Friday night and it was a big hit with the family. This was my 1st coffee cake I have made. I will make it again this week for my team meeting and it will be a big hit with them. Thanks for all the good video recipes and making me and others look like a good cooks.Jim

Maryann said...

I don't have any pecans today, how about walnuts? If that's not a good substitute I will wait till the weekend to make this. Thanks. By the way, I just love you, you are my Internet crush.

Unknown said...

Chef John this was BRILLIANT! My parents were swooning over it! Thank you very much.

Kare said...

Hi Chef John....I'm an aspiring blogger and home cook. I have to say, I hope to be half as good as you one day. Love the puns, I was giggling out loud. I went through your entire french section so quickly, I felt like I binge watched my favorite netflix series ever and they cancelled it!! If you're on instagram, please let me know! would love to follow you!!! I'm on as kare.eatmakego

ThisIsSiri said...

Chef John, me and my husband follow your blog religiously! You're amazeballs. However, the measurements are silly. I mean, a cup of chopped pecans? That means I have to chop them first, before I know how many I'll need? What if I chop too many Chef, I can't handle the pressure! I know I know, you Americans like your cups. But maybe you could provide a weight measurement for us Europeans, who do not own cups and have to convert it to our deciliter measuring cups? I'll even settle for ounces instead of grams. "When you're baking, you really shouldn't measure flour by volume" - Chef John, in the video "How to measure flour".

ThisIsSiri said...

I took the liberty of converting it to weight and thought someone might like the fruits of my labour, so here it is: (feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken) :)
For the topping:
75 grams sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
66 grams brown sugar
No idea how many grams of pecans
3 tbsp melted butter
1/8 tsp salt
For the cake:
113 grams butter
225 grams sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla
226 grams sour cream
250 grams flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

175 degrees Celcius for 30-35 minutes.

Kristina said...

I made this for my husbands birthday yesterday, replacing the sour cream with fresh plain yogurt and pecans with walnuts (work with what you've got!) and it turned out beautifully.. Besides the fact that my pan was too small and there was some spillage of batter as it expanded. I will definitely make this again!

Tara said...

I really enjoy your channel I watch it at night while my wife falls asleep. I am curious about the cast iron enamel casserole dish you use a lot. What brand is it? Thanks for what, and how you do what you do!

Timothy said...

Just made these and they are great. Now, do I need to keep leftovers in the fridge, or can they be kept at room temperature?

Sarah said...

I made this the other day, and it was a hit! It was also really easy. Many thanks to the fellow European in an earlier comment who listed the ingredients in grams. By the way, I made out 1.5 cup of chopped pecans = 180-200g.
I also used a round 26cm springform cake tin and it took 45 minutes at 175C in a non-fan oven. It kept well at room temperature in an air-tight container and was finished in three days.

Unknown said...

Thanks ThisIsSiri and Sarah for providing metric measurements, very useful!

AMAI said...

This is an amazing cake. We did substitute Vanilla Yoghurt for the sour cream and it came out great. We subscribe to your videos on YouTube and look forward to the new ones surely on their way soon!

Nick said...

Just baked the coffee cake this morning and I'm currently at the hardest part -- waiting for it to cool. Leaving the house for a long walk because the delicious aroma coming out of the pan is killing me.

Just FYI -- baked in a glass 9x13 Pyrex pan, and it took 39-40 minutes until a wooden skewer (ok, ok, disposable wooden chopstick) came out clean. Hope that helps someone else, because 9x13 is generally a bit more common in the US vs 8x12.

Rosalie Lingo said...

I love a good coffee cake. This also adapts well to a fall version by adding some additional ginger and nutmeg to the topping and a cup of canned pumpkin to the cake.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thanks again for another winner Chef John. I made this for my boyfriend for his birthday and he loved it! His favourite cake is coffee cake. Since it's just the two of us though, I halved the recipe and baked in a 9x5 loaf pan. At 30 minutes it was perfect. So delicious!

So easy to make too :)

Ron Williams said...

Made it, loved it but want more nuts/crumb. Emma Dupont's invites the idea of halving the cake part and keeping the nut mix the same. Just doubling or adding a half more of the nut mixture or even doubling it is most appealing.

Unknown said...

Hi, Chef john I read your blog last 1 year it is really informative. Your Cream Coffee Cake looks delicious. Today I want to make it but I have no baking soda. Can I make it without baking soda? Thanks for your helping mind.

Unknown said...

Just finished making this. OMG! This is so freaking good! My girls helped me prep the crumb topping and I could tell they were excited about what the coffee cake would look and taste like. They'll find out in the morning and I'm sure they'll love it. My 1st layer came out really thin, so make sure you really put half the batter in before the middle crumb topping. Also, I used a 9x13 glass pan and it was perfect at 30 minutes. Chef John, I can't thank you enough for making these videos and the blog. You really do make cooking so accessible for beginner home cooks.

SSN said...

Hi Chef John, is it fine to make the cake and keep it refrigerated overnight? Thanks

Unknown said...

made Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake today, it turned out amazing. Great recipe ....thumbs up.

foust said...

Hello Chef John!
Made this recipe last night with my mom! Barely 24 hours later there’s only 1/3 of a cake left!
Wish I knew how to share a picture, it came out great!
Thank you so much!

KarlaB said...

I just made 5his today. It definitely deserves an "ultimate" in the title.

Unknown said...

Can you use walnuts instead?

Unknown said...

Chef John, hurray! This came out superbly. Just signed up so I can let you know how awesome and simple this is!

We're foodies, and this is now our top fave to make and eat. Our authentic tiramisu comes in second (it's yummy, but this is easier to make!). My 10 year old daughter made it for the first time, and brought it to a potluck. It was everyone's favourite! The crumble/filling is to die for. The cake part is moist. Perfection on a dessert plate.

*I used walnuts. I toast all my nuts before baking it into anything, they come out nice and crisp and without the bitter flavour. Just about 10 minutes in 400 deg F, check in to make sure it's not burning. I'm sure pecans would be lovely in this.
*I also always reduce sugar by a quarter or a half of what's called for in recipes.
*I've also made the cake-part with Pamela's gluten-free baking flour, following the flour's cake recipe, but using this crumble recipe. So yummy, I guarantee no one will know it's gluten-free. It's that good.

Amie said...

Delightful! Exceptionally good!

Lynn said...

Hey Chef John!!!

I cook and make desserts for my family and friends. For some unknown reason coffee cake has never been in my repertoire... until now.

So I started trolling through my "Chef John" recipe stash videos and came across this one. You made it look delicious and it wouldn't take a lot of time, so I got busy. I didn't even use my stand mixer "gasp".

Did the tappa tappa, shaka shaka anx put it in the oven. 30 minutes later... I took it out, checked for doneness and voila it's done. Sigh.... wait till cool.

OMG it was so moist,crunchy topping and it tasted divine. Thanks for the great recipie.

Jim McCorison said...

Chef, This recipe really is fool-proof. I completely forgot the ol tappa tappa, and yet it came out fabulous. I made this morning for a gathering of friends and it played to rave reviews. Thank you.

Suzie said...

The best crumb topping. I thoroughly enjoyed the cake too