Grandma's Sour Cream Coffee Cake



This past weekend, I baked my cakes and pies to freeze for Thanksgiving.
I find that if I get that task out of the way, I feel much better & relaxed.
Most cakes and pies (except an apple pie) with butter content freeze very well if they are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then aluminum foil.

I always make one cake and one pie.
I usually make my grandmother's sour cream coffee cake or an apple cake of some kind.

When I looked at Debra at Smitten Kitchen's "cubes of colossal cheer" Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake recipe, it was almost exactly like my grandmother's cake, except Debra bakes her cake in a glass 13 x 9 pan and adds an extra cup of sour cream.

I am not a fan of baking in a Pyrex glass pan, only because of presentation.
Cakes look nicer on a cake pedestal and sliced. Just my opinion.

So, here is the very best sour cream coffee cake with walnuts and chocolate chunks. You can really make any topping you like, as long as it has light brown or dark brown sugar, a nut and cinnamon. I love the addition of chocolate chips too.

This cake freezes beautifully.

Grandma's Sour Cream Coffee Cake:

Topping:

1/2 cup of brown or light brown sugar (doesn't really matter)
1/2 cup of chopped walnut or pecans
1/2 bag of chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon



Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix your ingredients for the topping and middle of the cake in a small bowl.
Now mix your flour, baking powder and soda w/ salt in another bowl.

In a third bowl, mix your butter w/ sugar, incorporating your eggs with the sour cream and vanilla.
Slowly add your flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture.

Butter and flour a tube pan (this cake will stick if you don't grease your pan properly).
Pour half your batter in the pan and sprinkle half your brown sugar nut topping on that.



Now pour the rest of the batter on top and then top with the rest of the sugar topping. You may have some topping leftover, which I keep in a Ziploc bag.

Bake for about an hour at 350. Start testing the cake for doneness (is "doneness" a word?) at 50 minutes.
Wait until cool enough to remove from pan.



This is so good for breakfast (and lunch and dinner!).
Enjoy!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yes, this cake is THE best.
We're leaving for California on Sunday to spend Thanksgiving with our son and his family. Mimi is going to make the cake with her granddaughters and will bring her King Arthur flour with her - just in case it is unavailable in horse country.

Mil
SarahB said…
I wish I had a slice of that with my coffee this morning!
Maria said…
I love the idea of freezing the cakes. Genius!! This one looks so good! I too prefer my cakes in a fancy bundt pan!!
kat said…
Oh this looks so good. I think I'll have to bookmark it to make for Christmas morning, wonder if anyone will miss the Sara Lee coffee cake we have every Christmas
Pam said…
This sounds fantastic Stacey. I've never thought to pre make my pies and freeze them. What a great way to reduce stress on Thanksgiving.
RecipeGirl said…
I love the idea of making the Thanksgiving desserts ahead of time. I never ever think to do that! Grandma's recipes are always the best, aren't they? I still have some of my Grandma's recipes that I use on a regular basis. Looks like a great cake :)
Patsyk said…
You are certainly on top of things! This cake looks delicious, and it's even better that it's a family recipe!
Grandma Rocked!! That look so great and I know it will be a huge hit with the peoples!!
I love how organized you are! I better get my act together and start baking, thursday night I'm going to a cookie exchange and I have no idea what I'm bringing! ha ha!!
Ooops, forgot to say how amazing your cake looks with those nice chunks of chocolate! ( I think I still have ravioli on the brain)
I love cakes you can make in advance. I am definitely making Lidia's chicken.
Anonymous said…
I love the idea of baking ahead, totally takes the stress out. This sounds like a wonderful cake!
Peter M said…
Grandmas know best and I always love a good cake in a Bundt form.

When's "cawfee" on?
Anonymous said…
I agree. I'm not a fan of baking in a glass pan mainly due to the presentation. Give me a white dish anyday and I will be the happiest boy you have ever seen.
Anonymous said…
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