Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
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From Zingerman’s Bakehouse, a rich and buttery sour cream coffee cake with a sublime cinnamon-nut swirl.
A classic breakfast cake is one of the handiest things to have in your baking repertoire, and this sour cream coffee cake from the famous Zingerman’s Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, MI is one of the very best. Featured on the cover of the Zingerman’s Bakehouse Cookbook by Amy Emberling and Frank Carollo (Chronicle Books, 2017), the recipe is a treasure that’s worth the cost of the book alone.
The authors write, “This is our most popular coffee cake and possibly our most popular sweet item…As you can see, it is full of tasty fat—half a pound of butter, half a pound of sour cream, and three whole eggs – which yields a mellow and moist cake crumb.” But what makes it truly special is the contrasting flavor and crunch of the cinnamon-nut swirl that runs throughout. And the cake lasts: you can store it in a covered container on the countertop for up to two weeks (but good luck keeping it that long!).
Table of Contents
“This is ‘make-over’ coffee cake for me…..I will make it over and over and over again!”
What You’ll Need To Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Walnuts: Provide a nutty crunch and texture in the cinnamon-walnut swirl, adding a rich flavor contrast to the cake’s tender crumb.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and caramel-like depth to the swirl, helping balance the cinnamon’s spice and making the swirl moist.
- Cinnamon: Delivers warm spice that’s essential to the swirl, bringing a cozy and fragrant flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cake. To ensure accuracy, measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off.
- Baking Soda: Acts as a leavening agent, helping the cake rise and become fluffy.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake while contributing to its soft, moist texture when combined with butter.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture, making the cake tender and buttery, while also helping the sugar to cream properly.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add structure and moisture.
- Sour Cream: Adds moisture and richness to the cake, while the slight tang balances the sweetness and keeps the cake soft.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor, providing a warm, sweet aroma that complements the other ingredients.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, make the cinnamon-walnut swirl. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Toast the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until they’re fragrant and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool, and reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Mix until combined, then set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the sugar and butter.
Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is homogenous.
On low speed, mix in the sour cream and vanilla.
The batter will look a little curdled at this point; that’s okay. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Gradually add the flour mixture.
And mix on low speed until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
Scoop 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. (It won’t seem like enough, especially if you’re using a 12-cup Bundt — that’s okay. Just do your best to smooth it into an even layer with a spatula or back of a spoon.)
Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-walnut mixture evenly over the batter.
Cover with another 1/3 of the remaining batter, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter evenly over the pan and to the edges.
Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture evenly over the batter.
Cover with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly over the nut mixture.
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Do not let the cake cool in the pan for much longer than this or the brown sugar in the streusel might stick to the sides of the pan and make it difficult to release the cake. Place a wire rack on top of the Bundt pan and then invert the pan to release the cake.
Let the cake cool completely before serving. The cake will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Enjoy!
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Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
From Zingerman’s Bakehouse, a rich and buttery sour cream coffee cake with a sublime cinnamon-nut swirl.
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
- 1 heaping cup walnut halves, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the Cake Batter
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 (8 oz) container full fat sour cream
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make the Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl: Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Toast the walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet until they’re fragrant and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a plate to cool. In a small bowl, mix together the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. Spray a 9- or 10-in Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour. Tap out any excess flour. Alternatively, spray the pan with a nonstick spray with flour in it, such as Baker's Joy or Pam with Flour.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or beaters, combine the sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is homogenous. On low speed, mix in the sour cream and vanilla. The batter will look a little curdled at this point; that's okay. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
- Scoop ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan. (It won't seem like enough, especially if you're using a 10-in Bundt -- that's okay. Just do your best to smooth it into an even layer with a spatula or back of a spoon.) Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-walnut mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with another ⅓ of the remaining batter, using a spoon or spatula to spread the batter evenly over the pan and to the edges. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture evenly over the batter and cover with the remaining batter, spreading it evenly over the nut mixture.
- Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, until the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Do not let the cake cool in the pan for much longer than this or the brown sugar in the streusel might stick to the sides of the pan and make it difficult to release the cake. Place a wire rack on top of the Bundt pan and then invert the pan to release the cake. Let the cake cool completely before serving. The cake will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Calories: 328
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Sugar: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Cholesterol: 73 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi Jen .. I am following your recipes and activities and I really love them 🙂 My question is about the amount of butter in this coffee cake … isn’t it too much? Or is it more like a pound cake? I am just wondering as I have checked out a couple of your recipes … also, in some of your cakes use list baking powder as well as soda … and in this one only a baking soda … what difference does it make? Thank you 🙂
Hi Monika, I suppose you could consider this more of a pound cake based on the amount of butter in the recipe. And recipes that call for baking soda and baking powder typically contain some sort of acidic ingredient (like sour cream in this recipe), but baking soda on its own is not enough to lift the volume of batter in the recipe, so baking powder is used as well to “pick up the slack.” Hope that clarifies!
This recipe does not contain any baking powder. How much baking powder should it have?
Hi Eileen, This one doesn’t have baking powder — it rises beautifully with only baking soda. Hope that clarifies!
Made this for a get together with my girlfriend, only because she always gets the coffee cake at Starbucks, I’m not a fan….. until NOW! This is so good! Like every recipe of yours I tried!
Absolutely delicious!!! I made it exactly as written and definitely would not change a thing. Thanks Jenn for another wonderful recipe!
So delicious! Makes a beautiful big cake every time. A favorite at church. Lu
This coffee cake is gorgeous and so so tasty. This recipe is similar to one I’ve made for years and I like some of the differences in Jen’s recipe, but I like some of the suggestions in the other one. Tip #1: Use all-purpose flour, not cake flour (as my other recipe suggests). APF gives the sponge a wonderful, light texture that compliments the denser ripple of nut & brown sugar. Tip #2: Use pecans instead of walnuts. I lightly toast pecans and then chop them up very finely in this recipe. Walnuts can have a bitter taste whereas pecans add a bit of sweetness when they’re toasted. Tip #3: I make a little trough in the batter with a spoon to lay the nut/sugar mixture into, then cover with more batter and repeat. The idea is to try to prevent the sugar from touching the pan and caramelizing on the hot bundt pan. Even if the pan is prepared, the sugar will become chewy and take away from the rest of this wonderful cake. Plus, it can cause the cake to fall apart when it’s cut and placed on the plate.
Thanks for sharing. I made this delicious cake and it was a big hit.I will definitely make it again. A little maple syrup was added as a glaze once the cake was cooled. 😁
I have made this several times since you posted this recipe and it always turns out perfect. I even made it and mailed to a sick friend and they said it arrived in great shape and tasted as if it had just come from the bakery.
This is an absolutely perfect cake. Look, texture and taste. I wish I could make it once a week!
This cake is awesome!!! But, then again how can you go wrong with a cake that has 2 sticks of butter and sour cream. I have been eyeing this cake for a couple of weeks now. Finally broke down and made it last Sunday to bring in to my coworkers for a Monday morning treat. One of my coworkers took one bite and said, “This is so good. I need this recipe.”
The recipe came together quickly and was baked in about 65 minutes. The only substitution I made was adding nutmeg and a bit more cinnamon than it calls for in the filling mixture.
The cake had great flavor and reminded me of a cinnamon coffee cake my grandmother use to make. This recipe has moved to the top of the coffee cake rotation.
This truly is a terrific cake. The only change I made while making it was to substitute pecans for the walnuts, a personal preference. The cake is moist, light and delicious and it stays fresh for days at room temperature. I also cut 3/4 of it into three large sections, wrapped each individually and froze them. They were still perfect when thawed.
This cake is great for a special occasion or just to have on hand for unexpected company.
I have used many of Jenn’s recipes and have always been delighted with the results.
I made this cake for myself and my spouse for a treat to have with our morning coffee and tea.It was rich and delicious,just the right amount of walnuts,cinnamon and brownsugar.It caught my eye because of my love of walnuts!My two sisters visited and loved it too,asking for the recipe so they could bake it for their families.Delicious!
What a great coffee cake or in my case an anytime cake. I followed the recipe exactly except I did not divide the cinnamon/nut swirl – I had only one line of it in the middle. It was super moist and very flavorful. This will become one of our regulars.