Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Swirl
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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!
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I grew up with a version of this coffee cake. We had it for every brunch and every Christmas and Easter morning. It is delicious and simple. Thank you for sharing this version of the recipe. You took me back to wonderful memories, and now I can start making some new ones with this.
Hi Jen,
I love every recipe of yours that I have tried. Thanks for making life a little easier by sharing your great recipes. It may seem silly to say but they have been a blessing.
As we are now sheltering in place with only 3 of us and no one to share with, as well as limited access to replenishing ingredients, is it possible to scale down this recipe by one half or one third? Isn’t there a standard way of scaling baked goods recipes in general? I love fresh baked goodies but we can only eat and store so much. Thanks in advance!
Hi Nikki, Glad you like the recipes! You could halve this recipe and bake it in a loaf pan should work. Bake time will be different though — I’d start checking it at about 45 minutes. Please LMK how it turns out!
The coffee cake is delicious. In addition it smells wonderful while it is baking. Our dog laid down in front of the oven while it was baking and refused to move!
🙂
This is the BEST coffee cake I have ever had and what’s best is I made it!!!! 🙂
I made a bundt cake. The only changes I made to the recipe were I added more cinnamon and also mixed hazelnuts with walnuts for the center swirl.. When I had the batter ready to bake I added about 24 chocolate chips, tablespoon of oats and some hemp seeds and lined the bottom of the bundt pan. OH MY GOD. This was a dream cake.. I will definitely make this one over and over.. DELICIOUS with coffee. Thank you!!!!!!
This is so easy to make and quite delicious! My family loved it! I must warn you this is hard to stop eating!! The perfect “comfort” food to have….
Hi Jen, Love all your recipes. Could I swap out sour cream for greek yogurt? Would I use the same amount? Thanks!
Hi Meaghan, Yes and yes. And so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! 🙂
Followed exactly and was delicious.
Unfortunatly one of the worst recipies ive ever used. Im a professional baker from the uk, i converted all the measurements. The cake was far too big for my bundt tin so i put less mixture in (i followed the pictures) it rose above the tin so made a big mess of my oven. Took it out when cooked, left to cool for 15mins as directed and it was so stuck to the tin. I use my bundt tin often and is always fine but it did not like thos recipie. Ive tried some of the crumbled cake and its ok but nothing very interesting at all and im not sure how a coffee cake translates but in the uk it would have coffee in it and a coffee flavour, this is definatly not that. Unfortunatly i didunt realise it did not have coffee in it until after id combined the wet ingredients so i thoight id carry on anyway. Wish i haddent off out now to buy more ingredients to make a cake that is good enough for my mothers birthday tomorrow. My advice would be avoid partucually if in the uk
I would like to alter and appologise for this review. I was anoyed and not kind. Ive tried this recipie again and it worked fine. The recipie is for quite a big bundt tin and i tried to squeese too much mix in 1st time, it rose over, wouldent come out if the tin and messed up my oven. These are all my fault. The coffee cake is not what we would have in the uk as it does not have any coffee flavour but the recipie does work and is quite nice (im going to add a little icing in the morning, 1st attempt is a bit dry but could be due to over filling a little budt tin and i cant cut the succsessful one until the party). Appologies again and thankyou for the hard work putting these recipies together and for us to enjoy i do appriciate .
I’m curious as to whether you did something differently the second time? I’m a seasoned baker and all my cakes are always from scratch but, for the first time in my baking life, I binned this cake in its entirety! Dense, dry, horrible. There was no way to make this better so I had no choice but to throw it out… expensive ingredients gone to waste. I made another recipe for an identical cake last night and it turned out beautifully. Please let me know if you did something different on your second go at this, as I typically enjoy Once Upon A Chef recipes (even have a cookbook). Thanks xx
Hi Jenn
Love love all the recipes I’ve made from your site. Would it be ok to use a tube pan rather than a bundt pan?
Thank you
So glad you like the recipes, Mary! Yes, it would be fine to use a tube pan here. Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Needed something for a morning meeting to celebrate someone’s birthday. I saw this and thought this looks like a “birthday” cake. I was not expecting to receive more compliments on this coffee cake than anything I have ever made. It truly was the best coffee cake I had ever tasted. It was upon a whim and somewhat a risk to make something new, but it will be my go-to coffee cake from now on!