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!).
What you’ll need To Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
How To Make Sour Cream Coffee Cake
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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“Best cake you ever made” says my husband — this was his valentine’s gift which he will share with his 93 year old dad (who loves old fashioned types of desserts). The cake came out perfectly (did leave out the walnuts and then double the sugar/cinnamon as one reviewer suggested) and the house smelled indescribably wonderful. This is definitely replacing my granny’s sour cream pound cake. Thanks Jenn for making me look good.
I made this cake today hoping that I would not be so dry like other cakes with the same ingredients, however, the directions said to lower the temperature to 300, and when I did that it took way over 90 minutes, and when I took it out it still was not cooked inside. Very disappointing. I think there might have been a typo and I should have left the temperature at 325?
Hi Joan, I’m sorry you had a problem with this. The oven temperature is not a typo. Is there any chance you may have mismeasured an ingredient or that your oven temp may be off? Here are some ways to check your oven temperature for accuracy.
Can this be baked in something else? I don’t have a bundt pan.
Sure, Brett – you could use two 8-1/2 x4-1/2-inch loaf pans.
Thanks so much for your reply. Also, instead of nuts, I substitute an equal amount of chocolate chips. Possibly they were too heavy and just sunk to the bottom. When I did take it out all the filling (chips and sugar) had all gone down to the bottom of the pan. OF COURSE….WE ATE IT ANYWAY!
Good to know. If you want to make this again with chocolate chips, I’d use mini chocolate chips as they are lighter. 🙂
I tried this recipe and it was amazing! The only thing…I was not sure when to add the baking soda as it was not included in the directions.
Hi Shawn, Perhaps you overlooked it, but the baking soda is mentioned in the 3rd paragraph of the instructions. Glad you enjoyed it!
Easy to follow directions…. I added a layer of home made cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving just to up the game. Should be yummy!
This recipe was first featured, I believe, in the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook published in 1966 by Laura Secord Candy Shops. It’s on page 27. If it’s not identical, it’s pretty close. And yes, it is delicious.
Just made this. Substituted pecans for walnuts as I’m allergic to walnuts. Great cake. Will certainly keep making it. Jenn you are a wow!!! Brava.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I made it today for my husband’s birthday. He said: this is my favorite cake
Love your recipes and books!
Wondering if this sour cream coffee cake can be used to make cupcakes? If so, what would the temperature be and how long should stay in the oven.
Thanks much,
Bonnie
So glad you like the recipes/books!! I do think you could make these into cupcakes. I’d keep the oven temp the same and I’m guessing they’ll take 30 to 35 minutes, but keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how they turn out!
I love all your recipes. This was the first one that didn’t turn out. It took forever to cook and it fell apart when I took it out of the pan. The pan was new so that wasn’t the problem. Is it really supposed to bake at 300?
Hi Dianne, I’m sorry you had a problem with this! Did you use a 9/10-in Bundt pan? Did you make any adjustments to the recipe?
Yes, I used a 9/10-in bundt pan. I didn’t make any adjustments. Is it supposed to cook at 300?
Yes, 300 degrees is the correct temperature. It’s a bit of a head scratcher. Is there any chance you mismeasured something? Could your oven temperature be off? Here are some ways to check it. Please LMK if I can help in any other way.
Hi, did you prep your Bundt pan beforehand? I almost forgot that step because it was at the top!
Hi Jenn! Would you change anything if using a tube pan instead of Bundt? Or is that not a suitable pan swap? I tried scrolling the comments first for the same question but didn’t see it. Thanks!
Hi Missy, It would be fine to use a tube pan here. Hope you enjoy!
I’d recommend to try and make it again. To me it is always consistent and perfect. It’s my kids favorite coffee cake.
This is definitely our family’s favorite cake. It rarely last more than a day and a half on the kitchen counter! My 7 year old was asking to have it made for his wedding cake when he grows up thats how much they all love it!