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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WOW!!! What a delicious coffee cake. I made three cakes this holiday season, two of them were the BEST coffee cakes I have ever made. The three cake was a complete disaster. I found a different sugar called Golden Sugar and tried it on the third cake. I used the exact same ingredients as in the two successful cakes. The cake with Golden Sugar deflated to about half the height of the other cakes. When the cake was out of the bunt pan, the sugar in the cake had crystallized on the surface and interior was very dark. So, no more Golden Sugar for me. Thanks for this recipe, it made our friends rave with joy about the cake.
This cake is a knock-off of Duncan Hines (yellow cake mix) Sock-it-to-me cake. The only difference is the Duncan Hines recipe calls for pecans.
Can you make this in a square pan? If so what would the bake time & temp. be? Thank you!
Hi Vikki, I don’t think this batter would fit into a square pan. Your best bet would be a 9 x 13-inch pan, although the cake may be a little thin. I’d start checking it for doneness at 50 minutes (that’s a guesstimate, so keep a close eye on it). Please LMK how it turns out!
This is a fantastic coffee cake, The only thing I changed was grinding the nuts finely and adding half a cup more, it was perfect and this is our go to cake from now on.
Hi we love love your website and it is our go to for baking and cooking! My son does not like walnuts, can I just skip the walnuts in your recipe? many thanks
So glad you like the recipes! You can replace the nuts with chocolate chips or just leave out the nuts and double the brown sugar in the streusel. Hope that helps!
This coffee cake is amazing – scrumptious and undeniably delicious!!!
The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly and wanted to adjust to match me and my in-laws tastes which is normally not too sweet, and had delicious results:
I swapped 1/3 + 1/2 cup of AP flour with finely ground almond flour, used 8 oz or 1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt and used 1.5 cups of sugar – I’ve also used 1 and 2/3 cup of sugar but found the swirl in between layers makes up for any cut of sugar in the batter.
Still crazy delicious and just the right about of sweetness for us!
Either way – the original and these modifications – the cake is so delicious!!!!!!!!
This is “make-over” coffee cake for me…..I will make it over and over and over again! As a note, I froze it right in the bundt cake pan and it thawed and tasted beautifully. Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy with our morning coffee.
I usually make your sour cream chocolate chip Bundt cake which my family loves but this one is amazing too!!! Everyone loved it and the streusel filling was delicious. I guess I’ll be alternating between the two now!! Another perfect recipe!!! Thanks Jenn!
Am I misreading this recipe it says sour cream coffee cake, but I can’t see how much coffee to use?
Hi Linda, Sorry for any confusion. Coffee cake doesn’t actually contain any coffee; it’s just called that as it would be nice served with a cup of coffee. Hope that clarifies!
Thanks for letting me know
I made this cake because I was looking to use up extra sour cream. It was SO delicious! I brought in most of the cake for my co-workers and they raved about it as well (needless to say it was gone by the end of the day 🙂 I am curious, do you think it would be ok to add some blueberries to the batter, and do you have any tips for doing so? My thought was to sprinkle them in the batter prior to the layers of streusel. Thanks, Jenn, for another stellar recipe!
Hi Kait, Glad it was a hit. I wouldn’t recommend adding blueberries to it, but if you want a coffee cake with blueberries, I’d recommend this one (and you can add chopped walnuts to it if you’d like). Hope that helps!