This Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake has been a favorite in my kitchen for years. It’s tender and moist with just the right touch of cinnamon and a pecan filling that gives each bite a little crunch. Nothing fancy here, just the kind of cake you’ll want to keep on the counter for slicing and sharing.
Doesn’t it always seem that the best recipes are the ones that get passed around from friend to friend, written on index cards, smudged with butter, and tucked into cookbooks? This Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake is one of those recipes. It has a soft, moist, and slightly tangy crumb with an irresistible layer of pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar both inside and on top. Yum.
Coffee cakes are so easy to make. There’s just one lovely little layer – no worries about getting those multiple layers stacked correctly – and no frosting! Frosting and I are not always good friends. Sometimes it likes me, and sometimes it just refuses to cooperate. Sometimes it’s too thick, sometimes too thin, and it’s always a big mess. Yes, sir, give me a simple one-layer crumb cake like this, and I’m really happy.
Enjoy this beautiful coffee cake with, naturally, a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. It makes a nice ending for breakfast, a delicious little afternoon snack, or even a light dessert.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven/Broiler
Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings: 12
Primary Ingredient(s): Sour Cream, Pecans, Flour, Sugar
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- Great for breakfast or dessert!
- This recipe is easy to make even for beginning bakers.
- Coffee cake is perfect to take over to a friend or neighbor!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“This is DELICIOUS!!! I’ve made it twice and everyone I (begrudgingly) gave a piece to loved it as well. This recipe is definitely a keeper in my files!”
— Faith Woods
Ingredient Notes
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- Butter – You’ll need room temperature butter, so make sure to take it out of the fridge about an hour in advance. I highly recommend Land o’ Lakes butter for baking.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar is what we use here. Domino or Dixie Crystals are my go-tos.
- Eggs – Like the butter, the eggs will need to be at room temperature as well. Room temperature ingredients incorporate more smoothly
- Sour cream – This isn’t the time for low-fat sour cream. Use full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. You won’t be sorry!
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is ideal. Imitation vanilla doesn’t pack the same punch. Try the Nielsen-Massey brand for a quality product.
- Cake Flour – This part is pretty important. You can use all-purpose flour for coffee cake, but it will affect the texture of the final result. Swans Down is my standard for cake flour.
- Baking Powder – Always check the baking powder container to make sure it hasn’t passed its use-by date. If you don’t bake much and have to fish it out of the back of a cupboard, you’ll probably need to ditch it for a fresh container!
- Pecans – Georgia is a huge pecan-producing state, so I always have them on hand. If I ever do need to purchase them, I typically opt for Fisher brand pecans.
- Ground Cinnamon – Adds such great flavor, and the smell when it bakes will fill your house better than any scented candle can! If you’ve never tried Saigon cinnamon or Ceylon cinnamon, pick up one of them and you’ll never go back to regular old cinnamon again.
- Brown Sugar – I prefer light brown sugar in this recipe. It has a lovely caramel flavor without being too strong.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake
Making sour cream coffee cake at home is so easy! Even beginners will have success with this easy to follow recipe.
- Combine pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl.
- Add the room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one and a time. Mix between each.
- Next, add the cream cheese and vanilla to the bowl.
- On low speed, beat in the vanilla and sour cream.
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- Sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the batter, and mix on low speed.
- Increase the mixer speed as the batter gets thicker as you incorporate more of the flour into the batter.
- In a prepared flute pan, add half of the cake batter.
- Sprinkle half the nuts-cinnamon mixture over the batter.
- Top with the remaining batter.
- Bake in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
👉 PRO TIP: Use a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake to check for doneness. When it comes out clean, it is ready to be removed from the oven.
- Cool completely before removing from the pan to slice and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing tends to make a cake more tough than tender.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs for the smoothest batter.
- Toast the pecans ahead of time if you want an even deeper flavor.
Storing Leftovers
- To Store: Cover and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Pop a slice in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
More Recipes You’ll Like
- If you gave a soft spot for sweet rolls, my cranberry orange sweet rolls might just become your new holiday favorite. The filling is tart and jammy, and that orange glaze on top is something special.
- For a muffin that feels like sunshine in the middle of winter, orange blossom muffins are light, citrusy, and always brighten up the morning.
- When only the real thing will do, my banana pudding is made the old-fashioned way with homemade custard, layers of sliced bananas, and a golden meringue that’ll make you feel like you’re back at Grandma’s kitchen table.
- If you’re after something warm, sticky, and completely irresistible, these cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing are about as close to bakery-style as you can get without leaving your house.
- Apple Pecan Coffee Cake
- Caramel Layer Cake
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Cruffins
- Chocolate Marshmallow Poke Cake
- Red Velvet Cake
- Lime Cupcakes
Questions About Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake
Yes, plain full-fat Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute in equal amounts for sour cream. The texture will still be moist, though the flavor may be a touch tangier.
Not at all. Coffee cakes are much more like pastries than they are like traditional frosted cakes. The cinnamon and brown sugar pecan mixture layered inside and on top gives it all the sweetness and texture it needs. I sometimes dust a little powdered sugar on top for a pretty finish, but it’s completely optional.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
Sour Cream Pecan Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups cake flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the pecans, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Set aside.½ cup chopped pecans, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.1 cup butter, 2 cups granulated sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each.2 eggs
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in the sour cream and vanilla.1 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, and baking powder.2 cups cake flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Start with the mixer on very slow speed and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Increase the mixer speed as you add more of the dry ingredients and the batter becomes thicker.
- Put half the batter in the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle half the pecan-cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter.
- Add the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining topping.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted halfway between the center and edge of pan comes out clean.
- Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
- Remove from pan, slice and serve.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing tends to make a cake more tough than tender.
- Use room temperature butter and eggs for the smoothest batter.
- Store covered for up to 3 days at room temperature. To freeze, wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on February 21, 2012. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
THIS IS THE BEST SECRET….TO THE PERFECT DESERT… I have used many recipes from Lana’s Cooking… and I bought the cookbook…. I bought the cookbook to add to my collection of what I feel are “simply the best”.
I make this cake 2-3 a month… I have to make two cakes, because my guests ALWAYS expect to take a piece home.
THIS CAKE IS THE BEST,…. simple to make and easy too.
I have made the NEVER FAIL POUND CAKE ❤️- more than 20 times, and it has never failed….
I USE LANA’S recipes as my go too…. THANK YOU LANA for making cooking a JOY, AND BAKING more joyful and fun…. CHEERS
Thanks so much, Melanie! I think this coffee cake is delicious, too 😊
I copied your recipe before seeing that we had to ask ahead of time for permission. It is just for my own personal use. I have copied your URL and pasted it to my copy.
Very sorry,
Shirley
It’s perfectly fine to make a copy for your own personal use, Shirley! Just don’t want others copying and reposting or publishing in a book or something of that sort :-)