Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf With a Buttery Crumb

A tender slice with a cinnamon ribbon and a crumbly golden top makes a lovely centerpiece for a holiday breakfast. Bake this coffee cake in a loaf pan, let it cool, and you can bring neat slices to the table alongside a pot of coffee or tea.

Sour cream gives the cake a soft, rich crumb, while brown sugar and cinnamon add warmth in the middle and on top. The batter contains no coffee: the name simply tells you how nicely a slice goes with your morning cup.

Coffee Cake With Sour Cream: Ingredients

This coffee cake with sour cream makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf, about 10 slices. Allow roughly 20 minutes to prepare it, 60 to 70 minutes to bake, and at least 30 minutes to cool. The proportions and method are adapted from So Much Food’s sour cream loaf.

For the crumb topping:

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cinnamon ribbon:

• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the batter:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk

You’ll also need a mixer, mixing bowls, a spatula, parchment paper, and a cake tester or toothpick. Bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream to room temperature before mixing so they combine more easily. Softened butter should yield to a gentle press while still holding its shape.

Prepare the Crumb and Filling

Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease the loaf pan and line it with parchment, leaving enough paper over the long sides to lift the cake out later. Set the pan on a baking sheet if you want an easy way to move it in and out of the oven.

For the topping, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter with a fork until clumps form, then refrigerate while you prepare the batter. In a separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon for the filling. Keeping the two mixtures separate gives you a distinct ribbon inside and crumbs on top.

The best sour cream coffee cake for a brunch table has enough time to cool before cutting. Plan backward from breakfast: the cake needs over an hour in the oven and a rest afterward, so baking it the day before can make the morning easier.

Mix and Bake the Loaf

1. Beat the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
2. Add the wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Finish the batter. Fold the dry mixture into the butter mixture, adding the milk as you fold. Stop as soon as the flour disappears. The batter for this loaf of coffee cake will be thick enough to spread rather than pour.
4. Make the layers. Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly over it, then gently spread the remaining batter on top. Scatter the chilled crumbs over the surface.
5. Bake. Place the pan on the middle rack and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The top should look set and a tester inserted into the cake near the center should come out clean. Check more than one spot if you hit the cinnamon layer.
6. Cool. Let the loaf rest in its pan for 10 minutes. Lift it out by the parchment and place it on a rack; give it at least another 20 minutes before slicing.

A sour cream cinnamon coffee cake can look beautifully browned while its center still needs a little time. Use the tester, not the color alone, to decide when it is ready. If the top is already deep brown but wet batter clings to the tester, lay foil loosely over the loaf and continue baking in short intervals.

Slice and Serve for Breakfast

For the cleanest pieces of this loaf-style coffee cake, let it cool completely, then use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion. Wipe the blade between cuts if the cinnamon filling sticks. Cut about ten slices, or make smaller pieces for a table with several breakfast dishes.

Arrange the coffee cake loaf on a platter and offer berries alongside it. Warm individual slices briefly if you like, and serve with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk. This cinnamon sour cream coffee cake is rich enough to stand alone, though a small bowl of yogurt or fruit makes a pleasant companion.

If you bake ahead, wrap the cooled cake and keep it at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, wrap slices individually, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw before serving and warm briefly if desired. A cinnamon coffee cake made with sour cream is easiest to portion before guests arrive; keep the slices covered until you set out the platter.

If the Center Is Still Wet

The most common trouble is a loaf that looks finished on top but has uncooked batter in the middle. If the tester comes out coated with wet batter, return the cake to the oven, tent it loosely with foil if the crumbs are dark, and check again after five to ten minutes. Once the tester is clean, give the cake its cooling time so the tender crumb can settle before you cut it.