Coffee cake is one of those retro specialties, an old-school standby from the Mrs. Maisel era. You know, when having a nice, simple, home-baked “something” to serve with coffee was hostessing done right.
Jump to RecipeIt didn’t have to be decorated to within an inch of its life and Instagram-ready. Delicious sufficed.
Even my ma, a reluctant cook, was justly proud of her Bundt cake and made it for just about every occasion. It was moist, nutty, and utterly perfect with a cup of joe. Her Sour Cream Coffee Cake was one of the few recipes she left behind, and a lightened-up version even made it into the pages of Cooking Light magazine.
Mom’s version of her sour cream coffee cake.
She tactfully noted that the lighter version was nice, though she was sad to see the original’s 1 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts (the best part, in her opinion!) trimmed down to a scant 1/4 cup of finely chopped nuts.
My ma, a reluctant cook, was justly proud of her Bundt coffee cake and made it for just about every occasion. It was moist, nutty, and utterly perfect with a cup of joe
This time of year, I’m moved to make Mom’s coffee cake — in her Harvest Gold aluminum Bundt pan, of course. And me being me, I can’t resist a few changes: I’ve swapped the tablespoon of lemon extract in her version for lemon zest and juice. And sometimes I opt for orange zest and juice. But I for damn sure don’t mess with the nuts.
Sour Cream Bundt Coffee Cake Recipe Notes
- Be sure to butter and flour your Bundt pan thoroughly, really getting into all the nooks and crannies. This is especially important if your pan has an intricate design.
- Substitute orange zest and juice for lemon. Use any variety of orange. I’m a fan of Ojai Pixie tangerines when they’re in season.
- For an even richer cake, use crème fraîche in place of sour cream.
- You can substitute pecans for walnuts. It’s OK, my mom will never know ;).
Mom’s Sour Cream Bundt Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 large bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 Bundt pan
- 1 wire rack
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams, plus extra for pan)
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (or orange zest)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces butter (2 sticks, 227 grams, softened, plus extra for pan)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (396 grams)
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or orange juice)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream (227 grams, or crème fraîche)
- 1 cup very coarsely chopped walnuts
- powdered sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a Bundt pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, zest, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in juice and almond extract. Alternate beating in flour mixture and sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, and cool completely. Before serving, sift powdered sugar over the top.