Cinnamon Pecan Crunch Cake (Printer-Friendly)
Moist coffee cake layered with cinnamon sugar and crunchy toasted pecans, ideal for breakfast or dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crunch Topping and Filling
01 - 1 cup chopped pecans
02 - 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
03 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cake Batter
06 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1 cup granulated sugar
12 - 2 large eggs
13 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
14 - 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a 9-inch round springform pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and melted butter. Mix until the mixture is crumbly and well combined. Set aside.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
04 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and the sour cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Fold gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
06 - Spread half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon pecan crunch mixture over the batter in an even layer.
07 - Spread the remaining batter over the topping layer, then finish with the remaining cinnamon pecan crunch mixture on top.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The double layer of cinnamon pecan crunch means every single bite has that addictive brown sugar crumble running through it.
- Sour cream keeps the crumb so tender and moist that leftovers (if you have any) taste even better the next day.
02 -
- Overmixing the batter once the flour goes in will give you a dense, tough crumb instead of the tender cake you want, so mix with a gentle hand and stop early.
- The crunch topping looks like a lot when you sprinkle it on, but it settles into the cake during baking and creates those irresistible gooey cinnamon ribbons.
03 -
- Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge at least an hour before you start because cold ingredients will not cream properly and your cake will not rise as it should.
- Spread the top layer of batter with a damp offset spatula to get an even surface without deflating what you have built.