Yesterday morning I met a colleague at a small cafe off Lincoln Road to collaborate on a project. (I'm not naming the cafe due to the poor experience we had there.)
My colleague ordered a cappuccino and chocolate croissant. I had a hot tea and a slice of their sour cream coffee cake (a big favorite of mine). The cappuccino was quite large and served piping hot with just the right amount of foam on top. The croissant was adequate. My tea had a very strange medicinal taste, and I'm certain they do not use filtered water (a must here on Miami Beach as our water has a foul taste). The coffee cake was stale and so dry that I could barely swallow it. This was not the sour cream coffee cake of my childhood!
My Grandmother was a wonderful cook, and her sour cream coffee cake was one of the family favorites. After such a disappointing experience, I had to come home and make my own to satisfy my need for a nice, moist coffee cake. Here is my grandmother's recipe. I hope you will try it and let me know if you like it, too.
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar, or 1/4 cup each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated
3 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass pan). Grease one 9-inch Bundt or tube pan, and dust with flour.
2. To make the streusel: Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts.
3. To make the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
4. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Carefully cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
5. Bake unitl the coffee cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes. Place on a rack and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap the coffee cake in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
6. To make the glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth and of pouring consistency. Drizzle over the cake and let stand until set.
My colleague ordered a cappuccino and chocolate croissant. I had a hot tea and a slice of their sour cream coffee cake (a big favorite of mine). The cappuccino was quite large and served piping hot with just the right amount of foam on top. The croissant was adequate. My tea had a very strange medicinal taste, and I'm certain they do not use filtered water (a must here on Miami Beach as our water has a foul taste). The coffee cake was stale and so dry that I could barely swallow it. This was not the sour cream coffee cake of my childhood!
My Grandmother was a wonderful cook, and her sour cream coffee cake was one of the family favorites. After such a disappointing experience, I had to come home and make my own to satisfy my need for a nice, moist coffee cake. Here is my grandmother's recipe. I hope you will try it and let me know if you like it, too.
My Grandmother's Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Streusel Topping:
1/2 cup granulated or brown sugar, or 1/4 cup each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated
3 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream or plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (325°F if using a glass pan). Grease one 9-inch Bundt or tube pan, and dust with flour.
2. To make the streusel: Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the nuts.
3. To make the batter: Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
4. Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Carefully cover with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the remaining streusel.
5. Bake unitl the coffee cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes. Place on a rack and let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Wrap the coffee cake in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
6. To make the glaze: Combine all the glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth and of pouring consistency. Drizzle over the cake and let stand until set.
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