Sour Cream Coffeecake

By norsegal8

This is the most delicious coffeecake I have ever tasted and is one of my favorite cakes. The combination of ingredients was inspired by a recipe my old friend Elaine Marie Kohut once entered in a contest. She won first prize. The buttery flavor has the mellow undertone of sour cream. The combination of cake, optional melting layer of thin apple or peach slices, and crunchy sprinkling of cinnamon-scented nuts is close to perfection. The apple adds moist tartness, the peach mellow sweetness.

Ingredients

• STREUSEL TOPPING AND FILLING:
• 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsifted cake flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
• BATTER:
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Optional: 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick and sprinkled with 2 teaspoons lemon juice. OR 1 heaping cup frozen peaches, thawed on paper towels and sliced 1/4-inch thick while still partially frozen.

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9 inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment, then flour the entire pan.

3. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the sugars, nuts and cinnamon until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Reserve 3/4 cup to use as a filling. To the remainder add the flour, butter and vanilla and pulse briefly to form a coarse, crumbly mixture for topping.

4. In a medium bowl lightly combine the yolks, about 1/4 of the sour cream and vanilla.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and remaining sour cream. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes to aerate and develope the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides. Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides.

6. Reserve about 1/3 of the batter and scrape the remaining into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface, preferably with a small angled spatula. Sprinkle with the streusel filling and top with the apple or peach slices, if desired. Drop the reserved batter in large blobs over the fruit and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle with the streusel topping and bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until a wire cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. ( Move aside a small patch of the streusel before testing.) Cover loosely with buttered foil after 45 minutes to prevent excess browning.

7. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. The cake will have a level top. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and remove the sides of the springform pan. Cool completely.

*Magi-Cake strips are especially useful for this cake because the side crust ends to brown more quickly.