Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

Here's another recipe well suited to a weekend brunch; with or without guests! Put it on the menu with yesterday's Ham and Cheddar Frittata , a small fruit salad and a pot of French Roast coffee and I'll be right over! ;)


Streusel Topping:¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup butter, chopped in small pieces

Using your fingers, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and work the butter completely through the other ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Set aside.

Coffee Cake:
Sift together:
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
Set aside

Blend together
½ cup sour cream
½ cup whipping cream
Set aside

Cream together well
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat in, one at a time:
2 eggs

Fold in the flour mixture alternately with the cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. It is important not to over mix at this point or the cake will be too dense. Fold in the dry ingredients just until fully incorporated in the batter.Reserve about a cup of the batter and spread the rest into the bottom of a greased and floured 9 or 10 inch springform pan.

Add 2 tsp cinnamon to the reserved batter and fold in well. Drop the cinnamon batter in tablespoonfuls over the batter in the baking pan and swirl it through the plain batter with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Press together the streusel topping by handfuls and break off small pieces all over the surface of the coffee cake. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes depending upon the size of your pan or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This recipe also works very well as muffins.

Drizzle with vanilla glaze if desired.

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Whisk all three ingredients together until smooth and drizzle over the coffee cake.