Sour Cream Brunch Cake

A classic sour cream coffee cake baked in an angel food tube pan with a cinnamon-pecan-brown sugar filling layered through the middle and sprinkled on top. Two ribbons of that nutty, spiced filling in every slice.

Sour cream added last to the batter is what gives this cake its incredibly moist, tender crumb. It adds fat, acidity, and moisture that keep the cake soft for days. The margarine and sugar get creamed first, eggs beaten in, then the dry ingredients, and finally the sour cream folded in gently.

The layering is simple: half the batter, half the filling, the rest of the batter, then the rest of the filling on top. As the cake bakes, that middle layer of cinnamon and pecans creates a gorgeous swirl you can see when you slice. The top layer bakes into a crunchy, caramelized crust.

Kitchen Tips

• Softened margarine is a must. Cold margarine won’t cream properly and the cake will be dense.
• Add the sour cream last and fold gently. Overmixing at this stage deflates the batter.
• The tube pan shape lets heat reach the center of this thick batter. Don’t substitute a regular cake pan.
• Test at 55 minutes with a toothpick. Ovens vary and the filling can make the center take longer to set.

Variations

• Use butter instead of margarine for a richer, more buttery flavor.
• Add walnuts or almonds in place of pecans in the filling.
• Drizzle a simple vanilla glaze over the cooled cake for a sweeter finish.