Walnut Spice Coffee Cake Recipe
Difficulty: Simple
Makes: 8 to 10 slices
Nutritional Info Per Serving
Portion Size: 1/10th of cake
Calories: 486
Fat: 25g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Carbs: 60g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 38g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 272mg
Total Time: 3 hours (includes cooling)
Hands-On Time: 1 hour
This coffee cake features spiced layers and a walnut crumb topping, making it a cozy companion for coffee or tea breaks.
Ingredients
For the Walnut Crumb Topping:
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Cake:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
Directions
Prepare the Crumbs:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, chopped walnuts, flour, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture forms moist, coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Make the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C).
- Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and lightly butter the parchment and the sides of the pan.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt into a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set to medium, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Fold the sifted flour mixture into the wet ingredients in three batches, alternating with the sour cream in two batches (begin and end with flour), mixing until just combined after each addition.
- Pour two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle half of the crumb mixture evenly over the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the crumbs, then finish with the remaining crumb mixture.
- Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert the cake out of the pan, flip it crumb-side up, and let it cool completely.
Tips
- When measuring flour by volume, gently spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Avoid scooping directly from the bag to prevent compressing the flour, which can make the cake dense and dry.
