Delish Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

You know that one coffee cake that ruins you for all other coffee cakes? This is it. It’s tender and rich (hi, sour cream) with a cinnamon-pecan ribbon, and then you crown the whole thing with a warm brown butter glaze that smells like toasted toffee and feels like a hug from a grandma who doesn’t judge your second slice. It’s simple, bakes up in a 9×13, and absolutely begs to be eaten with hot coffee while you ignore your email for 12 blessed minutes.

My little crew is obsessed. The first time I made this, my husband “tested” three corner pieces—you know, for quality control—and our kid asked if the kitchen could smell like this every day. Now it’s a Sunday morning ritual or a “we have people coming over in 2 hours” miracle. I’ve brought it to soccer sidelines, book club, and once to a neighbor who loaned me a rake. Returned said rake with a missing screw… but also with cake, so we’re even.

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9×13 pan (I also throw in a parchment sling because I’m not a hero). You’ll make three quick components: the cinnamon streusel, the sour cream batter, then the brown butter glaze that you pour on while the cake is still a little warm so it melts into all the nooks.

Streusel is easy—brown sugar, cinnamon, a little flour, chopped pecans, and cold butter smushed together with your fingers until it’s clumpy. Try not to eat it. You will fail.

For the batter, cream 1/2 cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar till pale and fluffy, then beat in 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, whisk 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. Add the dry stuff to the wet in two rounds, alternating with 1 cup sour cream. It’ll be thick and that’s exactly right—like soft frosting.

Layer half the batter in the pan, sprinkle on half the streusel, dollop on the rest of the batter (it’s thick—drop it in spoonfuls and gently spread), then the rest of the streusel. Bake 40–50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the kitchen smells like a cinnamon candle you actually want to eat.

For the glaze, brown 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan till it’s golden and nutty, then whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tablespoons milk or cream, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and a pinch of salt. If it seizes, add another teaspoon of milk. Drizzle over the warm cake. Let it set 10 minutes if you can stand it. Total time’s about an hour; serves 12-ish, depending on how generous you’re feeling.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Sour cream: Full-fat, please. It’s the moisture MVP. Greek yogurt works in a pinch but gives a tangier vibe.
– Unsalted butter: Soft for the batter; cold for streusel; browned for the glaze. One ingredient, three jobs—overachiever.
– Brown sugar: Dark or light in the streusel—dark is deeper and molasses-y; light is classic coffee-cake mall nostalgia.
– Cinnamon: Don’t be shy. If your jar smells like cardboard, it’s time to replace it. Fresh spice = bigger wow.
– Pecans or walnuts: Totally optional. Toast them if you remember—flavor level: turbo.
– Flour: All-purpose. If using a 1:1 gluten-free blend, add 1 extra tablespoon sour cream to keep it plush.
– Powdered sugar: For the glaze. Sift if it’s clumpy and you care; I usually whisk harder and call it cardio.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease-line a 9×13 pan with parchment.
2. Mix streusel by combining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, and 3 tbsp cold butter; pinch to clumps.
3. Cream 1/2 cup softened butter with 1 cup sugar until fluffy; beat in 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla.
4. Whisk 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt; fold into the butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup sour cream.
5. Spread half the batter in pan, sprinkle half the streusel, dollop remaining batter, top with remaining streusel; bake 40–50 minutes until a toothpick tests clean.
6. Brown 4 tbsp butter; whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar, 1–2 tbsp milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, pinch salt; drizzle over warm cake and cool 10–15 minutes before slicing.

What to Serve It With

– Hot coffee or a strong black tea—let the glaze be the sweet thing.
– A bowl of berries or sliced peaches for balance.
– Crispy bacon or sausage if you’re going full brunch.
– Vanilla yogurt on the side for people who say they’re “not doing dessert” and then eat two pieces.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Don’t overmix the batter. Stir till the flour disappears, then drop the spoon like it said something rude.
– Room-temp eggs and sour cream help the batter stay smooth and bake evenly.
– If the top browns too fast, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
– Glaze too thick? Add milk a teaspoon at a time. Too thin? More powdered sugar.
– Let it cool at least 10 minutes before cutting or it’ll crumble like my willpower around warm cake.

✔Storage Tips

Counter: Cover and keep at room temp up to 3 days. It somehow gets even more tender by day two.
Fridge: For week-long nibbling, refrigerate airtight. The glaze firms up and the cold slices are honestly fantastic with coffee.
Freezer: Wrap individual pieces snugly; freeze up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter or hit it with 15–20 seconds in the microwave for warm-donut energy.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– No nuts: Skip them and add 2 tbsp oats to the streusel for texture.
– Swap spices: Cardamom or pumpkin pie spice plays nice with the glaze.
– Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 flour blend; add 1 extra tablespoon sour cream.
– Dairy swaps: Greek yogurt for sour cream; oat milk in the glaze works fine.
– Pan options: 9×9 for thicker slices (bake 45–55 min) or a 10-cup bundt (50–60 min).
– Less sweet: Reduce streusel brown sugar to 1/2 cup and glaze to 3/4 cup powdered sugar.
– Maple moment: Replace milk in the glaze with maple syrup for leaf-peeping vibes.

Write me the frequently asked questions and answers Delish Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Glaze in the same way as the example below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

A tender sour cream coffee cake swirled with cinnamon, topped with a crisp pecan streusel, and drizzled in a nutty browned butter glaze. Perfect for brunch or coffee breaks.

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Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 2.5 cup all-purpose flour batter
• ▢ 2 tsp baking powder batter
• ▢ 0.5 tsp baking soda batter
• ▢ 0.5 tsp kosher salt batter
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened, batter
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar batter
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract batter
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream full-fat, room temperature
• ▢ 0.75 cup light brown sugar streusel
• ▢ 0.75 cup all-purpose flour streusel
• ▢ 2 tsp ground cinnamon streusel
• ▢ 0.125 tsp kosher salt streusel
• ▢ 0.75 cup pecans chopped, streusel
• ▢ 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted, streusel
• ▢ 0.25 cup unsalted butter for browning, glaze
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar glaze
• ▢ 0.5 tsp vanilla extract glaze
• ▢ 1.5 tbsp milk plus more to thin, glaze
• ▢ 0.125 tsp kosher salt pinch, glaze

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and line with a parchment sling for easy removal.
• Make the streusel: In a bowl, whisk brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in chopped pecans. Drizzle in melted butter and toss with a fork until clumps form. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
• Whisk the dry batter ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix in vanilla.
• Add sour cream and dry ingredients: Mix in sour cream. Add dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Assemble: Spread half of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Dollop remaining batter over the top and gently spread. Finish with remaining streusel.
• Bake: Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Make the browned butter glaze: In a small saucepan, cook butter over medium heat, stirring, until golden and nutty, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool 3 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and milk until smooth and pourable.
• Finish and serve: Drizzle glaze over the warm cake. Cool until set, then slice into 12 pieces and serve.

Notes

For clean layers, chill the streusel briefly so it crumbles neatly. If your glaze thickens, whisk in 0.5 tsp milk at a time until it drizzles smoothly.