Sourdough Coffee Cake
This sourdough coffee cake has a perfectly sweetened ribbon of cinnamon sugar between layers of moist vanilla cake. It's topped with a nutty pecan crumble that get's better with every bite!
Homemade coffee cake is the perfect way to enjoy your morning cup of coffee!
You guys are going to love this sourdough discard recipe! It is my version of a classic coffee cake, sourdough style of course!
Coffee cake is defined as any cake flavored with or intended to be eaten with coffee. Traditional coffee cake recipes you find in the States don't actually have coffee in the ingredients at all.
Instead you'll find a delightful mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutty pecans combined with a vanilla cake base.
The result is a perfectly sweetened, cinnamon spiced breakfast cake that begs to be eaten alongside a strong cup of coffee. The two really are a perfect match!
Step by step instructions
There are three separate layers to this cake, but don't worry, it's a cinch to get it into the oven!
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease an 9" x 9" metal baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
1. Pecan Crumble Layer:
- Melt the butter in a bowl and stir in the light brown sugar and cinnamon until throughly mixed and smooth.
- Add the flour and pecans and stir again until the mixture comes together into a big clumpy mass. Set it aside and let it cool.
2. Cinnamon Sugar Layer:
- In a small bowl, mix the light brown sugar, cinnamon and flour together with a fork and set aside.
3. Cake Batter Layer:
- In a large mixing bowl, use a spatula to cream the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, sourdough starter discard, milk, salt and baking powder to the bowl and stir until combined.
- Add the flour and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.
Assembly:
- Pour half of the cake batter into the greased baking dish and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the surface of the batter.
- Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly.
- Break up the crumble topping with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the sourdough coffee cake cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serve warm!
How to measure flour without a scale
Don't have a kitchen scale to measure flour?
Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
Because flour is measured by weight in these recipes, if the flour is scooped straight out of the bag with the measuring cup, there will be more flour than called for in the recipe.
How to store leftovers
Leftovers can be stored at room temperature in a container for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
To freeze leftovers, let the cake cool completely and wrap individual squares with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped squares in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat the coffee cake, let thaw first. Warm in the microwave in 15 second increments. Alternatively, you can place a piece on a parchment lined baking sheet and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Other delicious sourdough recipes you're sure to love:
- sourdough cinnamon rolls
- chocolate chip sourdough scones
- sourdough pancakes
- sourdough blueberry muffins
If you try this recipe make sure to let us know how it turned out in the comment section below. We love to hear from you!
Sourdough Coffee Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Crumble Topping
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter (melted)
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ⅓ cup (73 g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Sourdough Coffee Cake Batter
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter (softened)
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
INSTRUCTIONS
Crumble Topping
- Melt the butter in a bowl and stir in the light brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Add the flour and pecans and stir again until the mixture comes together into a big clumpy mass. Set it aside and let it cool.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Stir the cinnamon, flour and light brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.
Sourdough Coffee Cake Batter
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 9" x 9" metal baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a spatula to cream the butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, sourdough starter, milk, salt and baking powder to the bowl and stir until combined. Add the flour and mix until ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the surface of the batter. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture to cover. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly. Break up the crumble topping with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
NOTES
- Use the scoop and level technique to measure your flour if you do not have a kitchen scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour in the bag. Use a spoon to scoop the flour into a measuring cup until it is heaped on top. Take a butterknife and level off the top. This should give you the most accurate measurement for flour.
- Leftovers can be stored at room temperature in a container for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to a week.
- To freeze leftovers, let the cake cool completely and wrap individual squares with plastic wrap. Place the wrapped squares in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat the coffee cake, let thaw first. Warm in the microwave in 15 second increments. Alternatively, you can place a piece on a parchment lined baking sheet and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
This is hands down, no contest, the best coffee cake I have ever had!!! Perfectly moist and delicious. My whole family loved it, thank you!
AMAZING! Delicious! Perfect accompaniment to morning or evening coffee/tea. The mixing of the batter was very awkward and difficult however. After creaming the butter and sugars, the wet ingredients never mixed well. Very lumpy and unincorporated. There must be a better method, maybe warming up the warm ingredients?
Hi Ashleigh, thank you so much! We're thrilled to hear you loved our coffee cake recipe. Did you make sure the ingredients were at room temperature? That usually helps getting a smoother batter.
Can I use sour dough starter instead of discard?
Yes
I love this recipe! I've made it a few times now. My question is, can I out it together the night before and pop on the oven in the morning?
Yes
Cannot wait to try this! Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Unsalted
Followed the recipe using grams, used regular whole milk, instead of buttermilk and baked in 9” metal pan. Checked it at 45 minutes and it was perfect.
AAAMMAZZING!!!! I just started baking with sourdough and this recipe was phenomenal! I have made coffee cakes many times but these are fluffy and delicious. I never leave comments but these are an absolute favorite and I just had to say something. I will continue to use this recipe in the future! 10/10!!!
We have a favorite breakfast spot in CA that specializes in coffee cake—but this is even BETTER!! I will say however, that I prefer it in cake form rather than muffins.
can we substitute the sour cream with something else?
thank you
Hi Kristi, you can use a full-fat yogurt!
I cannot articulate enough to do justice to what you've shared. Yesterday morning I saw this recipe, and had all ingredients on hand. Following gram weights made this come together in a heartbeat, and into the oven. My particular oven needed 52 minutes to achieve doneness. I decided to cut 9 squares from this recipe, and simply rewarmed 2 slices this morning in the microwave. The coffee cake was spectacular. SPECTACULAR. So moist, and the sourdough provided a marvelous tang to compliment the buttery flavor profile. This recipe has "heirloom" status already. Thank you for sharing.
Just made this and it is so good!
Fluffy, light, and moist! The pecans add the perfect touch as well
Wish it tasted more of sourdough, is there any directions to let it ride before baking for a stronger flavor? Or can you add more starter for a stronger flavor?
Thanks so much for your recipes, they have all been very good <3
The more you feed your starter, the less sour it is. If you can save some starter to "age" in the fridge, the flavor will become stronger over time.
I'm planning to give this a go, but confused why a coffee cake has no coffee? Maybe it's good to eat with coffee?
Hi Claire, yes coffee cake doesn’t actually have coffee cake in it. It’s meant to be enjoyed with coffee! 😄