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.
Cwc says
Very easy to follow and it’s delicious!
greenie says
i wonder where is the coffee being added?
SourEverything says
It's added when you drink coffee while eating the cake 🙂
MaeK says
I want to triple this recipe. Is there anything special I need to know to make that work? I have a 12x18 cake pan so I’ll definitely need to bake longer.
Jeanie says
Delicious coffee cake! Often coffee cake is very crumbly but this is more cake\bread like so it has a satisfying “chew” to it in the middle and a nice crunch on the top. This is the ONLY website I go to when I have a sour dough craving!
Rebe says
I really really really wanted to love this recipe. But the bottom layer of this coffee cake was too dense, it was cooked, but definitely was stodgy. The top layer with the crumble was good. So I had to throw half of the cake and enjoy half.
Susan says
Have you ever tried any alternate flours for this recipe? Was wondering if sprouted spelt flour might work? Appreciate any thoughts you might have!
Lanae says
This was very tasty! I mixed the flour, starter, buttermilk, sourcream and salt and let it sit on the counter for 6 hours and then continued the recipe as is. It took longer to bake but tasted delicious!
Carole says
This is a wonderful fluffy coffee cake. I left out the middle ribbon of cinnamon and sugar and it was still amazing.
Hannah says
Absolutely love it! I had to sub pecans with walnuts bc that’s all I had in the pantry. I love the chewy texture. Probably from the sourdough discard. I love how it’s not overwhelmingly decadent. Just perfectly sweet!
Mandala says
This is such a winner! I made it last night, and since it's the first thing I've ever made with sourdough starter, I was nervous—but it turned out perfectly! I subbed crema for the sour cream, flax eggs for the eggs, walnuts for the pecans, and baked in a bundt. It still says supremely moist, fluffy, and full of cinnamon flavor. The crumb topping adds a wonderful, nutty crunch. I live at high altitude (5,000 ft), and didn't need to adjust the recipe for that at all. Definitely my go-to coffee cake recipe from now on!
Becky Hontz says
Hands down the best coffee cake I’ve ever made! No need to worry about storing because it didn’t last. A+