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:

1. Pour half of the cake batter into the greased baking dish and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the surface of the batter.
2. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar mixture. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly. 
3. Break up the crumble topping with your fingers and sprinkle evenly over the top.
4. 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!