Coffee Cake

My brother in law Austen got me a great baking cookbook for Christmas last year and over the weekend I decided to make coffee cake. Yum! While it was baking, the whole house smelled like a cinnamon-filled bakery. I brought it into work and it was quickly eaten. Such a treat in the morning. The cardamom was a really nice subtle spice.

Ingredients:

For Streusel

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

3 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sour cream

For the Glaze

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

3 tbsp honey

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with vegetable oil and line the bottom with parchment. 

To make streusel, in a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt (and pecans, if using) and cut with a pastry blender until they're the size of peas. Cover and put in the freezer.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom and set aside.

Cream the butter and granulated sugar in a Kitchen Aid (or in a bowl with an electric mixer) for 4-5 minutes until fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until just blended. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in thirds mixing until just blended and no streaks of flour are visible. 

Scrape half the batter into the prepared tube pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of the streusel on top evenly.

Then top with the remaining batter and remaining streusel. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for 30 minutes.

Mix the glaze by mixing the confectioners sugar, honey, and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl. Turn the cake out of the pan then invert it on a serving plate, streusel side up. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the top. Wrapped in pastic, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.