Saturday Morning Coffee Cake

Sour-cream yellow cake with cinnamon-pecan streusel and maple glaze

A soft, rich coffee cake built from a yellow cake mix, with a cinnamon-pecan ribbon, a buttery streusel top, and a light maple glaze. It keeps the convenience of a mix while tasting much more deliberate than one.

Equipment Needed

• 9×13-inch baking pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Small bowl
• Pastry cutter or two forks

Saturday Morning Coffee Cake

A soft, rich coffee cake built from a yellow cake mix, with a cinnamon-pecan ribbon, a buttery streusel top, and a light maple glaze. It keeps the convenience of a mix while tasting much more deliberate than one.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 1 Pie

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional) optional

Cinnamon-Pecan Ribbon

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans toasted and finely chopped

Streusel

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped

Maple Glaze

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• Warm water a few drops as needed

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or coat it with baking spray that contains flour.
2. For the ribbon, stir together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted pecans. Set aside.
3. For the streusel, combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 6 tablespoons cold butter until coarse crumbs form, then fold in 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted pecans. Refrigerate while you make the batter.
4. Beat the 15.25-ounce yellow cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and optional 1/4 teaspoon almond extract for about 2 minutes, until smooth.
5. Spread half the batter in the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon-pecan ribbon evenly over it. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top, then scatter the cold streusel over the surface.
6. Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool at least 20 minutes.
7. Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Add warm water a few drops at a time only if needed for a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the warm or cooled cake.

How to Know It's Done

• The cake is done when the center springs back lightly and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 40 to 45 minutes at 350°F.

Cook's Notes

• Keep the streusel cold until it goes into the oven so it stays crumbly rather than melting flat.
• This merged recipe keeps the deeper flavor of the later coffee cake but drops the brown-butter chilling step because the extra time is not necessary for a strong result.