Recipe: Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl

SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CINNAMON SWIRL

FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans, toasted
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

FOR THE CHOCOLATE CINNAMON SWIRL:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

FOR THE SOUR CREAM CAKE:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream*
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

TO MAKE THE CRUMB TOPPING:
Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds to mix. Add the pecans and pulse until the pecans are finely chopped and thoroughly incorporated.

Add the butter and pulse until combined. The mixture will look like very coarse sand. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator.

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CINNAMON SWIRL:
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon; set aside.

TO MAKE THE SOUR CREAM CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 13x9-inch baking pan. If you use a metal pan, the edges of the cake will be crispy (not altogether a bad thing).

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth and ribbonlike. Scrape down bowl and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth and starts to look fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and mix again for 30 seconds.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated. Do not overmix.

Pour one third of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread batter evenly.

Sprinkle half of the chocolate cinnamon swirl mixture over the batter, covering the entire surface of the batter. Spoon half of remaining batter over the swirl mixture and spread it evenly. Top with remaining swirl mixture, then the remaining batter, and spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Rotate the pan three times during baking,. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then serve.

The cake will keep for 3 days, tightly covered, at room temperature.

*The sour cream gives this cake a tangy flavor and tender, moist crumb. Though some similar recipes suggest you substitute low-fat sour cream or yogurt to reduce calories, this is not one of those recipes.

Make one 13x9-inch cake, 16 servings
Source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito (Red Hook Bakery, Brooklyn