Recipe: Vanilla Bean Bakery Quick Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake (make ahead)

VANILLA BEAN BAKERY QUICK PECAN
SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE

"We can't imagine a bakery without coffee cake, so when we opened the Vanilla Bean Bakery, this simple one went right on the daily menu. It's just what you want in a coffee cake: bumpy and lumpy on the top, bright yellow cake underneath, and completely homey throughout."

The batter and topping can be mixed separately the night before and the cake baked in the morning.

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup golden raisins

FOR THE TOPPING:
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

TO MAKE THE CAKE BATTER:
Cream the butter with a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer) until smooth. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar and mix. Add the eggs and mix until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Sift the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Working in batches, add them to the butter-sugar mixture alternating with dollops of sour cream. Mix in the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingertips, pinch the ingredients together into a sandy, crumbly mixture. Add the pecans and mix. Sprinkle the mixture over the cake.

Bake until the cake is risen and browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. Serve in squares.

Real coffee cake calls for real coffee - maybe with a drop of real cream.

Makes 1 (8 or 9-inch) cake
Source: Butter Sugar Flour Eggs by Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto and Julia Moskin