This recipe makes the quintessential coffee cake, the kind you find in an old-fashioned coffee shop or diner, served with a steaming cup of joe. The addition of cardamom gives it a flavorful and unexpected zing. With a honey drizzle on the crumb topping, it’s fancy enough for an afternoon gathering of friends or a Sunday brunch.
Ingredients
For the Streusel
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
For the Cake
- 2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups sour cream
For the Glaze
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
How to Make It
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch tube pan with vegetable oil spray and line the bottom with a ring of parchment. To make the Streusel
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and pecans, if using. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the crumbs are the size of peas. Put the topping in a covered container and set in the freezer while you mix the cake batter. To make the Cake
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter and granulated sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in thirds to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined and no streaks of flour are visible; scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Scrape half the batter into the prepared tube pan and spread it evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly, and top with the remaining streusel.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- While the cake cools, make the glaze: Mix the confectioners’ sugar, honey, and 2 tablespoons water together in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Turn the cake out of the pan, then invert onto a serving plate, with the streusel side up. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. Wrapped in plastic wrap, the cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
