Tonight, we’ll toast to 2012, saying goodbye to 365 days of laughs, tears and life lessons. 2011 was eventful for me, as I moved domains and then apartments, found a new job and made many a recipe that I’d label “keeper.” (How’s that for an efficient way to recap the year?)
But instead of looking back (I’m more of a look forward kinda gal), let’s talk about tomorrow, and your big plans for January 1. Most likely you’ll be feeling the after effects of your New Year’s Eve celebrations, and will want something delicious to pick at while you watch Detective Stabler for hours on end.
Enter this cinnamon pecan coffee cake. Make it today while your wits are still about you. Fill your home with the aroma of brown-sugar-and-cinnamon-coated pecans in your last baking adventure of the year. Then wrap it in foil, celebrate, and wake up tomorrow to plush, buttery cake enveloping a layer of warm-spiced nuts. While the recipe is similar to this summer’s chocolate chip coffee cake with its use of sour cream and cinnamon swirls, this recipe involves fewer bowls and no separating of eggs.
I, for reasons better left unexplained*, started making this cake late on a Wednesday, and finally pulled it out of the oven well after midnight. Somehow, in that state of tired delirium, I managed to make something delicious, so what I’m really saying is, this cake is idiot-proof. And you should make it. Seriously, is there a better way to ring in a new year than with cake?
*Okay fine, I’ll explain. I decided at 9 p.m. that I really needed to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 instead of baking, and then after the movie ended 2-1/2 hours later, I decided I really needed to bake something. Reason #1,938,454,739 why you never want to be me.
Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake
Adapted from All Recipes
For the cake:
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1 tablespoon baking powder
– 2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, softened
– 1 cup sour cream
– 1-1/2 cups white sugar
– 2 large eggs
– 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the pecan streusel:
– 1/2 cup brown sugar
– 1 cup chopped pecans
– 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
– 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
– 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1) Preheat oven to 350ËšF. Butter a 9-x-13 inch pan and set aside.
2) Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in sour cream, then add the sugar.
3) Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Set aside to make the pecan streusel.
4) In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly.
5) Spread half of the cake batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle half of the nut mixture on top. Then spread the rest of the batter and top with the remaining nuts.
6) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and let cool.
Leave a Reply