Would you like a bite of old-fashioned-style cake equally suitable for a morning coffee break, mid-day snack, and even dessert? If so, then this is it.
What I like about this coffee cake recipe is that it isn't overly sweet. I created this recipe using all-purpose flour, not cake flour, which makes a denser crumb with a nice texture. The dairy mix of sour cream, yogurt, and milk is a harmonious trifecta that achieves a light and flavorful addition to every slice. Use good, fresh eggs and butter, and you'll have a hit.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins
chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
Makes about 18 muffins
For the Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 Tablespoons sweet butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Place the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and vanilla in a bowl and crumble together with your fingers until it forms a crumb mixture. Add in the nuts—reserve and mix the muffin batter.
For the Cake:
1/2 cup sweet butter, one stick softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated orange rind
Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C). Note: If using a dark-colored muffin pan, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Dark-colored pans absorb more heat while baking in the oven, become hotter, and carry heat faster than light-colored pans.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl again.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, yogurt, and milk. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately in three stages with the sour cream, yogurt, and milk mixture, stirring and scraping the bowl with a spatula after each addition. Mix until just blended. Do not over-mix.
Add half the batter into prepared muffin cups and sprinkle with half the topping mixture. With the back of the butter knife, swirl the batter slightly to mix the crumb mixture into the bottom of the muffin cups. 3/4 filled. Add the remaining batter, then the crumb topping, and bake.
Bake the muffins in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until they test done. Cool for 15-20 minutes, and then remove them from the pan.
