Grandma's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Moist, tender coffee cake with two layers of cinnamon walnut streusel baked in. A reliable make-ahead brunch coffee cake that slices cleanly and freezes beautifully.

Prep time: PT20M

Cook time: PT60M

Total time: PT80M

Rating

4.79 stars (109 reviews)

Keywords

bundt coffee cake, grandma's sour cream coffee cake, sour cream coffee cake

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts (halves or pieces)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
⅓ cup brown sugar, (packed)
5⅓ tablespoons unsalted butter, (chilled and cubed)
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, (softened)
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, (full fat)

Cuisine

American

Steps

Preheat the oven to 325°F . Grease and flour a bundt pan. Set aside.
To make streusel:
- Combine all streusel ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
To make cake batter:
- Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl and gently whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture and mix. Beat in sour cream until incorporated and mix in remaining flour. Batter will be thick.
To assemble:
- Pour half of streusel mixture in the bottom of the bundt pan and spread evenly. Add 2/3 of batter on top of streusel and gently level with offset spatula or back of a spoon. Sprinkle remaining streusel evenly over batter and top with remaining 1/3 batter. Smooth top and bake for 50-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely in pan and invert on serving tray when ready to eat.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 510 kcal
Carbohydrates: 54 g
Protein: 6 g
Fat: 32 g
Saturated Fat: 16 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 93 mg
Sodium: 121 mg
Sugar: 32 g
Unsaturated Fat: 13 g

Reviews

Lisa B. on 2026-04-27 (5 stars):
I think I know where your grandmother got this recipe--the Betty Crocker cookbook. It's nearly identical. My mom made it all the time, and it's one of the first things I made when I began baking at ten years old. I'm so glad you've posted it. I was looking for an easy way to send it to my son so he can make it for my grandchildren. 🥰
Tracey H on 2026-04-04 (5 stars):
We loved this cake! We've made it twice this weekend. We took it to a friend's house and wanted more for ourselves 😊 I also love how you put ingredients & measurements in the instructions!! I need everyone to do that😄
Helaine Carroll on 2026-02-10 (5 stars):
This is a delicious recipe for a coffee cake. Everyone asks for the recipe when I serve it at a brunch or coffee clutch. It does take a bit of time to put together but worth the effort.
Cristina on 2025-06-16 (5 stars):
This is the best coffee cake recipe. It's my go to recipe. I've made it several times now. It's a hit every time!
Michelle on 2025-05-27 (5 stars):
Delicious! Made this yesterday and it’s sweet, moist, and fluffy. My husband loved it. The only substitution was for pecans, instead of walnuts and I sifted a little powdered sugar on top of it.
Lisa on 2024-12-07 (5 stars):
We have been making this cake for 40+ years. We call it Bundt cake. It is soooo good! It is my favorite cake!
EL on 2024-11-27 (5 stars):
Absolutely a classic! Made this and it was perfection. It's best the next day as the flavors and texture meld. It gets even better by the second day if it even lasts that long. I love the streusel so I doubled it and it baked fine. One trick to easily release the cake from the groved Nordic bake pan...use a plastic knife to gently release the cake from the groved sides...the knife slightly melts and follows the groove so you don't damage the pan nor the cake. I made one w walnuts and one w pecans, both absolute show stoppers!
Sandra Johnson on 2023-06-16 (5 stars):
Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as it is written using a Bundt Pan(being from Minnesota, I of course have one)! I sliced it and put it into a sealed container and took it camping for the weekend. It was absolutely perfect with our coffee and hard boiled eggs for breakfast!
Sandy on 2023-06-04 (5 stars):
I have been making this recipe for a few years now and it’s perfection. Super moist with a great flavor. I use an angel food pan and put the streusel in the center and top. It’s my top requested baked good for any breakfast get together. It freezes well too.
Lorraine on 2022-12-22 (5 stars):
Was searching for my mom’s recipe but, couldn’t find it. I came across this recipe and it’s very similar ~ cake turned out delicious, so tender and moist, this will be my new go to coffee cake. Thank you for sharing. Gonna try and bake in individual bread pans just need to figure out the bake time.
Angie on 2021-03-16 (5 stars):
Thanks for this fantastic recipe! I'm the office baker, and one of my colleagues requested a sour cream coffee cake. I came across this recipe and it was a huge hit! Another colleague said it was hands down the best coffee cake he has ever had in his life. I did put a glaze on top. 4 Tbs melted butter, 1 1/2 c powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 Tbs milk. May need a few seconds in the microwave after it's mixed up to make it pourable enough to drop down the sides.