This is the old fashioned breakfast cake that comes to mind whenever I imagine a cozy morning coffee shop scene. The bundt coffee cake is an enduring classic for good reason. If the cheerful silhouette isn't already enough to get your morning off to a very good start, the scent of the cinnamon walnut swirl on the inside is sure to lift your spirits. Wonderfully aromatic, and just simply a joyful sight to behold, my kitchen always feels downright homey as soon as this cake is served. And if you're looking for something comforting and sweet that can be made in advance, it also happens to keep really well. Perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee breaks, or anytime snacking.
Ingredients for Bundt Coffee Cake
- all purpose flour
- baking soda
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- unsalted butter
- baker's sugar
- eggs
- crème fraîche
- pure vanilla extract
- walnuts
- light brown sugar
- cinnamon
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Prepare the Cake Batter
Heat the oven to 350℉. Generously butter the bundt pan, dust with flour, and knock out the excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup of butter and the baker's sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition.
Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until very fluffy, about 4 minutes more. (Don't panic if the mixture looks a bit curdled at this point...this is normal.)
Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the batter is just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Prepare the Cinnamon Walnut Swirl Mixture and Assemble the Cake for Baking
Place the walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are chopped medium to fine.
Add the melted butter and pulse a couple more times to combine.
Spoon about a third of the batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. (It will be quite thick...just coax it in as evenly as you can.)
Sprinkle half of the swirl mixture on top of the first layer of batter.
Spoon another third of the batter on top. Then smooth with a spatula as best you can before sprinkling the rest of the swirl mixture onto the second layer.
Top with the remaining batter and smooth once more with the spatula.
Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes.
Cool cake in the pan on a metal rack for 15 minutes. Then place the rack on top of the pan and flip to invert the cake onto the rack. Cool completely.
Transfer to your favorite cake plate and enjoy.
Substitutions
- For the Crème Fraîche - Sour cream works perfectly well here in place of the crème fraîche.
- For the Walnuts - Pecans would be another great choice for this cake.
- For the Cinnamon - Feel free to use another spice (or two) in place of the cinnamon here....you might try cardamom, ginger, or a little freshly grated nutmeg.
Equipment
If you prefer to use a stand mixer instead of a handheld mixer, just be mindful not to overmix the batter. You will need to reduce the mixing times by about half when using a stand mixer.
Storage
When covered, this cake keeps well at room temperature for up to a week. It also freezes quite nicely (well wrapped) for up to 3 months.
📖 Recipe
Bundt Coffee Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan (10 inch)
- food processor
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter
- 2 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting the pan)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter softened (plus more for greasing the pan)
- 1 cup baker's sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Walnut Swirl
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
Prepare the Cake Batter
- Heat the oven to 350℉. Generously butter the bundt pan, dust with flour, and knock out the excess.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, beat ¾ cup of butter and the baker's sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition
- Beat in the sour cream and vanilla until very fluffy, about 4 minutes more. (Don't panic if the mixture looks a bit curdled at this point...this is normal.)
- Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until the batter is just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Prepare the Cinnamon Walnut Swirl Mixture and Assemble the Cake for Baking
- Place the walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Pulse until the nuts are chopped medium to fine. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple more times to combine.
- Spoon about a third of the batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. (It will be quite thick...just coax it in as evenly as you can.) Sprinkle half of the swirl mixture on top of the first layer of batter. Spoon another third of the batter on top, and then smooth with a spatula as best you can. Sprinkle the rest of the swirl mixture onto the second layer, top with remaining batter, and smooth once more with the spatula.
- Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes.
- Cool cake in the pan on a metal rack for 15 minutes. Place the rack on top of the pan and flip to invert the cake onto the rack. Cool completely before transferring to your favorite cake plate.
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