Christmas Morning Coffee Cake
Christmas morning is a time to indulge, and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a fresh-out-of-the-oven coffee cake. You’ll be hard-pressed to decide which you like more—the soft, fluffy cake bottom or the cinnamon-pecan topping.
- Serves: 16
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes–1 hour
Ingredients
Streusel
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon minced crystallized ginger
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 6-cup tube pan.
- For the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pecans. Set aside.
- For the cake: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream in 2 batches, beating until combined. Add the orange zest and beat to incorporate.
- Spread half of the batter in the tube pan. Sprinkle half of the cranberries then half the streusel over the batter. Cover with the remaining batter, streusel, and cranberries.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then transfer to a serving plate. Slice and serve.