Russian Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Image by Hillary Berkowitz Nussbaum

By Hillary Berkowitz Nussbaum May 20, 2015

At Shavout, the author celebrates the break from pareve baking with dairy desserts like this cake, which gets its tang from sour cream. Read her story: .

Batter:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups sour cream
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pecans, crushed into small pieces
1 tablespoon butter, melted (to use in last layer)

1) Preheat oven to 375˚ F.

2) Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add eggs and mix to combine well.

3) In another bowl, sift flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to sugar-butter mixture and stir to incorporate.

4) Add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla to the mixture and stir until combined.

4) In a small bowl, combine the first 3 topping ingredients (sugar, cinnamon and nuts).

3) Layer 1/3 of the batter into a well-greased tube pan (or angel food cake pan) and top with 1/3 of the topping mixture. Repeat with the second 1/3 of the batter, then the second 1/3 of the topping. Add the last layer of batter.

4) Mix the melted butter into the last 1/3 of the topping, sprinkle topping on top of cake and for 1 hour, or until a skewer or small knife blade inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Hillary Berkowitz Nussbaum is a freelance writer who likes to cook her way through writer’s block.

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