This sour cream coffee cake recipe makes a moist bundt cake with a delicious cinnamon filling and walnut streusel topping. It's a simple, sweet dessert that everyone loves!
There’s nothing quite as delicious as a moist coffee cake made from scratch.
This one will fill your home with the comforting aromas of warm cinnamon and toasted walnuts. The other great thing? It's one of those simple treats you can make with pantry staples!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Bundt cakes are so pretty! Not to mention, this cinnamon bundt cake is much easier to make than a frosted layer cake.
- A rich and super moist coffee cake. Thanks to the sour cream, this dessert has a rich flavor and incredibly tender crumb.
- Perfect for any occasion. It's perfect for a weekend brunch treat, a baby or bridal shower, or even a fancy tea party.
If you love bundt cake recipes, I have others you can make! My sour cream lemon bundt cake is perfect for Spring, and Fall just isn't the same without making a glazed pumpkin bundt cake. I make banana bundt cake all year long!
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
- Butter - I use salted butter. If you plan to use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to the cake batter.
- White granulated sugar
- Large eggs
- Sour cream - This recipe calls for full-fat sour cream. No, this is not a low calorie dessert, but the best desserts rarely are.
- Vanilla extract
- Leavener - To make the cake rise, you'll need baking soda AND baking powder. Be sure to test them for freshness before you start baking.
- All-purpose flour - If you're able to find unbleached flour, it will give you the best results.
Cinnamon Walnut Filling/Topping
For the topping, you'll need granulated sugar, chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon.
Equipment You'll Need
One of the steps in this recipe requires creaming butter and sugar together. This is very difficult to do without using an electric mixer or stand mixer.
You'll also need a 10-cup bundt pan. Here are some of our favorite bundt cake pans:
- nonstick 10-cup bundt pan- highly recommend this one! It's affordable and works great.
- fancier bundt pan
- fleur de lis bundt pan
Some people like silicone bundt pans, but I avoid using them. Sour cream coffee cake batter is heavy, so it's best to use a metal baking pan.
📖 Time-Saving Tip - Testing Baking Soda or Baking Powder for Freshness
This simple little test can save you time and money, because if your leavener is expired, whatever you're baking wont rise in the oven! This test works for baking soda and baking powder:
- Add about ½ teaspoon of baking soda or powder to a small bowl. Stir in an equal amount of an acidic ingredient, like vinegar or citrus juice.
- If the solution doesn't start to bubble immediately, it's time to replace your leavener.
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- butter: If you can splurge for European butter, do so! It has more butterfat than American-made butter. Using it will give your dessert a richer flavor. I haven't tested this recipe with dairy-free or plant-based butters, but it might work.
- eggs: Cake recipes rely on the use of real eggs for moisture and structure. For tips and suggestions on using egg substitutes, read my article, Egg Substitutions for Baking.
- sour cream: Using low-fat sour cream is not recommended. Buttermilk isn't a good substitute for sour cream because the consistency is too thin. A good substitute for the sour cream in this recipe is plain full-fat Greek yogurt.
- white granulated sugar: To cut down on the calories of your coffee cake, feel free to use a cup-for-cup granulated sugar substitute. Monkfruit sugar is a good option. Using brown sugar as a substitute isn't recommended, but you're welcome to try it!
- all-purpose flour: If you'd like to make this bundt cake recipe gluten free, you can substitute with a cup-for-cup gluten free all purpose flour. Popular brands are Bob's Red Mill and King Arthur Flour.
- chopped walnuts: The cinnamon flavor of this cake pairs really well with walnuts, but you can substitute them with any chopped nuts of your choice. Pecans are a good choice.
Want to make a different flavor of coffee cake? My recipe for delicious Blueberry Buckle Cake makes a dessert that is very similar to a blueberry coffee cake!
For even more flavor, you can add powdered sugar glaze, buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting to the top of the sour cream cake.
How to Make the Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Cream the butter and sugar. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer on high speed to cream the butter and sugar together.
- Incorporate the wet ingredients. For this step, reduce the mixer speed to medium.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients. Use low speed and avoid over mixing the batter or the cake will be dry.
- Make the filling/topping by combining the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Create the cinnamon swirl center.
Pour ½ of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle ½ of the filling mixture over the batter. It doesn't have to completely cover the batter - just use enough to create a nice swirl in the middle of the cake.
Add remaining batter to the pan, then sprinkle remaining cinnamon walnut mixture on the top of the bundt cake.
- Bake in a preheated 350°F. oven for 45-55 minutes.
Liz's Tips for the Best Bundt Cake
- Grease the pan well. Be sure to get into the nooks and crannies. I find it easiest to melt butter and use a pastry brush to paint it on.
- Avoid over mixing the batter.
- Test the cake for doneness. To be sure that the cake is baked all the way through, insert a toothpick or knife into the cake. If the tester comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs on it, it's ready to come out of the oven!
- Let the cake cool for about 15-20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Storage
Storing: You can store the cinnamon swirl bundt cake covered and at room temperature for up to 3 days. To keep longer, store in an airtight container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Should sour cream coffee cake be refrigerated? No, you do not need to refrigerate sour cream coffee cake. Storing it at room temperature is completely fine!
Can you freeze coffee cake?: Yes you can freeze coffee cake! Allow your baked coffee cake to cool completely. Either wrap the whole cake or individual portions in foil, then again in plastic wrap. Store multiple pieces in a large freezer bag for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Making the bundt coffee cake recipe ahead of time: The cake can be made ahead of time. It's fine to make it up to 2 days before you're going to enjoy it. Just be sure to store it wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
Bundt Coffee Cake Recipe FAQs
One of the most common questions about coffee cakes is if they actually have coffee mixed into the batter. The answer surprises a few: there’s no coffee mixed in, they are called coffee cakes because they are served with some coffee on the side. It’s the type of cake you would probably make for tea (or coffee!) party.
In short, adding sour cream to your cake helps to add moisture. Typically you'll add milk for moisture. Since sour cream has a higher fat content than milk it helps those drier cakes stay moist.
It is likely that you will not taste sour cream in your cake. The flavor is very subtle. The flavor may come off as a slightly tangy flavor, which would be similarly apparent if using Greek yogurt as well.
Bundt cake batter and regular cake batter are the same, but the difference is bundt cakes are baked in a bundt pan while regular cakes are baked in a cake pan.
Other Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Apple Cobbler
- Whipped Shortbread Cookies
- Banana Bundt Cake
- Homemade Chocolate Fudge Cake
- Carrot Cake Muffins Recipe
Sour Cream Coffee Cake (Bundt)
Ingredients
Cake
- ½ cup butter 1 stick
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Topping/Filling
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Grease a bundt pan, and set your oven to preheat at 350°F.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electric mixer and a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together on high speed for about 1 minute.
- Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed to combine.
- Add baking powder, baking soda and flour. Mix on low speed, just until combined. Avoid over mixing, which will cause your cake to be dry.
- Set the batter aside. Combine the cinnamon, walnuts, and sugar for the filling/topping together in a small bowl.
- Add one-half of the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Cover the batter with one-half of the cinnamon walnut mixture, then pour remaining cake batter over the top.
- Sprinkle remaining cinnamon walnut mixture over the top of the cake.
- Bake in preheated oven for 44-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center.Allow cake to cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Grease the pan well. Be sure to get into the nooks and crannies. I find it easiest to melt butter and use a pastry brush to paint it on.
- Avoid over mixing the batter.
- Test the cake for doneness. To be sure that the cake is baked all the way through, insert a toothpick or knife into the cake. If the tester comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs on it, it's ready to come out of the oven!
Amanda W
So tasty! Toddler approved as well!
Debbie
Can this be made gluten free?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
I haven't tried it so I can't be sure, sorry!
Kathy
if the crumble topping is put on top before baking it would be on the bottom when you invert the bundt pan???
Liz Marino
Yes, but that's how I serve it, as you can see in the photos. Otherwise it doesn't get crispy!
Lynne
So easy, great texture , keeps well. I made w/ walnuts but was thinking of adding mini chocolate chips next time!
Marlene
What size baking dish does this recipe call for it doesn't say
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
9x13
Veronica
9x13 Bundt pan?
Sue MEYER
The batter was very thick. I wondered if I missed something I even added extra sour cream,
I made mini bundt cakes, they were good just hard to work with the batter
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
It is a thick batter - nothing wrong with it and no extra sour cream needed 🙂 glad you liked it!
Ava
So easy and came out so well!!!