Sour Cream Coffee Cake-sometimes it all about the crumb topping!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake-just look at all that crumb topping!

The holidays are my favorite time of year. Starting the day after Halloween, I can officially get my bake on. Not that I don’t bake all year long but during the holidays, it becomes a family affair. If you come to our house during the holidays, chances are, you’ll end up in the kitchen making up a batch of cookies to take home. They always say everyone gathers in the kitchen. It’s so true. It’s where all the good stuff is.

My kids have been cooking and baking since they could stand on a chair. The kids will dig out their favorite recipes. Each child has a specialty. For my son, he’s the only one allowed to make Buckeyes. The girls both go for the cookies. Mexican Wedding Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Sugar Cookies. There is no end to the baking. I love making cakes. Pound cakes, Coffee cakes, any cake that I can add to a cookie tray.

We usually have a cookie baking day. The girls will have friends come over, we’ll throw a little flour on our faces, eat some cookie dough, lick beaters, then when the cookies are done baking, enjoy a few with some ice cold milk. It’s our own private cookie exchange. We’ll package up what’s left in cute containers or holiday plates then deliver our goodies to the bank, to city hall, the police and fire departments. Baked goods just make the best gifts.

Everyone has to help clean up too. It’s no fun getting stuck in the kitchen doing all the dishes while everyone else is off playing. Making sure food doesn’t stick is not only important for the quality of the goodies but for ease in cleaning up. Using PAM Cooking Spray makes that easy. Cakes just pop out of pans, cookies slide off trays, and candy doesn’t taste greasy. Did you know that PAM leaves up to 99% less residue buildup than margarine or bargain brand cooking sprays? It ensures that your dishes turn out right with superior no-stick results so you can concentrate on the fun parts of the holidays, not the clean up!

This Coffee Cake is perfect for a weekend morning, to take to the office or to leave a slice out for Santa. (I’ve heard from a reliable source that Santa likes more than just cookies. ) Clean slices are a piece of cake making this easy to serve.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients

for topping

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

for cake

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Using a pastry blender or food processor, combine all topping ingredients except nuts until it resembles coarse sand and clumps together. Stir in nuts, if using, and set aside.
Cream butter and sugars together with mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time and then vanilla and sour cream.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to batter until all combined but do not over mix.
Spoon batter into a 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam, gently spread to cover bottom of pan evenly. Sprinkle topping over batter.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting and serving.

Notes

recipe source ChocolateChocolateandmore.com

What will you be baking up this holiday season? Be sure to visit the PAM Cooking Spray page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews.

Want more?