Pecan and cinnamon streusel coffee cake

Pecan and cinnamon streusel coffee cake

This American classic is meant to be served with coffee. Debbie Major’s version is a butter-rich vanilla cake with cinnamon and pecan streusel running through the centre and scattered on top.

Pecan and cinnamon streusel coffee cake

Put the kettle on and have a brose through our afternoon tea recipes.

  • Serves icon Serves 10-12
  • Time icon Hands-on time 45 min, oven time 1 hour

This American classic is meant to be served with coffee. Debbie Major’s version is a butter-rich vanilla cake with cinnamon and pecan streusel running through the centre and scattered on top.

Put the kettle on and have a brose through our afternoon tea recipes.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
342kcals
Fat
17.5g (9.2g saturated)
Protein
4.6g
Carbohydrates
40.9g (26.1g sugars)
Fibre
1.1g
Salt
0.4g

For 12

Ingredients

  • 140g plain flour
  • 35g cornflour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 110g soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 3 large free-range eggs
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 125ml soured cream

For the cinnamon streusel layer

  • 40g pecans, lightly toasted (see tips) and coarsely chopped, plus extra to decorate
  • 50g plain flour
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 50g chilled unsalted butter
  • 75g light muscovado sugar

To decorate

  • 1½ tsp caster sugar
  • Pinch ground cinnamon

You’ll also need…

  • 900g loaf tin, lightly greased and base and sides lined with non-stick baking paper
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Method

  1. For the cinnamon streusel layer, put 25g of the pecans into a food processor and briefly process, using the pulse button, until finely chopped but still with a little texture. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Put the flour, cinnamon and butter into the food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the muscovado sugar and the whizzed pecan nuts.
  2. For the cake, heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until it starts to stick together – it won’t go creamy at this stage because of the high proportion of sugar.
  3. Add one of the eggs and the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the sifted flour mixture with each egg.
  4. Fold in the remaining flour in 3 additions, alternating with the soured cream. Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin (there’s no need to smooth it), then sprinkle over two-thirds of the streusel mixture. Stir the reserved chopped nuts into the remaining streusel mixture. Spoon the rest of the cake mixture into the tin and level the top. Sprinkle over the remaining streusel mixture.
  5. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Carefully peel away the baking paper once the cake has cooled.
  6. To decorate, mix the caster sugar and a few extra chopped pecans with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Serve in slices with a good cup of coffee.

Nutrition

For 12

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
342kcals
Fat
17.5g (9.2g saturated)
Protein
4.6g
Carbohydrates
40.9g (26.1g sugars)
Fibre
1.1g
Salt
0.4g

delicious. tips

  1. To toast pecans, spread over a baking tray and put in a warm oven (170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½) for 10 minutes. Leave to cool before using.

  2. This wonderful cake will keep in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Debbie Major

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