Sour Cream Coffee Cake

When I think about coffee cake, family gatherings come to mind.  This recipe is what my mom and gram have always made and I love it.  Kevin's family uses a very similar recipe for Christmas morning so it brings up good memories for both of us.

This sour cream coffee cake can be made ahead, it freezes well and travels well. These pictures were taken after the coffee cake traveled from NY to OH via Gram and it still looks good.  Coffe cake is perfect for all the upcoming holidays.  It's especially great when you have house guests (or if you'll be a house guest, Gram always brings one when she's comes to CLE).  It could be a supplement to brunch, but it's also nice on it's own if you don't want to make a huge deal out of breakfast (bonus: house guests can help themselves as soon as they wake up). 
 

Cook's Note:  My gram's advice is don't substitute butter for the shortening, it makes the coffee cake too crumbly.  Other than that, you can't really screw it up. 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake From Gram V, published in Favorite Recipes of the Medina Memorial Hospital Employees Yield: 12 servings   2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup shortening (don't substitute butter) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup sour cream   Filling: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped  

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease a tube pan (aka angel food cake pan).

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until creamy.  Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the creamed sugar mixture.

Combine all of the ingredients except the filling in a bowl.

Put half of the batter into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle half of the filling over the top.  Add the remaining batter to the pan.  Sprinkle the rest of the filling on top.  Using a knife, cut through the very top of the batter to make the filling stick better.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.