Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I used to make this cake all the time.  Then I didn't for years.  I dug out the recipe last month when I needed to use up some sour cream.  The typewritten recipe I have is very terse, most of the method I had learned from watching my aunt.  I had forgotten a few of the tricks, like how to layer it in the bundt pan.  It looked funny, but was still delicious.

I made it again - just to make sure I remembered it all.  Maybe add a few more sentences to the instructions than:  Layer mixture/topping/mixture/topping in a 13x9" pan or bundt pan.  That way, if I don't make it for another five years, I'll still know what to do.

Looks much better this time.  Was a hit at Game Day.


Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1½ cups sugar
⅔ cup butter
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1⅓ cup sour cream

½ cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease and flour a bundt pan.  In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and baking powder - make sure there is extra space - it will expand to about 2 cups.  In medium-sized bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add in vanilla, then beat in the eggs and baking soda.  Stir in flour, then fold in sour cream mixture.

In a (yet another) small bowl, mix together the half cup of sugar and the cinnamon.  Spread about a quarter of the cake batter on the bottom of the bundt pan.  Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and half the chocolate chips over the cake batter.  Then spread half of the remaining batter (carefully!) in the pan, add remaining cinnamon sugar and chips, and the last of the cake batter (that can take some work - the cinnamon sugar wants to pull up).

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  I find the edges start to brown and pull away from the edges of the pan when it's close to done. 

My old recipe indicates it can be baked in a 9x13" pan - I've not tried that. The original layering instructions make a lot more sense, though, with the topping on top than on the bottom of a bundt.

Enjoy!