Bakers looking for a taller, richer coffee cake should swap milk for sour cream in the batter, says Ali Martin, a cook and founder of Gimme Some Oven.
Milk works well for lighter bakes such as cupcakes, but in a larger cake it can introduce too much liquid, undermining the structure and causing the cake to sink rather than rise. Milk can also dilute the flavour, leaving a bland dessert.
Why Sour Cream Works Better
Sour cream's acidic nature reacts with bicarbonate of soda in the batter, producing bubbles that help the cake rise during baking. Its thick consistency, high moisture content and fat levels prevent the cake from drying out, giving a moist, velvety crumb.
The fat content also lends a richer, more luxurious flavour that complements the coffee notes. Ali Martin said: "It features a simple batter made with basic pantry ingredients and reduced-fat sour cream, whose tangy flavour perfectly balances the sweetness here and helps the cake bake up to be incredibly moist."
Recipe and Method
The recipe calls for 115g unsalted butter, 200g caster sugar, two large eggs, 250g plain flour, one teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, one teaspoon baking powder, half a teaspoon sea salt, 340g reduced-fat sour cream and two tablespoons vanilla extract. For the cinnamon icing: 50g caster sugar, 50g soft light brown sugar, one and a half teaspoons ground cinnamon and 100g chopped pecans or walnuts (optional). A glaze topping uses 60g icing sugar and one or two teaspoons of milk.
Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a square baking tin. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Beat the butter and caster sugar for two minutes until light and fluffy, then add vanilla and eggs. Alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream, mixing well. For the icing, combine the sugars, cinnamon and nuts. Layer half the batter, half the icing, remaining batter and remaining icing. Bake for 30 minutes, then rest for 10 minutes. For the glaze, whisk icing sugar with one teaspoon of milk, adjusting thickness as needed, and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Ali Martin noted: "I've always made this homemade coffee cake recipe using reduced-fat sour cream, but full-fat sour cream would work just fine too."
