Quick Coffee Cake

1. Preheat and Prepare Pans

Preheat your oven to 350°F and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans to ensure the cakes release easily after baking.

2. Make the Streusel Topping

Combine the light brown sugar, granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, softened butter, and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl. Use your fingers to mix these ingredients until the mixture resembles wet sand. Finally, stir in the chopped pecans or walnuts.

3. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, large eggs, and melted butter until the mixture is smooth.

5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients

Gently fold the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix; some streaks of flour might remain, which is okay. This ensures a tender cake by not over-developing the gluten.

6. Prepare for Baking

Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter.

7. Bake the Cakes

Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The topping should look crisp and toasted, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few crumbs. Halfway through baking, switch and rotate the pans to ensure even baking.

8. Cool the Cakes

Once done, let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.