Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sliced almonds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350° F.  Grease a 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Mix first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating, just until combined after each addition.  Mix in sour cream and vanilla.  Add flour mixture and stir until blended. 

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle half of brown sugar mixture over and swirl gently into the batter, using a small knife.  Spoon remaining batter over.  Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture over.

Bake cake until tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Cool cake in pan 10 minutes.  Cut around pan sides to loosen cake.  Turn out cake onto rack and cool completely.

Serves 12.


From Epicurious/Bon Appetit