Given a choice, I always choose a muffin over a cupcake, a glazed doughnut over a filled one, and a good pound cake over a frosted cake. I like sweet things in their most basic form. Boring? Maybe. Don’t get me wrong, I love baking layered cakes and I do enjoy a nice slice of frosted birthday cake, but usually end up leaving about half of the frosting on my plate. Sugar on sugar can sometimes be overwhelming. These Coffee Cake Muffins do a great job at balancing sweetness, spice, and texture.
Disclaimer: There is no coffee in these Coffee Cake Muffins. I know most of you know that, but it was the first question my kids asked, based on the name. I suppose it is misleading. So, I explained that coffee cake is a type of cake that pairs nicely with a cup of coffee and that it doesn’t usually have coffee in it (that would be Coffee Coffee Cake). Anyway, my little one then said the name should be changed to something more kid-friendly, since kids don’t drink coffee. I told her to write a letter, and knowing her, she just might do that.
I love a good coffee cake. I love the crumbly topping and spicy cinnamon flavor. These muffins are a mini version of traditional coffee cake. The texture of the cake is a little different than that of a typical fluffy cupcake or dense muffin. They resemble true coffee cake – crumbly in all the right places and not greasy. My favorite part – that oozy cinnamon filling.
There are 3 parts to this recipe: the streusel topping, the streusel filling (which is the same as the streusel topping minus pecans), and the muffin batter. The streusel is made first – sugar, light brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon mixed in a food processor. Some is set aside for the filling and then, pecans are mixed in to the rest for the streusel topping. You can leave them out if you’re not a fan. The muffin batter is quite thick. It is made with sour cream, eggs, vanilla, flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and salt. I recommend you make the streusel parts the day before you plan to bake and store covered in the fridge. It will make the recipe go much quicker. Next, the layering…
To assemble, a muffin tin is filled with cupcake liners and the ingredients are layered as pictured above – batter, streusel filling, batter, streusel topping. Make sure to press the streusel down a little each time you add it, to avoid air pockets and so it stays in place. They are baked until golden brown (about 20 minutes) and then set aside to cool for 30-40 minutes.
These little babies perfumed my house with the warm scent of cinnamon sugar all afternoon. When the girls got home from school and walked inside, they took deep breaths and their eyes got big. Nothing makes you forget a long, tiring day like the sweet, spicy smell of freshly baked cinnamon muffins. One bite and all was well with the world again.
These Coffee Cake Muffins are perfect year-round, but with sweater weather and cozy sock days around the corner, I couldn’t resist baking up a batch.
Coffee Cake Muffins
These Coffee Cake Muffins have a cinnamon streusel swirl filling as well as a deliciously crumbly pecan streusel topping.
Streusel Filling & Topping
- 8 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided into 5 Tablespoons & 3 Tablespoons
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup pecans
Muffin Batter
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and softened
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
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Line a 12 cup muffin or cupcake tin with paper liners
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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees
For Streusel Filling & Topping
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In a food processor, pulse 5 Tablespoons granulated sugar, light brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon about 5 pulses, until mixed.
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In a small bowl, reserve 3/4 cup of this streusel mixture for filling. Leave the rest in food processor.
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Add pecans and remaining 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar to food processor and pulse until pecans are coarsely ground, about 6 pulses. Transfer to another bowl to use for topping.
For Muffin Batter
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To empty food processor (no need to wash), add flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and salt and pulse about 10 times until mixture looks like sand. Transfer to a large bowl.
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In a medium bowl, whisk sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
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Using a rubber spatula, gradually fold wet ingredients into flour mixture until combined. Do not overmix.
To Fill Muffin Cups
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Add about 1 Tablespoon batter to each muffin cup. Add 1 Tablespoon streusel filling mixture (the one without pecans) , pressing lightly with back of spoon. Top with remaining batter. Place streusel topping on each muffin cup, pressing gently into batter.
Bake
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Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean, rotating pan halfway through cooking time.
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Allow to cool in muffin tin for 30 minutes. Then, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days
Recipe loosely adapted from Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Holiday Baking
Delicious!