New England Style Coffee Cake
A rich, dense New England-style coffee cake inspired by Grandma’s®—built with butter, sour cream, cinnamon walnut filling, and a thick streusel crown. Moist, sliceable, and bakery-style, with the kind of crumb that gets better on day two.
Equipment
- 10-inch angel food cake pan, preferably with removable bottom
- Sheet pan, to catch any butter or sugar drips
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Whisk
- Measuring cups / spoons or kitchen scale
- Offset spatula, optional but helpful
- Cooling rack
- Thin knife or small offset spatula for loosening the cake
Ingredients
- For the Cake Batter
- 1 cup 227 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1¾ cups 350 g granulated sugar
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup 240 g full-fat sour cream
- 3 cups 360 g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup 120 ml whole milk
- Cinnamon Walnut Layer
- ¾ cup 150 g dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon
- 1 cup 110 g toasted walnuts, chopped fine-medium
- pinch kosher salt
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- Streusel Crown
- 1 cup 200 g dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup 90 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoon cold butter diced
- ¾ cup 80 g toasted walnuts, chopped
- pinch salt
Instructions
Prepare the pan
- Generously butter one 10-inch angel food cake pan, making sure to coat the center tube and corners well. Dust lightly with 2 tablespoons flour, then tap out excess. Place the pan on a sheet tray.
Build the streusel crown
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar, ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, ¾ cup (80 g) toasted chopped walnuts, and a pinch of kosher salt. Add 6 tablespoons cold diced butter and work it in with your fingertips until soft clumps form. Refrigerate until needed.
Mix the cinnamon walnut layer
- In another bowl, combine ¾ cup (150 g) dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Vietnamese cinnamon, 1 cup (110 g) toasted chopped walnuts, a pinch of kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Stir until evenly moistened and sandy.
Make the batter
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream 1 cup (227 g) softened unsalted butter with 1¾ cups (350 g) granulated sugar for 3–4 minutes, until lighter in color and smooth. stream in ¼ cup neutral oil while mixer is going.
- Add 4 large eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 cup (240 g) full-fat sour cream until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix only until combined.
Layer the cake
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth gently.
- Scatter the prepared cinnamon walnut filling evenly over the batter.
- Top with the remaining batter, smoothing lightly with an offset spatula.
- Finish by scattering the chilled streusel crown generously over the top, pressing lightly so some adheres.
Bake
- Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 55–70 minutes, until the cake is lightly golden, springs back gently in the center, and a tester inserted comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- If the top begins browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the final 15–20 minutes.
Cool and serve
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 20–30 minutes, then carefully loosen the edges with a thin knife and unmold.
- Cool completely before slicing into thick wedges.
Notes
This cake should bake dense and moist—not fluffy.
Toasting the walnuts is worth the extra few minutes and gives the cake warmth and depth that raw nuts won’t.
The cake keeps beautifully at room temperature for several days and is arguably better the next morning.
A light smear of salted butter on a warm slice is quietly excellent.
