Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Spiced Crumb Topping
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 80 g light brown sugar, packed
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground cardamom
- 1 g salt
- 60 g coconut oil, solid and chilled
- 50 g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
- 30 g unsweetened shredded coconut
Cake Batter
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g baking powder
- 2 g baking soda
- 3 g salt
- 150 g granulated white sugar
- 80 g coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 240 g full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 5 g vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 491 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 57 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 27 g
- Sodium
- 309 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 18 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 57 mg
- Potassium
- 177 mg
- Calcium
- 83 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 23 mg
- Phosphorus
- 125 mg
- Zinc
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 52 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.13 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 33 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy removal.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt for the crumb topping. Whisk to distribute the spices evenly.
Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the chilled solid coconut oil into the dry topping mixture until it resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs.
Fold the chopped pistachios and shredded coconut into the crumb mixture. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep the coconut oil cold while you prepare the batter.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt for the cake batter until thoroughly combined.
In a separate medium mixing bowl, aggressively whisk the melted coconut oil, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Beat the room temperature eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Blend the sour cream into the wet ingredients until the mixture is uniform and silky.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
Transfer the thick cake batter into the prepared square baking pan, using the rubber spatula to push it evenly into the corners and smooth the top.
Remove the crumb topping from the refrigerator and generously scatter it over the surface of the batter, pressing down very lightly so it adheres.
Bake at 175 C (350 F) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before using the parchment overhang to lift it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- Using room temperature eggs and sour cream is crucial; cold ingredients will cause the melted coconut oil to instantly solidify, creating unpleasant fat clumps in your batter.
- Sour cream provides an exceptionally tender crumb due to its high fat content and acidity, which tenderizes gluten strands and activates the baking soda.
- If you prefer a pronounced coconut flavor, you can substitute the vanilla extract with half the amount of coconut extract.
- Cardamom acts as a flavor bridge between the nutty pistachios and the sweet coconut, elevating the entire profile from a standard coffee cake to a sophisticated bakery-style treat.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 2 months — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap before freezing.
Reheating: Microwave a single slice for 15 seconds or warm in a 150C oven for 5 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Cake texture is incredibly dense, gummy, or rubbery
Cause: The batter was overmixed once the flour was added, developing too much gluten
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the wet and dry ingredients together with a spatula only until streaks of flour disappear
Streusel topping melted into the cake instead of remaining crumbly
Cause: The coconut oil in the streusel became too warm before baking
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Ensure the coconut oil is solid and chilled when mixing, and chill the streusel while preparing the batter
Cake is dry and crumbly
Cause: Overbaking or using too much flour by scooping rather than weighing
Fix: Serve with a simple glaze or extra dollop of sour cream to add moisture
Prevention: Always weigh flour in grams and begin checking for doneness 5 minutes before the stated baking time
Cultural Context
Coffee cakes have a rich tradition in American baking, evolving from European sweet breads meant to be served alongside coffee or tea. The incorporation of ingredients like sour cream became popular in the mid-20th century to guarantee a moist, enduring texture. This variation nods to Middle Eastern and South Asian flavor pairings by utilizing pistachios, cardamom, and coconut.
