"On Christmas morning, there must be crumb coffee cake" - Holiday House Rule #2
Specifically this Brown Butter and Cardamon Coffee Cake.
When my husband was growing up, there was always a little crumb coffee cake on Christmas morning - you know, the little one that comes with it's own pan that you mix and bake the cake in? Well, it's one of my husband's favorites and since Christmas is also his birthday we try and make the day not just about Christmas - so crumb coffee cake there will be!
So, I could of course pick up 3 of those little boxes (since each of "the boys" can eat one all by their little ole self) but I just can't really bring myself to do it.
And therein lay the dilemma.
You see, I am one of those people who believes that coffee cake is best fresh out of the oven. Baked the day before and warmed up just does not do it for me. It sounds silly, I know - but that is just the way " I roll" as they say.
So, how to have a fresh and warm coffee cake without violating Holiday House Rule #1 - not making anything for Christmas morning that I have to fuss with - which means no hauling out the containers of flour and sugar, sink full of dirty prep bowls to wash, etc., etc?
This... Brown Butter and Cardamon Coffee Cake!
Ah, but lucky for me (and I seriously hope, for you!) there is a solution. This Brown Butter and Cardamon Coffee Cake that you can prep the day before and bake in the morning!
TA DA!! Problem solved. Deliciously as well, I might add.
📖Recipe
Brown Butter and Cardamon Coffee Cake
Print Pin Rate Add to CollectionIngredients
Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter cold and cut into ½ inch chunks
- 1 cup toasted walnuts chopped
Cake
- 3 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground cardamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 ¾ cups sour cream
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter browned
Instructions
- To make the crumb topping. Combine the sugars, flour, cinnamon and butter together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. If you have a few pea sized lumps of butter, that's fine. Stir in the walnuts and set aside. For the Cake: Spray two 9 inch springform pans with cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Cook the butter until it turns a golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. You will notice that the milk solids will float to bottom of the pan and will turn dark brown/black which is what you are looking for! Take the butter off the heat and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamon and salt together. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, sugars, eggs and browned butter together. Stir the dry ingredients into the sour cream mixture, mixing just until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. You don't want to mix it too much! Sprinkle the crumb topping over both cakes, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight if desired. To bake cakes, pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake refrigerated cakes for 35 - 40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. For cakes that aren't refrigerated, bake for approximately 25 minutes. These cakes can also be frozen - to bake frozen cakes, unwrap from the freezer and bake for 45 minutes.
Lisa Taylor says
My new motto..kind of like bacon '-Everything is better with brown butter in it', and this cake is certainly no exception. The addition of cardamom is lovely! Gorgeous, mouth-watering and bookmmarked! OH..I totally agree about coffee cake being best right out of the oven!
Nancy says
Me too!! So glad that you liked the photo and I am sure you will love the coffee cake - it really is a good one!
Zee @ The Recipe Code says
Cardamom is very soothing in winters.. thanks for sharing 🙂
Lora @cakeduchess says
I found a similar Christmas cake to make the night before in Southern Living magazine a while back and we make it every year. Yours looks wonderful and I love the addition of cardamon. 🙂
Nancy says
These cakes are definitely decadent - glad to know another cardamon fan!!
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
How funny , crumb cake is a part of my husband's family Christmas traditions! They always had some growing up and it's a tradition that I've very happily accepted of course, b/c who doesn't want to wake up to a slice of that on Christmas morning. Just beautiful!
Nancy says
I think it's a great tradition too and one I happily embraced as well.. thanks for the compliments on the shot!!
Magic of Spice says
A perfectly lovely coffee cake...and a Very Happy Birthday to your husband 🙂
Katherine says
Where is the recipe for brown butter coffee cake?
Nancy says
Hello Katherine!
I'm so sorry! I've updated my recipe software and this one did not get transferred over! It is now up on the blog! Hope you enjoy it!!!