Light Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake

Ok, this was another get-rid-of-sour-cream recipe. But boy, it's so good I'd probably go out to buy sour cream just to make it.

The texture of the cake can only be described as plush. Moist, soft, with a crunchy and fragrant cinnamon swirl in the middle and top.

You can also feel good about making this recipe since it boasts a reduced-fat and -cholesterol profile (no egg yolks and reduced fat sour cream) and lots of good-for you cinnamon, and you could even swap out the flour for whole wheat pastry flour to give a little more fiber.

Whatever the reason, it's a yummy addition to any holiday brunch or weekday morning breakfast!


Sour Cream Coffee Cake (adapted from Cooking Light Magazine)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (can decrease this if you like--it's for the topping)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg whites
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream (or fat-free sour cream, or greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper so there are overhangs on at least two sides of the pan.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to distribute evenly, set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat together the granulated sugar and butter for approx. 5 minutes, or until well-homogenized. Add egg whites, one at a time, and make sure each is mixed in smoothly before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary to ensure even mixing. Then add the sour cream and vanilla, mixing until smooth. Gradually add the flour mixture that had been set aside to the wet ingredients. Mix until smooth and no flour clumps remain.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared 8-inch square pan. Use a spatula to gently push the batter to the edges of the pan; this will take some maneuvering because the batter is thick. Sprinkle half the cinnamon-sugar-nut topping over the batter in the pan. Then spread the remaining batter over the streusel. (Easiest thing to do is to plop batter in an even distribution over the surface area of the pan and then tease the batter smooth with a spatula. You don't want to disturb the middle streusel layer too much.) Top batter with the remainder of the streusel evenly.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes for until a wooden skewer comes out clean in the center. Some deflating may occur in the center of the cake during cooling. Cool cake in pan on wire rack. If desired, loosen the edges that are not lined with paper with a knife, and then use parchment paper overhangs to ease the cake out of the pan.

Serves 12.