Guest Chef Steve Axelrod

I haven’t been cooking at all since COVID entered the house. Neither of us has had an appetite and it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to cook just to cook, when neither of us is really going to eat or enjoy what I am cooking. But just because I haven’t been cooking doesn’t mean others haven’t been cooking.

Today, I give you a scrumptious sour cream coffee cake made by Guest Chef Steve Axelrod. Once again, the wonderful world of blogging has “introduced me” to my new friend, whom I actually have yet to meet in person, Steve’s wife Sandy. Sandy and Steve are living the RV dream and are traveling around the country in their RV, Ladybug, with their adorable Yorkie, Hershey. Life in the RV though, is not all about taking in the sights. They do have to eat as well. So in his downtime, Steve baked us this wonderful coffee cake.

I am letting Sandy tell us about Steve’s cake in her own words. She did an excellent job of describing Steve’s masterpiece. I wish I was there enjoying it with the two of them right now. It looks mouthwateringly delicious. Steve did a fantastic job!

I’m always on the lookout for baking recipes that are easy enough for a novice baker. My hubby Steve started baking in March and has been doing an amazing job. As soon as I read Ina Garten’s recipe for Sour Cream Coffee Cake, I knew it would be perfect.

The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, has become a very trusted source for both savory and sweet recipes. I find her directions to be easy to follow, no matter how much or how little experience you have. Her recipe for this luscious Sour Cream Coffee cake is no exception.

It was so easy to follow, that Steve was able to get the cake in the oven without asking me even one question! I did guide him to make a couple of changes out of necessity. Ina’s instructs us to use a tube pan. Since we live on an RV I had whittled down my baking pans to a bundt, a 9-inch X 13-inch, an 8-inch X 8-inch, two 8-inch rounds, a muffin tin and 1 tube pan that is tucked away in a hard to get to spot. With the bundt in easy reach, I suggested that he use it. Plus I love how bundt cakes look.

Steve’s Sour Cream Coffee Cake, from Ima Garten

A moist and flavorful cake that is filled with cinnamon streusel goodness. The fragrance alone will have you craving more that just one slice!

• Author: Adapted from Ina Garten’s Recipe
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

UNITS USM

For the cake:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter 

at room temperature 

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature 

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

1 1/4 cups sour cream

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

For the streusel:

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

For the glaze:

3/4 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice 

1 teaspoon orange zest 

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

3. For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble.

4. Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with the streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan and spread it out. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

5. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice and zest together, adding a few drops more juice if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Notes

If you love nuts in your coffee cake you can add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts to the streusel.

This Sour Cream Coffee Cake is so good you will have a hard time resisting another slice. Or two. Or three!

So moist and full of cinnamon streusel goodness!

The only other swap was that the recipe calls for a maple glaze which I know would be delicious. However, we had leftover orange glaze from the previous cake Steve had baked. And it was so tasty that he used that instead.

Another change was that Ina has us pouring half of the batter in the pan, then part of the streusel, the remaining batter on top of the streusel and the rest of the streusel on top of that. I had Steve putting all of that yummy streusel in the middle of the cake.

Thank you Sandy and Steve for sharing this delicious cake with us. Well done Steve!!!!!! If you are interested in learning more about Steve and Sandy’s adventures on the road, or the foods they eat while out and about, you can follow Sandy at any one of these social media outlets:

TheTravelingLocavores.com

instagram.com/TheTravelingLocavores

pinterest.com/TheTravelingLocavores

twitter.com/SandyAxelrod

facebook.com/TheTravelingLocavores

Trust me, you will be glad you did. And who knows? You might just make a new friend or two like I did too. Thank you again Sandy and Steve. Kudos!

Stay safe, stay well and carry on. ‘Til next time.