Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is an elegant, moist cake ideal for serving at a large brunch party (it's worth timing to have it ready 30 minutes out of the oven) or with your morning coffee. If you don't have pecans handy, walnuts make a great substitute.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1½ cups pecans, shelled, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2½ cups sugar, divided
2 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 cups sour cream
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Butter and flour a 10" Bundt pan.

Sift baking powder, salt, and 2 cups flour into a medium bowl.

Mix pecans, cinnamon, and ½ cup sugar in another medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat remaining 2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter in a large bowl until incorporated and smooth. Add eggs, beating well to combine and scraping down bowl, then beat in sour cream and vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and beat flour mixture into butter mixture, increasing speed to medium-low if needed, until just blended. Do not overbeat.

Scrape half of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with half of pecan mixture. Spread remaining batter over; smooth top, then sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture.

Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let cool 20-30 minutes. Invert onto a platter and serve warm.

Makes 10 servings.