Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

If we can eat pancakes, waffles, and muffins for breakfast, why can’t we eat cake first thing in the morning too?
To me, cake is a soft, fluffy, and sugar-filled delicacy that always puts a smile on my face. The buttery scent mixed with spices can waft through my bedroom doors and lead me straight to the kitchen. One cake in particular stands out: The Christmas Morning Coffee Cake.

Packed with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, crystallized ginger, and chopped pecans, this holiday delight is sure to ignite your senses and boost your energy for the rest of the day. Besides its strong aromas, its flavor sends a kick to your system that powers you up for the day. And the funny thing is: it doesn’t even contain coffee!

While some coffee cake recipes call for coffee, the Christmas Morning Coffee Cake does not. You might be wondering: why call it a coffee cake then?

Well, “coffee cake” is a term generally used to refer to a type of cake that’s simple and unfrosted. Because of this, this type of cake is the perfect dessert to pair with your morning coffee — hence, the name. Because coffee cake and coffee are a match made in heaven, I usually serve this dish fresh-out-of-the oven for breakfast. If you prefer to have it in the afternoon with your second (or third or fourth) cup of coffee, then go for it!

Besides its fluffy base, what makes the Christmas Morning Coffee Cake extra special is its rich cinnamon-pecan topping. The spicy, buttery, and nutty flavors of the topping add a new dimension to the cake that completes the overall eating experience.

One taste of this delightful recipe and your day will be made!

Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

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Who says you can’t indulge in a slice of cake in the morning? Well, if you have a fresh-out-of-the-oven Christmas Morning Coffee Cake with aromatic hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, it’s kind of hard to say no.

• Author: Addie Gundry
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 16 1x
• Category: Breakfast

Ingredients

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• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon minced crystallized ginger
• 1 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 6-cup tube pan.
2. For the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and pecans. Set aside.
3. For the cake: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream in 2 batches, beating until combined. Add the orange zest and beat to incorporate.
5. Spread half of the batter in the tube pan. Sprinkle half of the cranberries then half the streusel over the batter. Cover with the remaining batter, streusel, and cranberries.
6. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then transfer to a serving plate. Slice and serve.

What do you think? Have you had a chance to try this recipe?