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Sweet Potato Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

A moist, cinnamon-spiced sweet potato coffee cake baked under a thick layer of crisp brown sugar pecan streusel. One 9x13 pan, made for fall brunch.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potato coffee cake with pecan streusel
Prep Time 22 minutes
Cook Time 41 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¼ cup sour cream full fat
  • 2 cups mashed sweet potato roasted
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Pecan Streusel

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter diced
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans coarsely chopped

Instructions

Make the Streusel

  • Heat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  • Combine the streusel flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold diced butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse pebbles, then stir in the pecans and refrigerate until needed.

Make the Cake and Bake

  • Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl.
  • Beat the softened butter with both sugars on medium-high for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the sour cream.
  • Mix in the mashed sweet potato on low until the batter is evenly colored with no streaks.
  • Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low, finishing the last turns with a spatula so the batter is not overworked.
  • Spread the batter evenly into the pan and cover the surface edge to edge with the chilled streusel.
  • Bake 38 to 45 minutes, until the streusel is deep golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

  • Cold butter for the streusel: soft butter makes a paste that bakes flat instead of crisp clusters.
  • Roast, do not boil: roasted sweet potato gives a drier, sweeter puree and a better crumb.
  • Cover loosely: an airtight container at room temperature softens the streusel overnight.
  • Re-crisp: 10 minutes at 325F brings day-two streusel back.