Classic Sour Cream Coffee Cake

As the song goes, to everything there is a season, turn turn turn, and a time for every purpose under Heaven. Now is the time for me to make hay while the sun shines. To work long tax hours and eat Stouffer's lasagna along with cleverly frozen soups and casseroles.

But the geek in me is loving it. The tax part at least. When I have a really tough one and it balances, man, there is nothing in the world like it. I want to jump up and down and holler.

The thawed out eats? Eh. It's worth it. Spring is coming.

But as you know I'm a sucker for baked goods, especially at breakfast. Mike likes cereal. Cereal! Blech. It is cold and wet. So I usually have to share my breakfast stuff so I don't gain 50 pounds. Who better with whom to share than my coworkers?

This is a coffee cake by Sara Foster that I made earlier this week to fend off the frost. Coffee cake must be in the air because my good friend Missy invited me over for some this afternoon. She won't tell me how she made it, but you know what? Hers is totally better.

Makes one 10-inch cake
FOR THE BROWN SUGAR/PECAN FILLING
1/3 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

(And you know I added a couple handfuls of mini chocolate chips.)
FOR THE CAKE
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sour cream
Confectioners' sugar
Directions

Prepare the filling:

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and pecans; set aside.

Prepare the cake:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 10-inch nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray; set aside.
• Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, starting on low speed, then increasing speed to medium.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl.
• While beating on low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with sour cream, and beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until well combined, scraping down sides several times.
• Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved filling. Top with remaining batter.
• Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Let cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool completely.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar.