Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

In celebration of the ASPCA's "Go Orange for Animals" day on April 7, my office held an orange-themed bake sale, with 100% of the proceeds going to the ASPCA as they work to prevent animal cruelty. Rather than making something that was actually orange-colored, I decided to make this orange-flavored coffee cake. This was an amazing coffee cake! The texture was dense but not heavy, and it had the perfect amount of orange flavor. I got lots of compliments and more than one request for the recipe, which I think is always a good sign.

The recipe listed below is my modified version of the original, which also called for chocolate in the streusel topping. I'm not a fan of the chocolate-orange combo, so I left it out. You could probably halve the streusel topping itself, because I had a lot left over, and I still felt like the cake had plenty. I really think you should make this right now. Seriously, why are you still reading? Go make this!

(Oh, one more thing before you go: You should really go read more about Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month and maybe even organize something in your own community to raise awareness!)

Sour Cream-Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
Source: adapted from Epicurious

For the streusel:
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled salted butter, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

For the cake:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1. Whisk brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in small, moist clumps. Mix in pecans and orange peel and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan.

3. Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended and smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with sour cream in 3 additions. Mix in orange juice.

4. Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Drop remaining batter over by heaping tablespoonfuls; carefully spread batter to make even layer. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.

5. Bake cake 30 minutes. Lay sheet of foil loosely over pan to keep topping from browning too quickly. Continue baking until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes longer (mine only took an additional 25 minutes; I think it depends on your oven). Remove foil.

6. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.