Mom’s Never-Fail Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1¼ cups sugar, divided

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)

½ cup raisins, soaked in warm water until soft, then drained (optional)

½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

In a small bowl mix ¼ cup of the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter and the remaining 1 cup sugar until well mixed. Add the eggs and blend well.

In a medium bowl mix the sour cream and baking soda. Add the sour cream mixture alternately with the flour to the egg mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Top with nuts, raisins, or chocolate chips or all three, if desired. Add the remaining batter. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture. Bake 1 hour. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan to a serving plate. Serve warm or cool.

Makes 8 servings

Stephanie Siebert, Lady Stephanie
Red Hat Rebels,
Las Vegas, Nevada