SOUR CREAM PUMPKIN COFFEE CAKE WITH PECAN STREUSEL

Steps:

• 1. Streusel Mixture: Combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and pecans, working in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
• 2. I simply do this with my fingers. Divide it in half right inside the bowl and refrigerate until needed.
• 3. Pumpkin Mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, beaten egg, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• 4. Cake Batter: In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla for about 5 minutes. It won't look like much at this point.
• 5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until light and fluffy.
• 6. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Measure out your sour cream.
• 7. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. I do this with a wooden spoon so that I don't over beat the batter and make the cake dry and tough.
• 8. Drop 2 cups of batter in dollops in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan (note: if not using a non-stick pan grease the pan before adding the batter). It will look as though there isn't going to be enough batter for two layers, but it IS plenty.
• 9. I use an offset spatula then to spread the batter into an even layer.
• 10. Sprinkle one half of the streusel (about 1 cup) over the batter.
• 11. Dollop all of the pumpkin mixture onto the streusel and gently spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Here again, it will look like there isn't enough but there IS plenty. Just do it in the dollops like I did the batter and spread it out.
• 12. Drop the remaining 2 cups of cake batter in dollops over the pumpkin mixture.
• 13. Carefully spread the batter over the pumpkin mixture with an offset spatula.
• 14. Sprinkle remaining streusel over the batter.
• 15. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour. In my own personal, it has taken as few as 45 minutes but in other ovens that I have baked it in it took about 52. If your oven tends to cook hot, begin checking around the 40 minute mark. A tester inserted to the center should come out clean, with maybe a slight crumb clinging.
• 16. Also, I use a non-stick pan so I do not grease it and I have never had a problem with it sticking and I have made this MANY times. If yours isn't non-stick, I would suggest you lightly spray your pan with a little non-stick cooking spray.