Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, Something Clever, and Something Clever

Last night I was so exhausted that I went into the bedroom to change clothes and landed face-down, fully-dressed, in four-inch heels, on the bed and passed out.  At 7 pm.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.    It's probably a good thing given that I got up at 4 am to start prepping for tonight's fundraiser and tomorrow's brunch.

Speaking of brunch, this would be excellent for an Easter Morning treat:

I resisted the urge to add a campy pun up there.  You're welcome.

What you need:

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup butter, softened to room temp
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts ((optional))
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.  Don't have a bundt pan?  You're screwed.  Sorry.  I would guess that you could use an angel-food cake pan, but seriously, get yourself a bundt pan.  I know someone who can hook you up with a good one if need be.

In your mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups white sugar together with the eggs until well blended.  Then add the sour cream and softened butter ((or margarine)) and beat well.  Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well. Stir in vanilla and the chopped nuts if you are using them.  ((Want to know my favorite way to chop nuts?  Put them in a baggie and jump on them.  Yep.  Classy, all the way.))

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup of white sugar with the cinnamon.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over it. Cover with the remaining cake batter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 8 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40 minutes.  Because I have been asked this before, no, you don't take it out of the oven until the heat reduces.  And no, you don't leave the door open to help it cool down.  It's part of the process.  Go with it.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then flip it over and let it finish cooling on a rack.

I'll try to grab a photo of the inside tomorrow when I slice it.  I might forget.  Picture swirls of cinnamon sugar going through the middle.  Yum.

This recipe has been in my email folder for a few years.  I have no idea where I may have originally gotten it.  Bad Jules.

*****

Okay, I gotta run.  It's almost 2:30 and I have yet to have lunch.  Yikes.  I'll be back tomorrow with one of my favorite brunch items...  Sun-dried tomato, Italian sausage, and spinach egg bake.  ((It's called 'egg bake' where I'm from.  I'm not sure what y'all call it in other parts of the country.  I should figure that out.))