Pound cakes originated in Europe in the first half of the 18th century and originally weighed 4 pounds! That was because a traditional pound cake contained one pound each of sugar, butter, flour and eggs.
Here’s my take on pound cake: If I could get away with it, I would slice it horizontally about 1/4 of an inch below the crusty top, take the top part and leave the rest of it for everyone else. Frankly, I love the taste of a pound cake, but find most of them too thick and a little on the dry side. That’s why I usually make a simple glaze to add some moisture.
On the other hand, coffee cake is one of my favorite cakes because of the streusel topping. What if a pound cake and coffee cake got married? That’s exactly what happened in my coffee cake pound cake.
Ingredients
- Pecan Streusel
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- Pound Cake Batter
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare Pecan Streusel
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in 3/4 cup pecans.
- Prepare Pound Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350. Bake 1 cup pecans in a single layer in a baking pan for 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring halfway through. Cool for 20 minutes.
- Reduce oven temp. to 325.
- Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Stir together flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
- Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan. Stir together toasted pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.
- Spoon remaining pound cake batter over pecan mixture, sprinkle with pecan streusel and press down lightly.
- Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack and cool completely.

This coffee cake pound cake is perfect for dessert, breakfast or brunch. What’s your favorite pound cake?
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Gah, I love coffee cake! I love that this is layered and has pecans, I don’t think I have ever had it like that. YUM!
It takes pound cake to a whole new level!
I love that pound cake and coffee cake got married! 🙂
Pinning and making for my family!
~ Ashley
This looks amazing…the best of both worlds for sure.
I’m right there with you, Alli, just slice off that crispy crust for me and give everyone else the rest 🙂 Sounds like a very good recipe. Pinning!
This sounds awesome! I can’t wait to try your recipe. I’m pinning.
Oooooh. this looks soooo good. I just love a coffee cake – it’s great for dessert or (at least for me) breakfast with a cup of coffee. thanks for sharing
I love coffee cake, especially the top part. If I could get away with it I would eat it every day! YUM!
Alli this looks SO incredible! I can’t wait to make it!
I love pound cake! And the addition of those pecans – yum! A must try!
Super delicious!! I have to agree that pound cake can be a little dry and the streusel topping is the best. Thanks for the recipe!! Can’t wait to try it!!
Is a tube pan the same as the bundt cake pan? So many pans!
You have no idea how much I love coffee cake!!!! This looks so so so so good!
Oooh… this looks scrumptious! I love pecans, definitely PINNING this one. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Ok, now I want pound cake! Congratulations on being a new contributor here. Great job, as always! Have a blessed week!
Good Evening Alli, Firstly, congratulations on becoming a monthly contributor to My Cooking Spot, you must feel so very excited about the prospect.
Secondly, I love coffee cake and I love streusal topping, so the combination for me is just perfect. I cannot wait to try your recipe.
Best Wishes
Daphne
I can’t wait to try your recipe and will definitely be adding it to my collection. Congrats on becoming a monthly contributor to My Cooking Spot! I look forward to reading your post. So excited for you!!
Congratulations on your monthly contribution !! I love coffee cake 🙂
Oh, that looks so good! And thanks for the history on the pound cake, interesting!
Yeaaaaaaaah… I absolutely need to try this recipe and soon because Coffee Cake is my FAVORITE and then putting that into a pound cake? How could this not be ah-mazing?
Coffee Cake was always one of my favorite breakfast treats when I was growing up.
Wow, that looks amazing! This looks like such an amazing treat. I love the streusel on top!
That looks so good – I can’t wait to try it out! Found you in the #SitsSharefest!