Sticky Bun Coffee Cake

One of the things my daughters and I would get, at the mall while shopping, was a Sticky Bun to share.  These wonderful rolls of cinnamon-yeast dough with a caramel/pecan topping that sticks to your hands and teeth, but oh so good.  I was thinking of those treats when I was at the mall yesterday; Christmas shopping and checking out the new gadgets for holiday baking.  I wandered into Williams-Sonoma and saw an unique baking pan...the Cinnamon Bun Pan.

Even though WS offers a "mix" to make a Cinnamon Roll Cake, I couldn't help but challenge myself to come up with my version--easy enough to entice you too to bake from scratch for your family. (*Note, you don't have to buy the pan; this recipe will work in a 9" Springform pan or for individual buns, a muffin pan.)

The reason I made mine a Sticky Bun Cake (and not just a Cinnamon Roll) was that I came across two local products at our Farmer's Market, pecans and honey, and I love to support these growers/bee keepers.

Pecans are a species of the hickory tree and the name comes from the Algonquin word meaning a nut requiring a stone to crack.  North Carolina isn't as well known for growing pecans as Georgia, Alabama, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas, and Louisiana, but these from Turkey, North Carolina sure impressed me with their size and flavor.  We love pecan pie for the holidays and Kelly's favorite recipe was Pecan Tassies that she would bake to give as gifts.  They are an excellent source of Magnesium and a good source of protein and unsaturated fat.

I'll be testing some recipes ideas and thinking how quickly the holidays seem to be coming up.  I hope to share some new and interesting ones from my memories.

Sticky Bun Coffee Cake
Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Spray desired baking pan with a Baking Spray and set aside.
Sticky Topping:
1/2 cup honey (you could also use maple syrup or dark Karo syrup)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 T melted butter
1 cup pecans, broken in half or rough chopped

In a small bowl, mix the honey and brown sugar together.  Add the melted butter and stir again.  Finally add the pecans.

I use a cookie scoop to measure out the sticky mixture for the pan.

Cinnamon Swirl:
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 T melted butter

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

 Coffee Cake batter:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream (don't use Light or Low Fat!)

In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, oil and sugar together thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the Vanilla extract and mix once more.

Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the bowl with the sour cream.  Mix on low until all ingredients are combined.

To assemble:
On top of the Sticky Topping, spoon a little more than half of the batter on top.

Next, sprinkle with the Cinnamon Swirl Topping over top of the batter.

Finally, spoon the remaining batter over this layer and smooth to cover.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, then lower the temperature to 325F-degrees and continue baking another 12-15 minutes until a wooden skewer in the center of the cake comes out cleanly.

Have your serving plate near by so you can turn the cake onto it.  Allow to be upside-down on the platter for about 7-10 minutes so all the sticky topping releases.

Lift off and allow to cool completely--even though that sticky topping is calling your name, it will burn!

The wonderful cake with a cinnamon swirl and that luscious sticky topping is worth the wait and so easy to make.  Fix a cup of tea and have a piece, then, start that Christmas list you've been putting off. Enjoy!

**Note ~ If you don't eat the entire cake in one sitting (:-D) then, simply put a piece in the microwave and nuke for 20 seconds to warm up the caramel topping.