This coffee cake was adapted from my Mamaw (Kay's) recipe. It's perfectly moist and not overly sweet as coffee cake should be. The sour cream gives it the slightest tang and the middle layer is brown sugar cinnamon pecan goodness. It's perfect as a simple dessert or with your coffee at brunch.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9"x9" metal cake pan and line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Reserve 1 tablespoon of this mixture in another small bowl. Toss the toasted, chopped pecans into the first bowl of cinnamon sugar. Set aside
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium high speed until lighter in color and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating the first completely into the sugar & butter mixture before adding the second. After the eggs are incorporated, beat in the sour cream and vanilla on medium speed until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on medium low until just combined.
Spoon half the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it around evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar, and pecan mixture evenly over the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter on top and spread evenly.* Sprinkle the remaining sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the top.
Bake for 27-32 minutes (rotating once about half way through) until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
*I find that spooning the remaining batter in say, 8 big dollops evenly over the top of the the pecan mixture and then gently spreading them together with a spoon or offset spatula is the easiest way to to get a nice even covering of cake batter without disturbing the yummy middle layer too much!