Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

We make this Coffee Cake every Christmas morning.  We really do need to make it more often though, it is that good!

Contributor:  John Elder

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons dried currants
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 16-ounce container sour cream

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions
•  Preheat oven to 350°F.
•  Butter 12-cup Bundt pan.
•  Mix first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Set nut mixture aside.
•  Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.
•  Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in large bowl until blended.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time.
•  Mix in vanilla.
•  Mix dry ingredients and sour cream alternately into butter mixture in 3 additions.
•  Beat batter on high 1 minute.

•  Pour 1/3 of batter into prepared pan.
•  Sprinkle with half of nut mixture.
•  Spoon 1/3 of batter over.
•  Sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. Spoon remaining batter over.

•  Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
•  Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes.
•  Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto rack and cool 1 hour. Transfer to platter.

•  Whisk powdered sugar and milk in small bowl until smooth.
•  Drizzle over coffee cake.
•  Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Wrap in foil and let stand at room temperature.)

Credit
Bon Appétit | December 1998
Cafe Zenon, Eugene OR