Streusel Coffee Cake Muffins

Before you start

These muffins take the three parts of a classic sour cream coffee cake and fit them into a muffin cup: a rich, tight-crumbed butter batter, a ribbon of cinnamon and brown sugar through the middle, and a crumb topping thick enough to be a third of every bite. The batter is made with the creaming method, which gives a finer, more cake-like crumb than a stir-together muffin and is sturdy enough to hold a heavy topping without collapsing.

The streusel is the part people remember, so it gets its own attention. Mixing it with melted butter and letting it firm up produces large, crunchy clumps rather than sandy crumbs. Press it gently onto the batter so it bakes into the top instead of rolling off the domes.

Ingredients

• Streusel100 g (¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 100 g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch fine salt
• 70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted
• Ribbon50 g (¼ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Batter250 g (2 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs — room temperature
• 240 g (1 cup) full-fat sour cream — room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Make the streusel first: stir the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, then pour in the melted butter and mix with a fork until it looks like damp sand. Squeeze handfuls to form clumps, break them into pieces from pea to marble size and refrigerate while you make the batter.
2. Stir the ribbon sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F) and line the muffin pan.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each, then the vanilla. On low speed, add half the dry ingredients, then the sour cream, then the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing only until no flour shows. The batter will be thick, like soft frosting.
5. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each cup and spread it level. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the ribbon mixture over each, then cover with the remaining batter, dividing it evenly. Each cup should be about three-quarters full.
6. Pile the cold streusel on top, about 2 tablespoons per muffin, and press it lightly so it sticks.
7. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the streusel is golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean apart from a little melted sugar from the ribbon.
8. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before lifting out. Dust with powdered sugar if you like.

Tips for success

• Chilling the streusel while the batter comes together keeps the clumps from melting into the top in the oven.
• Do not swirl the ribbon with a knife. A clean layer gives a clearer stripe and keeps the sugar from sinking to the bottom.
• Cupcake liners help here; the streusel and ribbon sugar caramelize and can stick to a greased pan.

Substitutions

Sour cream

Full-fat Greek yogurt at the same weight. The crumb is a little less rich and slightly tangier, with similar moisture.

Light brown sugar in the streusel

Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor and a darker, slightly softer topping.

Part of the streusel flour

Replace 30 g of the flour with old-fashioned oats or chopped pecans for more crunch.

Variations

Blueberry coffee cake muffins

Scatter 100 g blueberries over the bottom layer of batter along with the ribbon sugar.

Vanilla glaze drizzle

Whisk 60 g powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tsp milk and drizzle over the cooled streusel.

Troubleshooting

Streusel fell off or melted flat

The streusel was too warm, too fine or not pressed in. Chill it in clumps and press it lightly onto the batter before baking.

Hollow gap where the ribbon was

Too much ribbon sugar in one layer. Keep it to about a teaspoon per muffin and make sure batter covers it completely.

Dense, heavy muffins

The butter was too cold to cream or the batter was overmixed after adding flour. Use butter that dents easily and stop mixing once the flour disappears.

Storage

Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; the streusel softens slightly each day. Freeze for up to 2 months and refresh in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 8 minutes to re-crisp the top.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw batter, which contains raw egg and raw flour. Contains wheat, egg and milk.