Orange Pecan Coffee Cake

Orange Pecan Coffee Cake is a moist, dense cake encased in a caramel flavoured, spicy, orange crust and topped with crunchy pecan halves.  If you're looking for something nice and tasty for this weekend's brunch look no farther than this cake. Not only does it taste good, it looks fabulous on a pretty serving plate (even when you've tossed the pecans on without too much effort). 

I can't remember where I clipped this recipe.  I do know it wasn't from the internet but from some magazine.  I actually don't have a clipping as I think I must have typed it directly to my computer. That was years ago.  During the early to mid-1990s no one had internet in their homes.  It was even a rare thing in schools or businesses. But we've had a computer since the boys were young as I thought it would be good for their education.   (That may explain why one is teaching technology at the university and the other is a programming specialist at the company where he works.) What I'm trying to say is I can't give credit for the recipe.   

A few notes:

• When packing the crumbs into the pan don't be too heavy handed. Looser is better than packed in tight.  
• Make sure you use all of 2 tablespoons of grated orange rind. It will probably take at least 2 oranges.  
• If you don't have a spring form pan the cake can be baked in a bundt or tube cake pan but the pecans will be on the bottom. That won't make any difference to the flavour, just the presentation.

Orange Pecan Coffee Cake
2 cups flour
1¾ cups packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coarsely grated orange rind
½ cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan.

In large bowl mix flour, sugar, allspice, salt and orange rind.  With pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly.  If you don't have a pastry blender use two knives.  Take out 2½ cups of mixture and lightly press into bottom of 8- or 9-inch spring form pan.  

In separate bowl whisk together egg, sour cream and baking soda.  Stir into remaining crumb mixture in large bowl.  Spoon over crust in pan.  Arrange pecan halves on top.  Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. If you use a 9-inch pan the it will take a few minutes less to bake.  

Let cool on rack. Release sides and cool completely.   Remove from pan and place on serving plate. Store remaining cake in a covered container.

Makes 12-16 servings.  

Mix flour, sugar, allspice, salt and orange rind.  With pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly. Take out 2½ cups of crumbs for bottom of spring form pan.

Press the 2½ cups of crumbs into the bottom of  the greased spring form pan.  Don't worry if the crumbs go up the sides of the pan.  

Beat the egg, sour cream and baking soda together.  Stir into the remaining crumbs to make a cake batter.  Pour the batter onto the crumbs in the pan.  

Arrange pecan halves over the batter.  I'm afraid my arrangement is a bit messy today but I think you get the idea.

Bake the cake about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  If you use a 9-inch pan the it will take a few minutes less to bake.  Let the cake cool a few minutes in the pan and then release the sides and cool completely.  When cool carefully remove from the pan and place on a nice serving plate.  I've decorated around the edges with half slices of oranges.  

You can see where the crumbs went up the side of the pan.  I think it gives the cake a nice finish.  

 The cake cuts nicely into 12-16 slices.  

Orange Pecan Coffee Cake is a moist, dense cake encased in a caramel flavoured, spicy, orange crust and topped with crunchy pecan halves.

Brunch or dessert?  It really doesn't matter.