Craisin Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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I have been making this coffee cake, or variations thereof,  for over 35 years. for Christmas morning. I got the recipe out of my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, circa, 1967. The coffee cake is a very moist cake with a craisin or raisin, cinnamon walnut filling layered with the cake, so good.  This recipe is another must have Christmas tradition of mine  The original recipe was called Spicy Raisin Coffee Cake.  I started using raisins, until the advent of Craisins.  I have mostly made this cake in a bundt pan, because I didn't have a 9X9 pan, and I still don't.  I have also made this cake in a  large Wilton tree mold pan, but that's a lot of work to decorate. This cake keeps well, if you have any left, and is best, when served warm.

Imagine my surprise when I read The Mom Chef's Walnut-Pear Sour Cream Coffee Cake post  and saw that it was the same basic ingredients, except for the pear filling and having been baked in a springform pan.  Also,  I only used 3 bowls Christiane, one for wet ingredients, one for dry ingredients, and one for the filling:) So you can see, this is a very basic adaptable recipe. You can save yourself two bowls to deal with if you like craisins. I Have always put a vanilla Glaze on the cake to dress it up for Christmas.  I used cinnamon red hots for the holly, and a teeny bit of green frosting in the center. Here is the recipe that I have adapted, and love.

SPICY RAISIN or (Craisin) SOUR CREAM COFFEE CAKE                             Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook Circa1967

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sift before measuring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups raisins  or craisins

Preparation:

Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Blend in the sour cream. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, and salt into another bowl; blend into the creamed mixture, mixing well. 

Spread half of the batter in a greased and floured 9-inch square pan, or bundt pan. Mix nuts with 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter. Sprinkle all 1 1/2 cups raisins over nut layer. Spoon remaining batter evenly over the raisins; spread carefully. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over the top.
Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, until pick, inserted in middle, comes out clean.  Cool in bundt pan 10-15 min. then remove pan and put on rack.  Serve warm. Glaze, if desired and decorate.  Enjoy!