Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake Loaf

This is a tender cinnamon loaf cake baked in a standard loaf pan and finished with a chunky pecan crumb topping. It borrows the nut topping DNA from my Fluffy BBQ‑Style Sweet Potato Casserole and uses heavy cream instead of milk for a richer crumb, with a tiny lift from fresh nutmeg and a whisper of almond extract.

Snapshot

• Implements: medium mixing bowl; small bowl; hand mixer (or sturdy whisk); rubber spatula; 9×5 loaf pan; parchment
• Oven setting: 350°F / 175°C for 45–55 minutes
• Batch size: one 9×5 loaf (about 8–10 slices)

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all‑purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ½ cup liquid (see note)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Note on the liquid:

Use ¼ cup heavy cream mixed with ¼ cup water to stand in for the ½ cup milk from the original loaf‑cake recipe. For a slightly richer cake that still bakes cleanly, use ⅓ cup heavy cream plus 3 tablespoons water.

Pecan crumb topping

(If you ever have leftover topping from the Sweet Potato Casserole, you can use about 1½ cups of that here. Otherwise, make this fresh.)

• ¾ cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2–3 tablespoons all‑purpose flour (2 Tbsp = more nut‑forward, 3 Tbsp = more streusel‑y)
• Pinch Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Lightly roast the pecans in a dry skillet or a 350°F oven until fragrant, then let them cool. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, pecans, and a pinch of salt. Stir in the melted butter until everything is evenly moistened and clumpy. If you want a thicker, more crumbly blanket, stir in the third tablespoon of flour.

Method

1. Preheat and prep the pan.

   Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment so it overhangs the long sides for easy lifting later.

2. Make the pecan crumb topping.

   Toast the pecans: Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Spread chopped pecans on a sheet pan and toast 6–8 minutes until just fragrant and a shade deeper. Cool completely (warm nuts will melt the streusel butter).

   Stir together the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cooled toasted pecans, and a pinch of salt. Add the melted butter and mix until the topping forms clumps when squeezed. If it looks a bit too loose, stir in the extra tablespoon of flour. Pop the bowl in the fridge while you make the batter so the topping firms up and doesn’t sink into the cake.

3. Mix the cake batter.

   In a medium mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer (or vigorous whisk) until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition.

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine the heavy cream and water.

   Add about half of the dry mixture to the butter–sugar–egg mixture and mix on low just until the flour disappears. Pour in the cream‑and‑water mixture and mix again briefly. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract by hand with a spatula, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

4. Assemble the loaf.

   Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top gently. Break up the chilled pecan crumb topping with your fingers and scatter it evenly over the batter in a thick, bumpy layer. Press very lightly so it adheres without compacting or sinking.

5. Bake.

   Bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes. Start checking around 40–45 minutes: a tester inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

   If the topping is browning faster than the middle is baking, tent the loaf loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

6. Cool and slice.

   Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 15 minutes so the crumb can set. Use the parchment to lift it out to a rack and let it cool until just warm or room temperature. Slice into thick pieces and serve as breakfast, snack, or coffee companion.

Notes, swaps, and guardrails

Cream vs. milk

Heavy cream + water is doing the job of milk here:

• ¼ cup cream + ¼ cup water keeps the loaf close to a classic coffee cake, just a bit richer.
• ⅓ cup cream + 3 Tbsp water nudges things more decadent while still letting the loaf rise without collapsing.

Going full ½ cup straight cream makes the batter too heavy for a tall loaf and risks a gummy center.

Pecan choices and roasting

• Roasting the pecans before they go into the topping brings out a toasty, buttery flavor that stands up well to the cinnamon and brown sugar.
• You can swap in walnuts 1:1 if that’s what you have; the topping will lean a little earthier but still works beautifully.
• Keep the nut pieces on the chunky side so the topping has texture instead of turning sandy.

Built‑in flavor upgrades

The base recipe already uses cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, and a tiny bit of almond extract for quiet complexity. If you want to nudge it further without overwhelming the loaf:

• Brown butter move: Brown half of the butter for the cake batter, let it cool, then cream it with the remaining softened butter. This adds a subtle toffee note that loves pecans and brown sugar.
• Sour cream spoonful: Add 1 tablespoon sour cream along with the cream‑and‑water mixture. It brings a little tang and extra tenderness without turning this into a full “sour cream coffee cake.”
• Brown sugar swap in the batter: Trade 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar for dark brown sugar to deepen the caramel flavor.
• Cardamom pinch: Add a tiny pinch (less than 1⁄16 teaspoon) of ground cardamom to the dry ingredients if you want a slightly café‑ish, spiced‑latte vibe.

Pick one, maybe two of these at a time; stacking all of them pushes the cake toward “spice project” instead of “everyday coffee cake.”

Make‑ahead and storage

• The loaf is at its best the day it’s baked, once cooled to just warm.
• Cooled leftovers keep well, wrapped, at room temperature for 1–2 days. The crumb will firm up slightly; a quick rewarm in a low oven makes the topping crisp again.
• You can also freeze slices tightly wrapped; thaw at room temperature and refresh in the oven if you want the streusel to re‑crisp.

This recipe is adapted from Cinnamon Crumb Cake in a Loaf Pan by Faigy Murray at My Kitchen, My Studio.