Description
Muffin-pan mini coffee cakes with a true cinnamon streusel ribbon inside and a light brown-butter glaze drizzle.
Ingredients
- Brown butter (for glaze): 1/3 cup butter (75 g)
- All-purpose flour: 1 cup flour (120 g), plus extra for dusting if needed
- Granulated sugar: 1/2 cup sugar (100 g)
- Brown sugar (for streusel): 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (70 g)
- Cinnamon: 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Streusel salt: 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Fine salt (batter): 1/2 tsp fine salt
- Unsalted butter (for batter, melted): 1/4 cup butter (57 g)
- Sour cream: 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g)
- Egg: 1 large egg
- Vanilla extract: 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Milk (for glaze thinning): 1 to 2 tbsp milk (15 to 30 ml)
- Powdered sugar (for glaze): 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 g)
- Optional: 2 tbsp toasted chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Prep and preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin pan (or grease and line with liners).
- Make the streusel: In a bowl, mix flour (use 2 tbsp flour from the 1 cup total), brown sugar, cinnamon, and fine salt. Drizzle in 2 tbsp melted butter from the 1/4 cup (57 g) you’ll be using for the batter, or if you prefer, reserve 2 tbsp of the melted butter before mixing the batter. Stir until you get clumps like damp sand. If it’s very dry, add 1–2 tsp milk until clumpy.
- Brown the butter for glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1/3 cup (75 g) butter. Cook until foamy, then as solids toast, the butter turns amber and smells nutty (about 4–6 minutes). Immediately pour into a bowl to cool slightly.
- Mix the batter: In a large bowl, whisk flour (remaining from the 1 cup), granulated sugar, baking powder, and fine salt. In another bowl, whisk sour cream, egg, vanilla, and melted butter (1/4 cup / 57 g; warm is fine, not hot). Pour wet into dry and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Rest batter 5 minutes if it feels looser than “spoonable.”
- Assemble (create the streusel ribbon): Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon batter into each muffin cup. Press gently to make a thin layer. Add about 1–2 teaspoons streusel to the center of each cup (aim for a ribbon-like layer). Cover with another 1 heaping tablespoon batter, sealing the edges so the streusel is fully inside.
- Bake: Bake 16–20 minutes, until tops are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter). Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.
- Make the glaze: Whisk powdered sugar into the slightly cooled brown butter. Add milk 1 tsp at a time (15 ml increments) until the glaze is pourable and smooth. If too thick, add a little more milk; if too thin, add a spoonful more powdered sugar.
- Glaze and set: Drizzle glaze over warm mini cakes. Let stand 10–15 minutes so the glaze sets with a soft sheen.
- Serve: Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Visual doneness cue: the tops should look set and lightly golden, and the centers should be springy—not gooey. For the streusel ribbon, focus on clumpy streusel and fully covering it with the final batter layer.