Pecan and cinnamon streusel coffee cake

Method

1. For the cinnamon streusel layer, put 25g of the pecans into a food processor and briefly process, using the pulse button, until finely chopped but still with a little texture. Tip into a bowl and set aside. Put the flour, cinnamon and butter into the food processor and whizz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the muscovado sugar and the whizzed pecan nuts.
2. For the cake, heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until it starts to stick together – it won’t go creamy at this stage because of the high proportion of sugar.
3. Add one of the eggs and the vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the remaining eggs, one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the sifted flour mixture with each egg.
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4. Fold in the remaining flour in 3 additions, alternating with the soured cream. Spoon half the cake mixture into the tin (there’s no need to smooth it), then sprinkle over two-thirds of the streusel mixture. Stir the reserved chopped nuts into the remaining streusel mixture. Spoon the rest of the cake mixture into the tin and level the top. Sprinkle over the remaining streusel mixture.
5. Bake for about an hour or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Carefully peel away the baking paper once the cake has cooled.
6. To decorate, mix the caster sugar and a few extra chopped pecans with the cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Serve in slices with a good cup of coffee.