CAKE
3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1¾ cups sour cream
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled


1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.
2. For the topping: Using your fingers, mix the sugars, flour, butter, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl until the mixture resembles wet sand. Stir in the pecans and set aside.
3. For the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, sugars, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Gently fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until smooth (do not overmix).
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of both cakes.
5. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.


 Combine the streusel ingredients by hand until they have the consistency of wet sand.  

 Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. 

 Whisk the wet ingredients together, then using a rubber spatula, gently fold them into the flour mixture

Divide the batter evenly

sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the smoothed cakes.
 Bake the cakes in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. To test for doneness, stick a toothpick into the center of each cake—it should come out with just a few crumbs attached. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is overbaked and will be dry and crumbly.