The Best Sour Cream Coffee Cake

My sister came to Basel two weeks ago to see the van Gogh exhibition (which was great, by the way). Right away we decided we would have to bake something together while she was here. After going through several possible recipes we finally settled on Sherry Yard's "Campton Place Coffee Cake" from her book "Desserts by the Yard". I had been wanting to make the recipe ever since I saw it in the cookbook and since peaches are in season, I thought 'what better time than now?' The result was a superb moist coffee cake that had me going back for thirds.

For the cake

3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 c sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 c sour cream

For the filling

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

1 tblsp ground cinnamon

1 tblsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 c slivered almonds, toasted and finely chopped

12 oz peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 

Make the cake: 

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter a Bundt pan. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 5 min, or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In three additions of each, add the sour cream and sifted dry ingredients, alternating the wet and dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until all of the ingredients are blended.

Make the filling:

In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and almonds.

Scoop 1 1/2 c batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to cover the bottom. Sprinkle on 1/4 c of sugar mixture and dot with one third of the peach chunks. Scoop in 2 c of the batter and spread evenly. Sprinkle with 1/4 c of the sugar mixture and dot with another third of the peach chunks. Add another 2 c of batter, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture and dot with remaining peaches. Spoon in any remaining batter and spread over peaches. 

Bake for 35 min. Rotate pan from front to back and bake for another 20-25 min, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan on a rack for 30 min, then invert, remove the pan, and allow the cake to cool completely upside down on the rack.