Caramel Coffee Cake

Mix together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. Set aside. 

Mix together the all-purpose flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture using a fork or pastry cutter. The mixture should resemble very coarse wet sand and it should be clumpy. Set aside. 

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and set aside. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper to line the pan.

Mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

Using a stand or hand mixer, in a large bowl beat together the softened butter and sugar on medium speed. Beat until creamy and well incorporated, about 5-7 minutes. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, until just combined. 

Add vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until just combined. 

Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, beating gently after each addition. Do not overmix. 

Once dry ingredients are incorporated, add the milk and mix until combined. The milk is used to slightly thin out the batter. You can use more or less, if needed. It should be a thick batter but should be manageable to pour and spread out.  

Spread about half of the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan. You can use the back of a spoon to spread it out. Do the best you can because the batter will be thick. It does not need to be perfect!

Sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar evenly over top this batter layer. 

Spread the remaining cake batter over the cinnamon sugar layer. Again, spread and smooth out the batter as best as you can, it does not need to be perfect. 

Evenly sprinkle the prepared crumb topping over the batter. 

Place on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. If not, allow the cake to bake for a few more minutes before testing again. Once done, allow the cake to cool.

While the cake is baking, make the caramel topping. Place a saucepan with a heavy bottom over medium heat. Add the granulated sugar to the pan and stir frequently to prevent burning. The sugar will eventually melt into an amber-coloured liquid. It will become lumpy first before the liquid stage. This can take anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes. Just be sure to keep stirring and to keep your eye on it because it can easily scorch. 

Once the sugar is liquid and amber, reduce the heat to low. Add the butter and stir it in until melted and incorporated. It will bubble quite a bit during this process. 

Once butter is fully incorporated, add the heavy cream and stir continuously until incorporated. Again, it may bubble at this stage as well. 

Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla extract. Allow to cool until ready to use. The caramel will thicken as it cools. 

In a small bowl, add the icing sugar and vanilla extract and mix together well. Add heavy cream, 1 tbsp at a time, whisking together well until you reach a thick, yet pourable consistency. Try not to add too much heavy cream, because it will become too runny. Set aside until ready to use. 

Once the cake and caramel sauce are both cool, it's time to serve. Drizzle caramel sauce and icing sugar drizzle over top of the cake. Cut into desired sizes and serve with coffee.