It was raining and I was baking. It’s not too often someone says that in Southern California, especially now when we are facing one of the most severe droughts on record. Just the other day I was listening to the radio and a commercial asking “What’s Your Shower Song?” caught my attention. Ventura (County) Water’s new initiative asks residents to shower only as long as it takes to sing their favorite shower song…Now you know there’s going to be some punk out there who sings Stairway to Heaven in the shower and that won’t be doing anything for conservation efforts!

Though it sputtered on and off, it did rain and it did thunder yesterday. Sure I miss the seasons living out here, but what I really miss are the thunderstorms. The crash of the thunder, lightening that crackles across the sky, and rain you can hear hitting the roof; it’s all so dramatic.

Baking must be one of the best ways to spend a rainy day. This coffeecake is one of the few recipes I have tested before and swear by it. The sour cream keeps the cake moist for several days and the slight crunch of the cinnamon sugar baked into the bottom is a nice contrast.

Sour Cream Coffeecake
Makes enough for one 10-inch bundt pan

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch bundt pan.

2. Cream together butter with 2 cups of sugar. Add eggs, blending well, then the sour cream and vanilla.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

4. Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Beat until just blended; you don’t want to overbeat the mixture.

5. In a separate bowl, mix remaining 3/4 cup sugar with cinnamon and pecans.

6. Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the pecan and sugar mixture. Add remaining batter and top with the rest of the sugar mixture. (I’ve found the pecan pieces here on the top, which turns into the bottom when you flip the cake, tend to burn in the oven, so I’ve started putting all the pecans in that middle layer and then just dusting the top with the remaining sugar.)

7. Set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 60 minutes or until a cake tester (read: toothpick) inserted into the center comes out clean.