Make-ahead cranberry coffee cake a Christmas morning winner

At our house, and I know we're not alone, Christmas morning goes by in a flash with shredded wrapping paper and bows flying everywhere. And once the gift-giving excitement is over, everyone is hungry and ready for a festive breakfast.

Timing is everything, though. If you start making breakfast at this point, the hangries (where hungry meets angry) will start to set in and no one wants Grandpa to start picking at the Christmas dinner ham before it even gets in the oven.

To avoid any holiday upset, it's important to have a breakfast game plan that employs a smart make-ahead strategy.

Overnight stratas or breakfast casseroles are a welcome addition to any holiday breakfast table. Quiches, fruit salads, veggies and dips are all things that can be made or assembled the night before to take the stress out of putting together a large meal on a busy morning.

I always want some homemade baked goods to round out the meal, and one of my family's favorites is Cranberry Orange Pecan Coffee Cake, which can be made a day or two ahead.

Sour cream is the secret to this coffee cake's staying power. It ensures a tender and moist crumb that only gets better the next day.

Cranberries and pecans pair beautifully, along with a hint of citrus from fresh orange juice and zest. A generous amount of streusel topping, tender and buttery with brown sugar, cinnamon and more pecans, blankets each bite.

This cake has a little bit of everything you want in a morning treat. It's buttery, sweet (but not too sweet), fruity, slightly tart, crunchy and nutty. Really, it's a party in a pan and certain to give your day a festive start.

Serves 12.

This tender, moist sour cream coffee cake is Christmas in a cake pan and is sure to be the star of your holiday breakfast or brunch. From Meredith Deeds.

For the streusel:

• 2/3 c. packed brown sugar

• 1 c. all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

• 1 c. roughly chopped pecans

For the cake:

• 3 c. all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 3/4 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 c. sugar

• 3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3 large eggs, room temperature

• Grated zest from 1 orange

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature

• 1/4 c. orange juice

• 3 c. fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)

• 1 c. roughly chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9- by 13-inch baking dish.

Prepare the streusel: In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, 1 cup flour, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1/2 cup cold butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in small, moist clumps. Mix in pecans. Set aside.

Prepare the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar and 3/4 cup butter in large bowl until blended and smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then orange peel and vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with sour cream in 2 additions. Mix in orange juice. Fold in cranberries and pecans. Spread the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel over the top.

Bake the cake for 30 minutes. Lay sheet of foil loosely over pan to keep topping from browning too quickly. Continue baking until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 20 to 30 minutes longer. Remove foil. Cool cake in pan on rack 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Make ahead: The coffee cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Meredith Deeds is a cookbook author and food writer from Edina. Reach her at meredithdeeds@gmail.com. Follow her on Instagram ­at @meredithdeeds.