A truly good coffee cake is simple and yet complex; sweet yet not offensively so, and of course, it goes well with your morning coffee!
The Brits have their version, the Germans have theirs, and, of course, Americans have theirs. For many years, my favorite was Julia Child's version. Then, one lazy Saturday afternoon, while watching
Cook's Country, I heard that the First Ladies of the Kitchen, Bridget Lancaster, and Julia Collin Davison, were going to share their version of a Coffee Cake.
My brain went into high gear, I grabbed some paper and pen, and began writing things down fast and furious.
Most coffee cakes (alas, including Ms. Julia's) had always seemed too dry to me, especially since I was never a big coffee drinker, and The First Ladies' Kitchen-Tested Recipe passed the moistness test!
I did, however, make a minor change. You'll find out what it is as we go along ;)
The Topping:
- 1 cup cooled, toasted pecans
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp melted, cooled unsalted butter
- 1 tsp water
- Pulse the pecans until they're very small but not sandy.
- Add the brown sugar and process both to a fine meal.
- Add the flour, cinnamon, and salt, then give it 5 1-second pulses.
- Add the melted butter and water, then pulse 8-10 times in 1-second increments. It should be like wet sand.
- Completely remove from the processor bowl and set aside.
The Cake
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly soft (newly room temperature)
- 3/4 cups milk
- 1 egg + 1 yolk
- tsp vanilla
- In the processor bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, soda, and salt, pulsing for about 10 seconds to mix.
- Add in the unsalted butter (cubed) and pulse in 5-8 5-second pulses. It should come out with a sandy consistency.
- Add in the milk, eggs, and vanilla and pulse 4-5 times in 1-second pulses, stop and scrape, and repeat.
- Using a springform pan (THIS IS IMPORTANT AS IT REALLY RISES!) prepare the pan by flouring.
- Pour in and spread, and top with the topping (the streusel), beginning at the sides (slightly pressing it down) and working into the middle.
- Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until it no longer jiggles in the middle.
HINT: Cook it in a pan underneath to catch any overflow.
Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the form and finish cooling for another 2 hours.
NOW HERE'S MY TWIST:
Make a second batch of the streusel and, when you fill the pan with the batter halfway, lightly layer in 1/2-3/4 of the streusel, then fill the pan the rest of the way. Make sure to leave around 1/2" of edge all around so the batter "seals" in the streusel.
You will need to let it cool longer before removing it from the springform.