My parents are returning from a nice long island vacation to an empty fridge, so what do I do? Bring/make food! After doing a quick store run for some essentials similar to the typical winter storm run- milk and bread. I was on a mission to make some coffee cake. Because how nice would it be to get home in the wee hours of the morning to see your breakfast for the next day already made and a stocked fridge? Very nice, that's what. At this point it's impossible not to feel like Ina Garten making welcome home baskets for my very posh friends. Shall we get into it?
Cake
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch cardamom
Topping
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp allspice
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. To make the topping for later, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice. Set aside for later- or even pop it in the fridge to set up a bit.
3. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until soft and a pale yellow color.
4. Mix in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. To the bowl with the butter and sugar, add alternating the flour and sour cream (Add half of the dry, combine, add half of the sour cream, combine, add the rest of the dry, combine, and add the rest of the sour cream, combine.
7. Add the vanilla extract. (Feel free to add spices you like into the batter or layer them in the batter- I suggest layering, it's fun to get the different flavors at different parts of the cake!)
8. Grease up your baking dish however you'd like, as long as it's something!
9. Pour half of the mixture in and even it out.
10. Here's where you can get creative- use different spices and/or nuts to sprinkle over the top to create a yummy middle layer. I actually added a small portion of the topping to this layer- yum!
11. Carefully spread the rest of the batter over the top. Don't worry if a bit of the filling is poking out, it all adds to the goodness, it's like a tasty "hey, how are ya?!" from the filling.
12. Spread the topping liberally on top of the batter. Judging from the looks and smell of this, the topping may be the best part of the coffee cake- much like my thoughts about any kind of crisp or crumble, all about the topping!
13. Pop the pan in the oven for 30-35 minutes- check at 25 minutes just in case, every oven is different and you never know! *Side note- mine crook 40 minutes.
14. When a cake tester comes out clean switch off the oven and let the cake cool for a few minutes. Resist the temptation to pick at the topping, you'll burn your mouth off.
15. After 5 minutes or so of cooling, run a sharp knife around the sides of the cake to make sure it loosens from the sides and bottom. Let cool for another 10 minutes or so to set up.
16. Empty the cake from the pan to display or cut and slice right from there!
Enjoy!
I can see why they call it coffee cake, I was snacking on a smeller portion I made and oh my goodness, if it wasn't so late in the day I'd make myself some good strong coffee! Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow. This cake is soft and has great flavor and smells like the holidays! That can never be a bad thing. Don't believe me? Make it and see for yourself!
Meaghan
