Quick Coffee Cake
Instructions:
- A classic breakfast or brunch cake, equally good for
dessert
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold butter, plus butter for the pan
- 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 11/4 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup milk
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter. Combine the 3 tablespoons of flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons of the butter with the nuts; mix with your fingers until it’s just coming together. Set this streusel mixture aside.
- Combine the remaining 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, salt, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, and remaining 5 tablespoons of butter, cut into bits, in a bowl (you can use an electric mixer for this; use low speed). Mix well with a fork until all of the flour is coated with some of the butter.
- Still on low speed, beat the egg into the batter, then the milk until blended. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle over it about half the streusel mixture. Add the remaining batter, then the remaining streusel. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting. Best served warm, but not bad a day or two later, reheated.
- Cinnamon-Orange Coffee Cake.
- Add 2 teaspoons grated or finely minced orange zest and substitute 1/4 cup orange juice for the same amount of milk.
- Quick Coffee Cake with Cardamom.
- Use almonds for the nuts if you like: Add 2 teaspoons ground cardamom; use 1 teaspoon in Step 1 for the streusel and 1 teaspoon in the batter, in place of the cinnamon.