Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

Dear friends to come in the near and far future,

I want to take this time to let you know- even if we haven't met each other yet-

...that you are SUPER. Just super.

I imagine our friendships to be really easy...and laid-back...and full of good conversations, good laughs, and pictures that should never see the light of day. None of that nonsense where the only way you want to contact me is through Facebook. You know, the one that I will likely have deactivated on a random day. For real.

None of that jealousy, dudes and dudettes. It's such a killer. And all of bringing medicine in the middle of the night. No to guilt trips and fake niceness crap that's totally see-through. Yes to fighting to pay for the other person's meal. A huge Hells-Naw to gossip and secrets that fall on "exclusive" ears. (Hint: "insider info" has an uncanny way of becoming public knowledge...like, the next day.) Yes, please, to great and genuine guy-girl friendships, without the awkwardness.

Call me. Bring me flowers. Set me up on a blind date...NOT. Be on time. Tell me to get over myself. Remember my (future) kids' names. Steer me away from guys who are rude to women and elders and waitstaff. Hit me over the head if I don't listen to you.

And please, come over for some coffeecake!

I promise to listen to your first day on the job, your dissertation on economic brinksmanship policy, and even about that annoying co-worker who likes to correct your spoken grammar. And listen only. Offer only the most necessary and concise advice. (Shush. I'm working on it!)

Ooh, and guess what? I'll give you extra coffeecake to take home with you.

Because to me, food is love, and I feed those whom I love.

And I'm pretty sure I'll love ya.

;)


Coffeecake, of course, makes me think of coffee...and I was a bit surprised when the recipe didn't call for even a hint of java. Maybe it got its name because it's literally a coffeemate? I'm not so sure, but it sure is tasty.

I think next time, I might mix a bit of cocoa powder and coffee granules to the cinnamon mix. Cinnamon-Mocha Coffeecake. Mmmm. I want in.

A hint before you get started: Have your streusel topping, cake batter, and filling all prepared and ready to go. Then the coffeecake will be a breeze to assemble.

The cake batter is first.

This bakes up to be one soft, spongy base. Yum.

Try to get an even of a coverage of the cinnamon filling as possible.

Like this! Now, for the second layer of cake batter...

It gets messy. It's not going to be perfect. But that's perfectly all right.

It doesn't look pretty now, but it's literally what's on the inside that will count for this coffeecake. The swirling throughout the three layers gives the coffeecake that lovely wave from the side when it's cut. Plus, we're going to cover it all with streusel, so have at it.

Streusel. I like the sound of it, look of it, and most importantly, the taste of it.

Make plenty for your guests, serve it as fresh as possible, and leave no crumb uneaten.







Cinnamon-Streusel Coffeecake

*makes two 9-in layers OR one 9x13 cake*

Ingredients:

Streusel Topping:
- 1 1/4 Cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 6 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling:
- 1 Cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
*optional: 1 tsp coffee powder*

Cake:
- 3/4 Cup butter, unsalted
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 Cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 Cup sour cream or plain yogurt (I used vanilla)
- 1 1/4 Cups milk
- 3 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan, or two 9" round cake pans.   2) Make the topping by whisking together the sugar, salt, flour, and cinnamon. Add the melted butter, stirring till well combined. Set the topping aside.   3) Make the filling by mixing together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder. Note that the cocoa powder is used strictly for color, not flavor; leave it out if you like. Set it aside.   4) To make the cake: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, salt, sugars, baking powder, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.   5) Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   6) In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream or yogurt and milk till well combined. You don't need to whisk out all the lumps.   7) Add the flour to the butter mixture alternately with the milk/sour cream mixture, beating gently to combine.   8) Pour/spread half the batter (a scant 3 cups) into the prepared pan(s), spreading all the way to the edges. If you're using two 9" round pans, spread 1 1/3 cups batter in each pan.   9) Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter.   10) Spread the remaining batter atop the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter, as though you were making a marble cake. Don't combine filling and batter thoroughly; just swirl the filling through the batter.    11) Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.   12) Bake the cake until it's a dark golden brown around the edges; medium-golden with no light patches showing on top, and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes for the 9" x 13" pan, 50 to 55 minutes for the 9" round pans. When pressed gently in the middle, the cake should spring back.    13) Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve cake right from the pan.

Source: King Arthur Flour