Anyone who knows me knows that I love coffee. The smell of freshly ground coffee beans wafting through the house as my coffee drips into the warming carafe is energizing. The scent of a coffeeshop makes me smile and exhale out all the stress of the day, knowing I am about to get a cup of goodness. When the 3:00pm slack hits, I know it is time for a coffee break.
Anyone who knows me also knows that I enjoy a good dessert too. And when those two things I love- dessert and coffee- can be brought together, it makes me pretty happy. So, when thinking about coffee desserts and what would go well for a coffee themed artisan box (hint hint!), I decided that coffee cake would be the most appropriate recipe to share this month.
This coffee cake recipe is not my own but is my go- to recipe. I changed the topping to a crumble that I personally enjoy because it has just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar to crust around the edges and give it the right amount of crumb that any decent coffee cake deserves to have. I do recommend halving the crumble recipe topping if you don’t like your cake overly sweet, or if you want to ensure that the crumble does get a little crispy. This is perfect for breakfast or even as a nice dessert to go with your after- dinner coffee.
Batter mix:
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Middle Layer:
- 2-3 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Topping:
- 1/2 c flour
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1-2 tsp cinnamon (I like more!)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 c butter cold, cut into pieces
- 1/4 c chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease an 8×8” baking pan.
- Combine topping ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
- Mix 2-3 tsp cinnamon and ¼ c sugar (middle layer ingredients) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg and mix. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix just until combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into prepared pan and smooth into a bottom layer.
- Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture (“middle layer”) over the top. Spoon remaining batter on top and smooth into an even layer.
- Sprinkle topping mixture over the top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with few crumbs.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
I hope you enjoy this coffee cake as much as I do! It can easily be doubled for a larger gathering or to enjoy left overs the next day.Don’t forget to pair it with a nice, smooth fair-trade coffee.
Written by Laura Beiler, GlobeIn Maven
Laura is a doctoral candidate and resident in counseling in the state of Virginia. She spends her free time blogging and baking desserts for her husband and four children.*Cover photo image credit: www.asideofsweet.com
