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The best coffee cake



Until very recently, I thought a coffee cake meant a coffee flavored cake. Go ahead, laugh all you want - I was quite confused when I saw all those nut and cinnamon cakes with not a drop of coffee in sight. So that's when I realized we were talking about cakes you eat with coffee. Cakes usually topped with a delicious buttery crumble mixture. This first coffee cake I baked also happens to be my best cake so far. I can't personally vouch for this being the best coffee cake in the world, but who am I to argue when the Pioneer Woman says so.

It's also pretty simple to put together. I halved the original recipe to fit my 7 inch round pan but remember that it calls for 3 eggs so it might be a bit tough to halve (I spilled half an egg white when separating eggs so you can say it was purely accidental in my case).

For the cake layer, you soften 75 grams salted butter and cream it with 2/3 cup sugar. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour and 2 tsp baking powder. Measure out 1/2 cup milk. Add 1/3rd of flour+baking powder to the creamed butter, mix , then add 1/3rd the milk you have and mix to combine. Similarly add the rest of the flour and milk in stages until it is all mixed in. In another clean bowl, beat 1 1/2 egg whites until stiff. Drop the egg whites on top of the cake mixture and gently fold them in. Line a 7 inch round tin with parchment and spread the batter.

Now we make the crumble topping. This is different from what Ree did so pay a little attention. Soften 75 grams butter. Mix with 1/2 cup flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, a tbsp of cinnamon and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts. Now add 1/3 cup rock sugar - I don't really know what it's called but these are large brown chunks of sugar, almost like candy. And they are what made the cake topping so special by adding that butterscotch like crunch.

Sprinkle/spread the crumble topping on the cake batter and bake at 180C for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with no crumbs sticking to it. I let it cool a little before trying to take the cake out of the pan but it was still very very soft so be a little careful when cutting it into slices.
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Comments

Indian Khana said…
Looks yum...never tried coffee cake yet..
June 27, 2010 at 4:05 PM
notyet100 said…
looks delicious,..
June 27, 2010 at 7:10 PM
Nora said…
I made the same mistake - and still get put off when I see 'coffee cake' (not being a coffee fan). I must learn to remember that they are usually scrumptious looking things, such as this one. Looks delicious.
June 28, 2010 at 3:15 AM
RV said…
Even I had that perception on Coffee cake Sims, so you are not alone. This looks really delicious and I will have it anytime of the day
June 30, 2010 at 1:21 AM
Unknown said…
Now that even you've endorsed this cake, I'm making it, like, now!!
July 3, 2010 at 1:06 AM
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