by Nina Simonds
from Spices of Life
(Knopf, 2005)
Serves 10 to 12
My Aunt Pauline used to bake this traditional Jewish cake for special occasions. It’s commonly served at the meal following Yom Kippur or Shavuot, two holidays in the fall, and on Sabbath afternoons. My son adores it, so I bake it for special breakfasts and tea. You can add 1 1/4 cups of apple or pear slices or blueberries to the middle with the streusel for extra flavor.—Nina Simonds
convert Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter for greasing the cake pan
For the streusel topping
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
For the coffee cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or whole-milk plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
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Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Butter a 9-inch Bundt or tube pan or a 9-inch springform pan.
2. To make the Streusel Topping, mix together the brown and white sugars, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a knife or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
3. Sift or mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a hand-held electric mixer or by machine, beat the 1/2 cup butter and the sugar in another bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Break in the eggs and beat lightly for another minute. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture and beat evenly.
4. Pour a little less than half of the batter into the Bundt pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle in half of the streusel. Add the remaining batter, covering the streusel, and sprinkle the top with the remaining streusel.
5. Bake the cake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester or a knife comes out clean. Set on a rack and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert onto a dinner plate and serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe © 2005 by Nina Simonds. All rights reserved.
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[Mary Capps] This coffee cake was absolutely wonderful. At first, the manner of adding ingredients seemed a bit fussy for a cake batter, but it was well worth it. The cake was moist, delicious, and not too sweet. After having made it once, I think preparing it in the future will go much more quickly and it will be prepared again!
[Dede Eran] So I asked, “How could this recipe be any better than the half-dozen coffee cake recipes in my file?” Well, it just is. This was absolutely the lightest, fluffiest, and tastiest coffee cake yet. My husband loved it so much I was not allowed to give any away to the neighbors. Easy to make and a lovely addition to the “afternoon tea” collection.
[Jeremy Schweitzer] I made this cake for a family gathering, and although the number of servings was correct, my family didn’t think it was enough. The cake had great texture and flavor and was very easy to make. Next time I’ll try adding the apples as suggested in the introduction.
[Tracy Hahn-Burkett] The best thing about this cake is that it is so easy to make. Also, my house smelled fantastic while it was baking. When I tried it warm from the oven, I found it to be very light with a fluffy texture, which was complemented nicely by the crunch of the streusel. I could easily imagine putting apples or blueberries in the middle of the cake as suggested by the author; apples in particular would work well.