I’ve just returned from another trip to see our daughter in Seattle, where the most requested Mom-made treats are apple pie, molasses oat bread, and this cinnamon streusel coffeecake. They mostly avoid sweets and bread – a grocery trip is always required before any baking – so they’re always anxious for the rare appearance of anything made with sugar and flour. I think they like my company too, but first…”can you make apple pie?” My 3-year-old granddaughter manages to separate the cinnamon-sugar filling from this coffeecake and eat just that, but everybody else enjoys the cakey part too, especially while it’s still just a little bit warm from the oven. Melt a pat of butter on top, pour the coffee for the grownups and milk for the kids, and listen to the satisfied mmmms.
There’s nothing complicated here. You can stir this together by hand if you don’t have a mixer. The only trick is to add a couple of tablespoons to the last half of the batter so it’s easier to distribute. It seems like a lot of streusel but use it all. As with any recipe where cinnamon is a star, Vietnamese cinnamon is worth finding but don’t let that keep you from making it. Use what you have. Although I don’t usually put them in, nuts are an optional addition.
– Joan, 16 November 2018
Cinnamon streusel coffeecake
For the batter:
- 1½ cups (288 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (114 grams) butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (241 grams) milk
- 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the streusel:
- 1 cup (192 grams) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons quality cinnamon
- ¼ cup (57 grams) butter, melted
- 1 cup (113 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped, optional
Preheat oven to 350°F . Grease a 9″x13″ pan.
To make the streusel, mix the melted butter with the brown sugar. Stir flour and cinnamon together, along with nuts if you’re using them. (To toast nuts, spread in a single layer and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown. Cool and chop.) Mix with butter/brown sugar and set aside.
For the batter, cream sugar and soft butter, then mix in eggs and milk. Blend flour with baking powder and salt. Stir into sugar/butter/eggs/milk. Spread half of batter in 9″x13″ pan, distribute half of streusel over it. Stir a tablespoon or two of milk into remaining batter, then pour it over the batter and streusel in the pan. Top with remaining streusel. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Best served just slightly warm, with a pat of butter melting onto the top of each piece. Yum!
