{You Don’t Have to Drink Coffee: Coffee Cake}

The name ‘coffee cake’ has always disturbed me.

Why coffee cake? There’s no coffee IN the cake.

What if you don’t like coffee?

Can you not eat this cake??

MUST it be served with only coffee?

Why not ‘milk cake’? Or ‘tea cake’?

Heck, if you wanna, why not ‘Mt. Dew Cake’?

Ok, fine, I admit, that would be wrong.

So WHY Coffee Cake? I had to google.

The ALWAYS accurate Wikipedia has this to say:

A class of cakes intended to be served with coffee or for similar breaks and snacks. Under this definition, a coffee cake does not need to contain coffee. They are typically single layer cakes that may be square or rectangular like a Stollen. Coffee cakes are typically flavored with cinnamon, nuts, and fruits. These cakes sometimes have a crumbly or crumb topping called streusel and/or a light glaze drizzle. Some similarity to teacakes may be found, though teacakes are often smaller individual items served with tea.

So, they mention teacakes.

Oddly they do not mention Mt. Dew Cakes.

Nevertheless …

The Bean tells me this morning that he is in charge of Sunday School Snacks.

Really, I was better informed when he was 5. Teenage brain is not the most cooperative thing.

I decided to whip up this cake. It starts with Bisquick. Imma cheater.

Don’t tell.

Coffee Cake

cake:

1 3/4 Cup Bisquick

3/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

toss it all together in a bowl

Stir/whisk/beat until well mixed.

Pour into greased pan.

streusel:

(seriously, is that not a fun word? streusel? say it with me… streusel. hee)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

blob on half of it

then swirl through with a knife

(forgive these photos, it was early, and I hadn’t had coffee yet)

top with remaining streusel (streuuuuuuuuuuusel).

 

Bake at 375* for 20 minutes

As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle with brown sugar until coated as you like. I used about 1/4 cup.

Now.. you can serve it just like this.

But why would you want to?

Instead- make a Vanilla Sugar Glaze.

nom.

Vanilla Sugar Glaze

4 Tablespoons of Butter, melted

1 Cup Confectioners Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 Tablespoons HOT water
 

Add sugar to butter, and whisk. Add vanilla. Then thin with 2 Tablespoons of water. If it is still too thick, add the 3rd.

This should be runny, but thick enough to fully coat your spoon.

This is the same glaze I used in the Secret Cupcakes, just without the chocolate.

 

And there you have it! Coffee Cake.

Or Milk Cake.

Or Tea Cake.

Or Mt. Dew Cake.

It’s totally your call.

 

with a whisk and a dream… Tina

Shared at Gooseberry Patch 10/13/11