Laurie's Coffee Cake

For all my non-American friends.....


Coffee cake does not have coffee in it. It's called Coffee Cake because you have it with coffee.


The first time we were in the US, we sat round a table for brunch. After our other 'eats', a coffee cake was taken out onto the table.


'There you go, have some coffee cake.'


Coffee cake?! Eeek. Neither the Builder nor myself like coffee cake (cake with coffee in it). And so, we look at each other. Yes, our eyes meet across the table.... and we think, 'Oh boy, we can't even fob the cake off on our kids, cos they don't like coffee flavour either'.


I catch his eye, and silently ask, 'Are you going to be a loving and sacrificial and take a piece?'


He replies. 'There you go, Anne. You take that piece. I'm kinda full myself.'


Someone remind me again why I married this guy.


But who had the last laugh?!


Once I began to eat this cake, I realised that whatever it was, it had no coffee in it.


Fast forward two years and Laurie comes into the kitchen one Saturday and says she's going to bake a coffee cake.


Of course, our memories of that coffee cake have disappeared, so....  how do we tell her we don't like coffee cake?


'Cinnamon Coffee Cake', she says.


Oh, we love the cinnamon part. But does she have to put coffee in it?


Well, all you Americans know that a cinnamon coffee cake is a cinnamon cake you eat with coffee. It is not a cake in which there is cinnamon and coffee.


Here's the recipe:


Streusel topping
11/2 cups soft brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
2 tblsp cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened but not melted


Combine ingredients with a fork and set aside.


11/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
3 cups plain flour


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light.


Then beat in the eggs and continue to mix until mixture no longer appears curdled.


Stir in salt and baking powder.


Then alternatively add flour and milk. (Add some more milk if the batter is too thick.)


Spread half the cake batter in a greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan.


Sprinkle with half the streusel topping. Repeat layers once more.


Bake at 170C for about an hour.


I'm sorry I don't have any photos of this cake, but no kidding, this baby disappears in this house so quickly - often before it's cooled down properly.


It came to the stage that poor Laurie thought she really couldn't arrive at our house without one of "Laurie's Cakes"! Never again will it be known as coffee cake in this house. Nor even as Cinnamon cake.


It is delicious, and it is called Laurie's Cake. 


Seeing as I don't have any photos of the cake, I'll leave you with a photo of what I have out my window right now.

(Three more sleeps until DR is home. I'm rejoicing. He, er.... well, let's leave that one, shall we...)