Best Coffee Cake Recipes: Streusel Coffee Cake

By Sirena Van Schaik

No matter where you go, there is always a coffee cake handy. You can find coffee cakes at grocery stores, coffee shops or even at the homes of family and friends. There is just something about the wonderful taste of a coffee cake that leaves people with their mouths’ watering and them dreaming of a calorie free coffee cake.

Of course, I haven’t provided you with one here but everyone can enjoy a little decadence now and then and if it can be eaten with a wonderful coffee or two, all the better.

This recipe is the ideal coffee cake streusel recipe. It has the wonderful taste, which has a hint of cinnamon, a touch of nuts and the mouth-watering sugars. It also has the crunchy topping, the sweet center and the sticky glaze. It is fairly easy to create and even the most inexperienced of bakers should be able to recreate this wonderful coffee cake.

What you need:

For the Cake:

• 1½ cups of flour
• 1½ tbsp of baking powder
• ½ cup of shortening
• 1¼ tsp of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1½ cups of milk

For the Center:

• ½ cup of walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp of cinnamon
• ½ cup of dark brown sugar, firmly packed

For the Topping:

• ½ cup of flour
• 1 cup of white sugar
• ¼ cup of butter, unsoftened

For the Glaze:

• ¼ cup of hot water
• 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
• ¼ cup of butter, softened
• 1 tsp of vanilla

Directions:

For the Cake:

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set to the side
2. In a small bowl, blend together the milk and eggs. Slowly add the shortening, mixing with an electric hand mixer set on medium for about one minute.
3. Slowly fold the wet mixture in with the flour. Blend completely.
4. Set to the side.

For the Center:

1. In a medium sized bowl, blend together the cinnamon and brown sugar.
2. When it is well mixed, fold in the chopped walnuts.
3. Set aside.

For the Topping:

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and sugar.
2. Using a pastry tool or two butter knives, cut the butter into the flour/sugar mixture.
3. Mix until the mixture is well blended and crumbly.
4. Set to the side.

For the Baking:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Grease and lightly flour two 9 inch pans, round works best.
3. Take the cake batter and pour one quarter of it into one of the cake pans.
4. Repeat with the second cake pan. You should still have half of the cake batter in the bowl and one quarter in each pan. Set the batter to the side.
5. Sprinkle the center mixture over each cake pan, creating an even crumb batter on top of the flour batter. You should use half of the mixture for one cake and half for the other.
6. Spread the remaining cake batter over the center mixture in both cake pans using a quarter of the cake batter per pan.
7. Take the topping and sprinkle it evenly over the top of both cake pans. Use half on each cake pan.
8. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick in the center of the pan comes away clean.
9. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

For the Glaze:

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine the vanilla and sugar.
2. Slowly blend in the butter and mix until well blended.
3. Add water to the sugar mixture slowly. The best way is to add a tablespoon at a time, mixing it together after each tablespoon of water.
4. Only use enough water to create a slightly runny consistency. It should be thin enough to spread but not too thin where it runs off the cake and does not cling to it. Sometimes you will need to use more than ¼ cup and sometimes you won’t need as much. Never use more than ½ cup of water.
5. Drizzle over the coffee cake when it is still warm (not hot).
6. Serve with coffee and other treats.

It may seem like this recipe is really hard but it isn’t. It just has a few steps but once you start making it, you shouldn’t take more than 15 to 20 minutes for preparation and 35 minutes for baking, which makes it a fast and delicious treat.