No Longer Top Secret! My Great-Great-Grandmother's Coffee Cake

This recipe is perfect for Easter morning, or any morning for that matter. The posting of this recipe will send shock waves through my family if they find out about it. I have no idea why, but the recipe was such a closely guarded secret that my grandmother didn't know my mother had it, and I had to steal it from my own mother. ;)

Of course, I am breaking that ridiculous tradition. My great-great-grandmother's coffee cake:

This recipe makes a very dense cake that is not overly sweet. The topping provides a wonderful, sweet bite with the cinnamon and sugar topping that melts and caramelizes with the butter as it bakes. It's a tradition that needs to be shared and enjoyed. The fact that it takes minutes to make is a plus.

The ingredients are basic.
For the cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 Tbs melted butter
• 1 cup milk

For the topping:

• 2 Tbs flour
• 2 Tbs cinnamon
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 3 Tbs butter

Sift the dry ingredients:


Add the melted butter and milk and stir with a wooden spoon:


The dough will be quite stiff and will pull away from the bowl and form a ball:


Press the dough into a greased cake pan:


Put the topping ingredients in a separate bowl:


With a fork, cut the topping ingredients until there are small pieces of crumble:



Sprinkle that on top of the cake dough and press indentions with your fingers so the topping will go down through the cake:


Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Then, ditch the coffee. Pop open a bottle of champagne and make a mimosa!


Here's a toast! To my great-great-grandmother! May everyone now enjoy her simply wonderful, easy, delicious coffee cake!

Join me as I dine...

Paula