Mention coffee cake and images of Grandma’s house sitting around the table with a fresh baked streusel cake and lots of family chatter. It’s doubtful that many of the cakes considered coffee cake today actually contain coffee. Some recipes do and some don’t. Many consider a crumb cake served with coffee a coffee cake while others insist that the recipe contain coffee to be considered a coffee cake.

History

The coffee cake as it is today is an evolution across time and continents. Cakes have been being baked since the Biblical days of honey cakes. Next came what is known as the fruitcake, a culinary invention of the French known as galettes. These same galettes led to sweetened yeast breads or rolls which finally evolved into Danish coffee cakes that were made with coffee.

As time progressed and recipes changed and were handed down there were inevitable alterations. Perhaps more coffee was added or even taken out all together. By the time the late 1800’s rolled around the coffee cake was a household name in America with countless numbers of recipes and variations with most being either streusel, crumb or streusel-crumb combination.

Today’s coffee cake hasn’t changed that much from those of the late 1800’s. The recipes have been changed and there are literally thousands of variations, but overall, it is still either a crumb cake or a streusel cake or some combination. Add pot of piping hot coffee and no one really cares what it’s called.

Following are two recipes for simple yet scrumptious coffee cakes. Bake one up and gather the family together and swap stories while enjoying great food and even greater company.

Simply Cinnamon Coffee Cake

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Dash of salt
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup shortening
• 1 small can evaporated milk Topping
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup sugar, mixed with the cinnamon
• ¼ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk. Pour half of batter into greased 8x8 inch pan. Sprinkle with half the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Pour remaining batter into pan and sprinkle with the other half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Add chopped nuts, if desired. Bake in 350-degree oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Serves 10-12.

Chocolate Swirl Coffee Cake

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ¼ pound butter
• 1 small can or bottle chocolate syrup

Topping

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup sugar, mixed with the cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, stirring until fully blended. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Add vanilla and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into greased 8x12 inch pan. Cut chocolate syrup into batter in pan (using knife to cut into a decorative pattern). Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar topping. Bake in 375-degree oven for 35 minutes. Serves 10-12.