Everyday Cooking Adventures' Grandma Evelyn's Coffee Cake

This is my mom’s mom’s mom’s recipe for coffee cake–meaning my great-grandmother’s. My grandma learned it from her mom, and my mom learned it from her mom, and my mom taught me. I have had it at least once every couple years since I was a kid. You know that a recipe made by the past 3 generations is going to be a winner and this one won’t let you down.

Crumbs on top, ready for the oven ©Everyday Cooking Adventures 2012

I use my hands when making the crumbs because it helps to mash up the butter pieces to all of the dry ingredients and get it all squished together into crumb-like chunks.

Baking in the oven © EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

It is so sweet and cakey and I enjoy eating it for breakfast, snack time, and dessert too! The cake that my mom and I made yesterday afternoon is already down to one small square…no one can resist it! Here’s my family coffee cake:

Grandma Evelyn’s Coffee Cake © EverydayCookingAdventures 2012

Grandma Evelyn’s Coffee Cake

Recipe By: Everyday Cooking Adventures’ Grandma Evelyn, 2012
Makes: 1- 8″x8″ cake or 2-round cake pans
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45-50 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or margarine (softened at room temperature) plus 2 TBSP for crumbs
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour, sifted then measured (plus a little to make the pan non-stick)
3 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
butter or cooking spray for greasing
flour for greasing
cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine ½ cup margarine/butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 tsp salt, 3 cups flour (sifted), and 3 tsp baking powder. Out of this amount, pour about 1 1/4 cups in a medium bowl for crumbs and set aside.

2. To the first bowl add 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla.

3. Grease an 8×8 glass, square pyrex dish or 2 shallower layer cake tins with butter or cooking spray and then sprinkle with flour to make it non-stick.

4. Pour batter in the pan(s)

5. To the crumbs bowl, add ½ cup sugar, cinnamon (as much as desired), and the 2 TBSP of butter. If the crumb mixture is too fine, add a little more butter and mix until the crumb chunks are larger.

6. Carefully distribute the crumbs all over the top of the batter in the pan(s).

7. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes for layer cake tins or 35 minutes for 8×8 pan. Use toothpick to check center for doneness. Enjoy a bit of my family’s history!