Coffee Cakes Galore

So, I realized I had a bit of a late start, since I waited to get my background up to start some posting, so I have some catching up to do. I'll be doing new posts quite frequently until I can get caught up to the now. So now, where were we? Ah yes, the second lesson in my baking class was coffee cake. Mmm...probably THE best breakfast baked good EVER. All that brown sugar, all that streusel, all that BUTTER. To top it off, we added sour cream to our recipe, making the coffee cake more moist and flavorful and THAT much better. In fact, it was so good, when my mom tried it she asked me to make it again for breakfast that Friday (actually, she asked me to start making breakfast EVERY Friday to get some practice, to which I happily agreed). I admit, the picture does the coffee cake no justice at all (my group had to use a camera phone pic since none of us was equipped with an actual camera), but you get the idea.

Well, guess it doesn't look that bad...but it doesn't look as good as it looks when you cut into it. I'll have to make it again soon and show you a better picture.

Here's the recipe: Again, in weight measurement, which I know isn't ideal for some people, but if you have a scale, I suggest you give it a try! Also, a side note: the recipe says to use room temperature eggs. When doing this, don't leave your eggs out for a while to make them room temp...they may go wrong. If you put them in a bowl and run hot water over them and let them sit in the hot water for one minute, you'll have your room temp eggs!

Butter, room temp. 8 oz.
Sugar 4 oz.
Brown Sugar 4 oz.

Eggs, room temp. 5 oz.
Vanilla extract 1 tsp.

Pastry flour 10 1/2 oz. (Again, I used all purpose and it worked just fine)
Baking soda 1 tsp.
Baking powder 1 tsp.

Sour cream 8 1/2 oz.

So first you dump your butter, sugar, and brown sugar in your mixer (use the paddle attachment if you have it), and cream together until light and fluffy. Then you add the eggs in stages. Add one-half your eggs, then mix to incorporate it into your sugar mixture, then add the rest and mix again. Add your vanilla. Then sift together your dry ingredients (your flour, baking soda, and baking powder). Now all you have left are your dry ingredients and your sour cream. What you do next is add them, alternating between dry and liquid. So you add half of your dry ingredients to the mixer until it's well blended. Then you'll add your sour cream and mix until THAT'S blended. Then you add the rest of your dry ingredients. Only mix until it's all evenly incorporated. We don't want to over mix it.

Aaaaand, here are the recipes for the cinnamon streusel that goes in the middle and the streusel crumb topping:

Cinnamon Streusel

All purpose flour 2 oz.
Brown sugar 4 oz.
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp.
Butter, melted 3 oz.

Combine the dry ingredients. Stir in the melted butter until crumbly.

Streusel Crumb Topping

All purpose flour 4 oz.
Brown Sugar 3 1/2 oz.
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp.
Salt 1/8 tsp.
Butter, firm 3 oz.

Combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until crumbly.

Now all that's left to do is pour half of your butter in a greased and floured pan, add the streusel, pour the other half of the batter, and sprinkle your crumb topping on top! Bake it in your conventional oven for approximately 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees, and BAM, you have scrumptious sour cream streusel coffee cake!

That wasn't so hard...this blogging business, on the other hand...I need to get a move on, yeah?