Warm and Crumbly Coffee Cake
When making this coffee cake, you will learn how to swap modern flour for Spelt—an ancient, healthier grain—and use Sucanat as a more nutritious alternative to white sugar. You'll also learn three expert tips for baking a warm and crumbly coffee cake that you can enjoy for breakfast, dessert, or a tea-time treat in your traditional foods kitchen.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- 1 Medium mixing bowl
- 9-inch cake pan or springform pan
- 1 wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- 1 baking sheet lined with parchment paper If using a springform pan, a baking sheet will catch any leaks.
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 cup All-Purpose Spelt flour
- 1/2 cup Whole-Grain Spelt flour freshly ground, if possible
- 3/4 cup Unrefined whole cane sugar Sucanat
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine ground sea salt
- 1/2 cup Whole milk
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 Large egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Cinnamon Sugar Topping Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup All-Purpose Spelt flour
- 1/4 cup Unrefined whole cane sugar Sucanat
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar optional, for added depth
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Confectioners sugar (icing sugar) optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch baking pan or a 9-inch springform pan. If using a springform pan, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any potential drips. (A springform pan makes it easy to remove the cake while keeping the sides intact for a beautiful presentation.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose Spelt flour, whole-grain Spelt flour, unrefined whole cane sugar (Sucanat), baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix the milk, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. A key tip here is to avoid over mixing, especially with spelt, to keep the cake tender and soft!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spread it out evenly, and smooth the top.
- Place the filled pan into the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. In a small bowl, mix the Sucanat, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With clean hands, work the butter into this mixture until it appears crumbly like wet sand with bits of pieces of butter throughout. (See video.)
- After the cake has baked for 20 minutes, open the oven door and carefully sprinkle the topping on top of the batter. This will create a perfectly golden top and eliminate any chance of burning.
- Continue baking the cake for an additional 15-20 minutes (for a total of 35-40 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the coffee cake is finished baking, turn off the oven and transfer the pan to a cooling rack.
- If using a springform pan, carefully release the sides after about 10 minutes of cooling.
- If desired, dust the coffee cake with one teaspoon of confectioner's sugar (icing sugar).
- Enjoy this cake warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Find this recipe and video at https://marysnest.com/how-to-make-a-warm-and-crumbly-coffee-cake/
For more traditional foods recipes and a guide to build your traditional foods kitchen, get my bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook, at https://marysnest.com/my-cookbook/
Free and comprehensive lesson plans to teach traditional food recipes and kitchen techniques to students K-12, download The Modern Pioneer Cookbook Curriculum at https://marysnest.com/cookbook-curriculum/
Copyright © 2024 Mary's Nest, LLC, All Rights Reserved
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