Prize Coffee Cake

This is the coffee cake you make on a Saturday morning when you want something warm and sweet without pulling out the stand mixer or hunting for specialty ingredients. One bowl, basic pantry staples, and a cinnamon brown sugar topping that caramelizes into a crackly, sweet crust in the oven.

The batter comes together by hand. Sugar and softened margarine get mixed thoroughly with the egg, then flour, baking powder, salt, and skim milk get stirred in. No sifting, no alternating dry and wet, no complicated technique. Just stir until combined and pour into the pan.

That brown sugar and cinnamon topping sprinkled over the raw batter before baking is what earns this one its name. As the cake rises, the topping partially sinks and partially stays on the surface, creating pockets of molten cinnamon sugar throughout the crumb and a sweet, lightly crunchy top.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and makes coffee cake tough and dense instead of tender.
• Softened margarine is a must. Cold margarine leaves lumps that won’t distribute evenly and create greasy pockets.
• Start checking at 25 minutes. A toothpick in the center should come out clean. The topping can make it hard to judge doneness by color alone.
• Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting. It’s fragile when hot.

Variations

• Add ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans to the cinnamon sugar topping for crunch.
• Swirl 2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese into the batter for a tangy ribbon through the center.
• Fold in ½ cup fresh blueberries for a fruit-studded summer version.