Christmas Coffee Cake

I have a recipe that I have been making for over 40 years that to my knowledge has been well received by anyone that has tasted it. I make this coffee cake other times of the year but I have always made sure to make it for Christmas Brunch. Here is the recipe and I hope that whomever you make it for loves it as much as my family does.

Christmas Coffee Cake

Preheat Oven 350°

 

Cake

½  Cup Butter*

½  Cup Sugar*

1 Cup Sour Cream or a Non/Low-Fat French Vanilla Yogurt*

2 Eggs Unbeaten

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Cups Flour*

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

Cream butter and sugar, add sour cream/yogurt. Add 1 egg at a time blending thoroughly. Add the vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and gradually add them to the batter.

Topping

2/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Butter (cold)*

1 Cup Chopped Pecans*

Put the brown sugar and cinnamon together with the butter. Tip: I cut the butter into small pieces. Put the ingredients in a food processor and process with an on/off technique to incorporate the butter into the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir in the pecans but don’t process.

Pour ½ of the batter in a 9” spring form pan. Sprinkle with ½ the topping. Then put the rest of the batter over that and sprinkle the rest of the topping. Put in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

If you can wait, which my family doesn’t seem to be able to, let it cool. Then serve.

What do all those *’s mean? Those are places that I have been able to alter the recipe to accommodate changes in diet or allergies.

Here is the list of substitutions I have used:

Butter – Use a good stick of margarine in place of the butter for lower fat and lactose intolerance.

Sugar – I only use a ½ cup of sugar so the batter isn’t too sweet. The topping is enough.  If you would like the cake sweeter, you can go up to 1 cup.

Sour Cream/Yogurt – If there is a lactose intolerance a soy yogurt can be used.

Flour – To make this coffee cake gluten free I use 2-1/4 cups of gluten free flour.

Pecans – Toasted Walnuts are also good. If there is a nut allergy leave them out and add more brown sugar as desired.

Season’s Greetings to all of you.