What We All Need Is More Butter

I had a crazy, hectic weekend, so I never got around to posting those picnic recipes. I will, though! Not to worry! I know it's getting down to the wire with picnic weather, so they will be up sometime this week.

Today, however, the baby and I have had a rough time and I think this calls for comfort food. On Saturday I made a coffee cake to take to work for my anti-chocolate co-worker (can you believe what I just typed? She's crazy!) and it was divine. So much so that I think I must share the recipe with you before I run off to make another pan of it. Because we all need some butter and sugar when we are down and hurty.

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Simple and moist...make me for breakfast!

The Cake:
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature*
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 and 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk, room temperature

The Topping:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter (1/2 stick)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease and lightly flour a 9x13 baking dish.
-Cream together the butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
-Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add vanilla and mix well.
-In a seperate bowl stir together the dry ingredients.
-Add dry ingredients a little at a time, alternating with the milk until all is incorporated.
-In a small bowl stir together the cinnamon, flour and brown sugar. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse, sandy crumbs.
-Spread half the cake batter into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with half the crumb mixture and press down lightly into the batter. Spread the remaining batter over the top of the first layer and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
-Bake 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done in center with a toothpick. Cut into squares when warm or cool completely and cut.

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A couple of tips and hints:

-Eggs will give greater volume when they're brought to room temperature before using them in recipes. Set them out to come up to room temperature just before adding them to your cake recipes or when making meringues. It's not absolutely necessary to do so, so you can still add them cold if you'd like.

-The original recipe calls for 1/3 cup sliced almonds to be sprinkled on top with the cinnamon topping. I didn't use them so I didn't put them in the recipe, but you're welcome to add them back in. I also think this would be lovely with chopped pecans in place of almonds.

-On the subject of nuts: some people are severely allergic to nuts and can even have problem with foods prepared in the vicinity of nuts, so let people know if you've added them to a dish you'll be sharing.