The Best Coffee Cake Ever!

Thanks to Ree Drummond,  The Pioneer Woman.  But I’ll get to that :)

Some days I hate Facebook.  I mean it’s a great place to share and meet some amazing people but it’s also the source of many impulse bakes.  It’s like the dollar bins just before the cash register at most stores these days.  If you have the will power they don’t affect you but if you have a four year old staring at you with their puppy eyes, you’re weak at the knees.  Well that’s Facebook for me and this would be no exception.

All it took was someone to ask what your favourite breakfast treat was and my mind went instantly to coffee cake.  There is just something about this cake.  The moist sponge, the crumbly topping, the smell of cinnamon or the combination of all three. I just don’t know but whatever it is, I love it!

Now back in Ottawa, my friend Cindy and I also have a small addiction to The Farmer’s Market coffee cake.  I mean we love it and because of that, it’s become kind of a running joke.  Whoever is having the other over, the one visiting brings the cake.  It’s sold at Loblaws back home and I’m sure when I left, they didn’t need to keep so many in stock :) I’ve never found a suitable replacement here in Raleigh nor a good recipe…until now.

I’d never made anything from Ree’s website before but after this success, I will now go and peruse her recipe list!

Now I did make a few modifications to her recipe because that’s what I do.  I added 1 tsp of cinnamon to the cake and replaced the the walnuts with chocolate chips.

Recipe as adapted by The Pioneer Woman

The Cake:

• 1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened
• 2 cups Scant Sugar
• 3 cups Flour, Sifted
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cup Whole Milk
• 3 whole Egg Whites, Beaten Until Stiff

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until fluffy.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and set aside.
4. Add flour mixture and alternate with milk to butter mixture.
5. Fold egg whites into cake batter.
6. Pour cake batter into 12” square pan.

Topping:

• 1-1/2 stick Butter, Softened
• 3/4 cups Flour
• 1-1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Combine first 4 ingredients with a pastry cutter or fork.  Then fold in chips.
2. Cover cake batter with topping.
3. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
4. If using a smaller pan, place a baking sheet underneath as it may bake over.
5. Remove from oven and let cool before slicing.
6. Bet you can’t eat just one square…I had a really hard time with this.

So now that I have this recipe I may have to take it back to Ottawa with me in July and instead of buying one, I’ll make it for Cindy :)

Thanks for looking!