Double Dose Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I call this double dose because it has a sweet cinnamon sugar filling and a crisp stresuel topping - two doses of cinnamon and brown sugar. This makes the cake extra decadent and delicious. It is a firmer cake, not as moist, but it needs to be to hold up well. Enjoy for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack with coffee or tea. It is especially good warm. 

Double Dose Cinnamon Coffee Cake
TOPPING
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
FILLING
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
CAKE
3/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk

TOPPING: Mix all together until well combined.
FILLING: Mix together.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 325◦F. Grease or line a 9x13-inch rectangular baking pan. 
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the oil and vanilla. Stir in 1 cup flour, the baking powder and soda. Stir in 1/3 cup buttermilk. Stir in the remaining one cup flour than the remaining 1/3 cup buttermilk.

Spread half the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with filling. Top with remaining batter, then topping. Bake for about 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cherry Swirl Streusel Cake

This is an easy way to make a fruit streusel coffee cake, except this version is exceptionally rich and moist. You could try using a golden or spice cake mix instead for a slightly different flavor, or use a different fruit filling. If you have some homemade fruit filling or jam, use that instead. The cake batter rises up to the top, encasing the fruit filling in the middle and scattering sweet, buttery streusel all throughout the cake.

Cherry Swirl Streusel Cake
one package (two layer size) white cake mix
3 large eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water
1 can cherry pie filling
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup softened butter or hard margarine

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9x13-inch rectangular pan.
In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
Spoon the cherry pie filling over top, then swirl it into the cake batter slightly with a butter knife.
Crumble the remaining ingredients together well and sprinkle over top. Bake for about an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Banana Streusel Muffins

Banana Streusel Muffins
MUFFINS
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
3 large, overripe mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
STREUSEL
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease or line muffin tins.
STREUSEL: Crumble all ingredients together until well combined.
MUFFINS: In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then the milk and bananas. Stir in the flour, soda, and salt until just combined. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins.

This recipe is really my collaboration of two recipes - classic banana muffins and apple streusel muffins. The streusel really vamps up the taste of these banana muffins and adds a little extra sweetness, in lieu of adding chocolate chips to a banana muffin batter.

Pumpkin Pie Streusel Bars

This is one of those recipes that tastes like pumpkin pie, but is not in pumpkin pie form. This is in bar form, which is quicker and easier to bake and eat. The crust is not a traditional crust either, but a cake mix mixture which is very simple and quick, and is also used for the streusel. And of course, the filling tastes just like pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Pie Streusel Bars
1 white cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter or hard margarine, divided
1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, divided
1 can (approximately 3 cups) pumpkin pie filling
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine 1 cup cake mix, 1/4 cup of the butter, the sugar, and the cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup butter, and one egg. Press this firmly into prepared pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin pie filling, two eggs, and milk. Pour over bottom. Sprinkle with streusel mixture.
Bake for 45-50 minutes until set. 

Cranberry Coffee Cake

This may seem a little fancy and special, but is in reality easy and quick to make. Enjoy it warm or cooled with afternoon tea or coffee.

Cranberry Coffee Cake
CAKE
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup milk
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
TOPPING
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease a 9-inch tube pan.
CAKE: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then beat in the oil and milk. Stir in the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Fold in the cranberries. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
TOPPING: Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over cake.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for an hour before removing.

Paré, Jean. "Cranberry Coffee Cake." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 147.

Blueberry Cake with Coconut Pecan Streusel Topping

I apologize for the delay with this post, as this is one of my award-winning recipes from the exhibition baking competition I entered in August. This is a new blueberry recipe that appeared in the newspaper, literally the day I was looking for a new blueberry recipe. I love blueberries, they are so fresh, local, and versatile. It was blueberry season, and I was looking for an alternative to the usual blueberry recipes we use - blueberry yogurt cake, blueberry muffins, blueberry coffee cake, and blueberry squares (type any of these terms into this blog's search bar to see them). 

So I saw this recipe, which was different and really appealed to me. It begins with a moist, fluffy, white cake base. Then a thick layer of fresh blueberries. Then a layer of coconut and pecan cinnamon streusel. The streusel provides a great textural contrast, with a buttery flavor and hint of brown sugar and cinnamon. All together, the three layers make a delicious snacking, breakfast, or dessert cake that is delicious straight from the oven, cold, room temperature, or reheated. It makes a fairly good-sized cake that freezes well. Although the recipe has three layers, it is relatively quick and easy to put together, and have in the oven while eating your meal if you plan on serving it for dessert. It doesn't require anything, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a small dollop of whipped cream would add a little something extra. 

The Search for Kreibel Cake

Recently my great aunt told me about a recipe her mother used to make, which she called "kreibel cake". The spelling may be off, as may be her pronunciation, but she remembered it as being "cry-bull", as in rhyming with tribal. She believes the cake is of German origin, since her mother was German. She described to me what sounded like a German apple cake - a cake-like base with a layer of apples in the middle and a crumble topping, with no oats. It was called a cake and it was always cut into squares. My grandfather, grandmother, and my mother all remembered this cake, but because my great grandmother had always made it from memory, the recipe was never written down anywhere and never passed on. It's a shame, because they all made the cake sound so good. So using my German connections and googling skills, I set about to find the recipe, or a least something acceptably similar. 

The word kreibel and numerous variations on the spelling turned up only names of people, not desserts. Finally with much searching and help, it was concluded that kreibel is a very regional word used in Eastern Germany, basically meaning the same as streusel, which is a German word but is also commonly used in English. So kreibel cake seemed to be the equivalent of streuselkuchen, though stresuelkuchen does not necessarily contain apples, but is usually a yeast dough with a thick stresuel (butter, flour, and sugar crumble) topping. This is a bit different from traditional German apple cakes, which are more cake-like and don't always contain the streusel. I searched some recipes, trying to find the one that would be the closest, and found something else, krummeltorte, which is essentially a German apple crumble cake. I decided to try a recipe for this, and although it was absolutely delicious, everyone who had tasted the original kreibel cake agreed it wasn't the same. The kreibel cake, for example, used chopped apples, and this cake used sliced. So I will have to keep looking for the right recipe, in the meantime, I will post the recipe I used tomorrow because it is scrumptious! 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

What to do with some leftover sour cream? Make coffee cake! Not everyone's first thought, but when you think about it, ingredients such as yogurt and buttermilk are often added to muffins and cakes to make them moister. There are even some recipes entitles sour cream coffee cake and such. And boy, does the sour cream makes this coffee cake so incredibly moist, even a few days later. Combine that with a sweet cinnamon streusel and a fluffy cake base, and you've certainly got yourself a winning snack for a coffee break or afternoon tea. This is one time when chocolate as actually not needed. Thanks Mom! 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
STRESUEL
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
CAKE
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan. Mix the streusel ingredients together and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add sour cream and baking soda. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread half of batter into bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel, spread with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining stresuel. Bake for about 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Coffee Chip Streusel Muffins

My mother came across coffee-flavored chocolate chips at the grocery store the other day. I had heard of cinnamon, mint, peanut butter, even raspberry flavored chocolate chips, but never coffee. But it makes sense, it is a popular flavor combination. So I researched some recipes online and decided to try this one. 

Coffee Chip Streusel Muffins
STREUSEL
1/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted
3 Tablespoons coffee-flavored chocolate chips 
MUFFINS
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup coffee-flavored chips

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
STREUSEL: In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle in the butter, then stir in the chips.
MUFFINS: In a large bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, soda, and salt. In a separate medium bowl, mix the milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry until just combined. Gently stir in the chips. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with prepared streusel. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

“Coffee Streusel Mini Muffins.” http://www.hersheycanada.com/recipes/en/recipe-details.aspx?id=96327&name=Coffee-Streusel-Mini-Muffins. Hershey's Kitchens, n.d. Friday, September 13, 2013..

Cinnamon Bread Cake

My mother made this delicious cinnamon bread cake. I call it a cinnamon bread cake, because technically it is a cinnamon bread, but instead of baking it in a loaf pan, my mother made it in a square cake pan. This worked out really more, and now it is more like a cake! It is sweet enough to be a cake anyway. She was looking for a cinnamon fix, and cakes are easier and quicker than making cinnamon rolls, but we were looking for a new cake recipe to try. She found this bread in an old cookbook. It is light, fluffy, and full of cinnamon!

Cinnamon Bread Cake
2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
TOPPING
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x5x3 loaf pan or 9x9 inch square pan.
In a large bowl, measure all ingredient in order given. Beat for three minutes. Pour into prepared pan.
TOPPING: Mix all ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Use a knife to swirl gently. Bake for about 50 minutes, it might need less time for the square pan.

Paré, Jean. "Cinnamon Bread." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 109.

Chocolate Streusel Cake

Looking for a slightly different cake recipe, one that is not too sweet and needs no icing? One that combines the best of both worlds: chocolate  and vanilla, with a touch of cinnamon as well. This is it! Quick and easy, using simple ingredients found on hand. I highly recommend using real butter and vanilla in the cake batter, as it will make a difference in the batter. It is a light, fluffy, and delicious basic cake batter. The chocolate streusel is also delicious, and I would eat it by the spoonful. It is sweet from brown sugar, chocolaty from cocoa and a few chocolate chips, and has a nice kick of cinnamon. The nuts in it are optional. The recipe calls for baking at 375◦F, though we used a glass pan and has great success at 325◦F, though baking time is slightly longer. This is absolutely delicious warm from the oven. Don't even wait for it to cool a bit, it even cuts well when piping hot!

Chocolate Streusel Cake
CAKE
1/2 cup butter, or hard margarine, softened
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
STREUSEL TOPPING
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.
CAKE: In a large bowl, place all of the cake ingredients and beat on low until just moistened. Beat on medium speed for two minutes, until smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
STRESUEL: In a medium bowl, combine all streusel ingredients. Sprinkle over batter. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. 

My father has already made this cake twice. He came to me looking for a recipe to make for Mother's Day, as I was too busy. This immediately popped in my mind, and I promptly hunted it down in my Potluck Dishes cookbook in the "Company's Coming" series. It is funny how I have been meaning to make some items for awhile, and when they finally are made, they become a new family favorite! We may try doubling the recipe next time, one batch doesn't last nearly long enough at our house.

Paré, Jean. "Chocolate Streusel Cake." Recipe. Potluck Dishes, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2006. 148.

Blueberry Streusel Cake

There were still some fresh blueberries lingering in the fridge, so I decided to look for a recipe that specifically calls for fresh blueberries instead of frozen, because I can bake with frozen blueberries anytime. I found this tasty looking cake, which I also remember eyeing last year, but I didn't get the chance to make it then. This year I made up this cake ahead of time, and put it in the fridge for a few hours. Then it got baked later on in the day so I could enjoy it warm from the oven as a snack. It is delicious warm, but I bet it would be good at room temperature and probably quite tasty cold as well. You could serve this cake with ice cream or whipped cream if you wish, but it really doesn't need it.

Blueberry Streusel Cake
STREUSEL TOPPING
1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
CAKE BATTER
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Butter or spray an 8x8 inch square baking pan.
STREUSEL: In a small bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until crumbly.
CAKE: In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the baking powder, salt, and 1/3 cup of flour. Stir in 1/2 of the milk, then 1/3 cup flour, remaining milk, and remaining flour. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle  blueberries over top, then sprinkle with streusel. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

 "Blueberry Cake.” http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlueberryCake.html . Joy of Baking, n.d. Friday, August 24, 2012. 

Coffee Cake Muffins

Today my mother made some coffee cake muffins. I have made them a few times before myself, and I think I even used the recipe she used today, but I cannot remember for sure. This recipe is from Company's Coming "Muffins and More". Coffee cake muffins are just as they sound - muffins that are like coffee cake. It is just a basic, plain muffin batter with a brown sugar and cinnamon filling in the middle. There are numerous different recipes for coffee cake muffins, but they are all basically the same. Although some recipes sprinkle the filling just on top, or in the middle and on top (much like a coffee cake itself), this recipe just calls for the filling in the middle of the muffin. This recipe states to ensure the filling is completely covered. While doing this, somehow my mother managed to have leftover filling, so she did end up sprinkling it on top of some of the muffins. That's why some muffins look different than others in the picture. The filling did not burn or anything, and was actually quite nice on top of the muffins. Most coffee cake fillings are mostly made up of brown sugar, some butter, a hint of cinnamon, and sometimes flour and/or chopped nuts. This recipe does not have any butter in it, which I think would be a very welcome addition. Coffee cake muffins are nice, but a bit plain and dry. In order to have really good coffee cake muffins, sour cream our yogurt should be used in the batter for additional moistness, and the addition of raisins, chopped apples, or nuts adds some more flavor.

Coffee Cake Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or hard margarine
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
STREUSEL
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

STREUSEL Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400◦F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or grease them. 
In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
In a separate medium bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and egg. Add the milk and vanilla. Pour into well and stir until just moistened.
Fill each muffin cup 1/3 full. Sprinkle each with some of the streusel, then top with remaining batter (fill the cups 2/3 full). Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
The recipe yields 12 muffins, which we barely got - they are quite small. Also, be careful not to overbake the muffins.

Paré, Jean. "Coffee Cake Muffins." Recipe. Muffins & More, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 1983. 15.

Banana Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake

Here is the cake I made today for my family to snack on. It is something similar to the usually banana chocolate chip oat cake we often have around our house, but slightly different for a bit of a change. I took a recipe for a basic banana cake and changed it up to suit my family's tastes. The cake is fairly moist, sweet from the streusel, and contains just the right amount of chocolate. It is also quite quick to make, it would be a faster dish to make in place of banana chip muffins if you are pressed for time.

Banana Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake
STREUSEL
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter or hard margarine, melted
CAKE
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup overripe mashed bananas (about three large)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
STREUSEL: Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside.
CAKE: In a large bowl, beat the first four ingredients. Add the banana, mix well. Add remaining ingredients, mix until fully incorporated. 
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle evenly with streusel. 
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This delicious-looking baked good is a blueberry coffee cake. It is simple to make, but quite a crowd-pleaser, and it looks quite stunning. That is probably why my mother often makes it for company or as a gift for neighbors and friends. That's very nice of her, but since it is a full coffee cake baked in a tube pan, it might be a bit obvious if we cut a piece or two out of it to enjoy for ourselves. For that reason, our family doesn't often get a taste of this coffee cake when it is baked. We have to suffer through the tantalizing aromas of it baking, and the mouth-watering look of it cooling on a rack, but we don't get to sample it. This cake is very well-suited to give away because it is a nice size and it tastes wonderful. It is conveniently baked in one tube pan, and once it comes out of the oven and cools briefly, it can be easily dumped out onto a paper plate to finish cooling, or it can be given away warm. The cake is especially delicious warm. It would be nice with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but it really doesn't need it. The cake is chock full of blueberries (we use frozen for convenience purposes, and so it can be made all year round), and is quite moist. It has a sweet stresuel on top, made from butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The addition of blueberries makes it a bit different from a typical coffee cake, but anyone who likes blueberries will really appreciate this clever addition. I really like this coffee cake, and hopefully there will be a piece left for me this time!

Banana Streusel Muffins

This is a muffin recipe I created from several different adapted muffin recipes. It starts out with a basic muffin recipe, flavored and moistened with some mashed banana. Then add a cinnamon streusel topping. These bake into lovely, moist muffins with a crackly sweet topping.

Banana Streusel Muffins
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose (white) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (about 3 medium) mashed overripe banana
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or grease them.
In a small bowl, mix the sugar and the cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the banana, eggs, oil, and milk until smooth. Add to the well. Stir until just moistened.
Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter. Sprinkle each evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Disappearing Apple Cake

Yesterday I showed you my Apple Streusel Coffee Cake. It was soo good, and now there is barely any left! 

Today I realized that I did not include the recipe. So I will do that now. It is a bit lengthy, but totally worth it. Tomorrow, I promise I will have something new baked to show you. This is the full-sized recipe, because if it is halved, it disappears way too quickly!

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 3/4 cups milk
STREUSEL
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 cup cold butter (or hard margarine)
CAKE
3/4 cup butter (or hard margarine), softened
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Measure vinegar into 2 cup liquid measure. Add milk to equal 1 3/4 cups. Let stand for 10 minutes to sour.

STREUSEL Combine first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Makes 1 3/4 cups topping.

CAKE Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir. Combine next 4 ingredients in medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 4 additions, alternating with milk mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon 1/2 of batter into greased 9x13 inch pan. Spread evenly.

Arrange apple slices close together in single layer over batter. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup topping over apples. Spoon remaining 1/2 batter over top. Spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining streusel topping. Bake in 350◦F oven for about 55 minutes until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cuts into 15 pieces.
Paré, Jean. "Apple Streusel Coffee Cake." Recipe. Baking Simple To Sensational, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2004. 104.

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

Soft, moist cake, tender apples, and a sweet and spicy topping: it's Apple Streusel Coffee Cake! This cake is a delight to make and eat. It consists of a layer of white cake, a layer of apples, and a layer of streusel, followed by another layer of cake and another layer of streusel. The cake is very moist, with a tender crumb; the apples soften and melt into the cake; and the topping is light and full of cinnamon. I got this recipe from Company's Coming "Baking Simple To Sensational", and it is fantastic!

This recipe has several steps and layers which makes it a bit more time consuming, but I really enjoyed making it. It was relaxing and fun. Because I like to try as many different recipes as possible, and there are always several baked goods around, I halved this recipe like I do many others. Instead of using a 9x13 inch pan, I used a 9x9 inch pan. My pan was also glass, so I had to put it in at 325◦F instead of 350◦F, but because it was a smaller size, it baked in 5 minutes less. Will definitely be making this again, a fantastic fall comfort food!

Blueberry & Brown Butter Squares

Blueberry & Brown Butter Squares. If this sounds familiar to you, you are probably remembering the Brown Butter Blueberry Muffins I made on August 24. Well, these recipes are quite similar, as they use the same concept and ingredients. The muffins were so delicious, when I came across this square recipe I just had to try it! I guess blueberries and brown butter are a winning combination!

I found some significant differences in the two recipes. There is less butter used in the squares, but the butter is browned a lot longer than the muffins. The muffins call for 1/2 cup of butter cooked for 2-3 minutes until nutty smelling and browned. The squares call for 1/3 cup of butter cooked for 6-7 minutes until deep, golden brown and fragrant. The squares method is definitely the way to go. I found the brown butter taste in the blueberry muffins quite weak, but in the squares it was highly detectable, yet not overwhelming.

These squares start with a soft, moist base piled high with fresh blueberies, and finished off with a cinnamon-streusel topping. They are absolutely divine!

Banana Choco Streusel Muffins

Today I made Banana Choco Streusel Muffins, something I came up with myself. I just took a basic banana muffin recipe and mixed up a chocolate streusel to put in the middle and on the top. They turned out fabulous. They are soft, and sweet, and chock full of yummy banana. I love them. I hope you will too!

Banana Choco Streusel Muffins
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups mashed overripe banana (about three medium)
1 large egg
1/3 cup butter or hard margarine, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line twelve muffin cups with paper liners (or grease them).

In a small bowl combine the sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Mix well and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add the remaining ingredients in order. Stir until just moistened.

Using half of the batter, fill each muffin cup half full. Sprinkle a heaping teaspoon of the streusel mixture over the batter in each cup. Repeat layers. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Paré, Jean. "Basic Banana Muffins." Recipe. Mostly Muffins, Edmonton Alberta: Company's Coming Publishing Limited, 2007. 24.