Coffee cake is highly disputed pastry — mainly, what is it? Different cultures have different conceptions of the definition of coffee cake, which is part of what makes it so great.
This versatile baked good can be made in such a wide variety of ways, there is a recipe for almost everyone alive.
Let's talk a little more about coffee cake: what it is, what it isn't, how it originated, and answer the age-old question, is there coffee in a coffee cake?
Ingredients
This coffee cake is a little special, as it's made with baileys.
For the cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Baileys
- ¼ cup hot water
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ tablespoon instant coffee
For the icing:
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons Baileys
Check out our Baileys and coffee recipe for more Baileys goodness.
Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour all purpose
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup Baileys
- ¼ cup hot water
- 12 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 whole eggs
- 1.5 tablespoon instant coffee
Icing
- 2 cups sugar confectioners
- 6 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 3 tablespoons baileys
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a cake loaf pan with non-stick butter
- Start with your cake batter. Use the ingredients mentioned in the cake ingredients list. In your standing mixer, or use a bowl and hand mixer, mix the instant coffee and hot water. Mix until the coffee has dissolved.
- Add the butter and brown sugar and mix until fluffy.
- Add your eggs and beat until the eggs are mixed in well. Don’t overmix.
- Add your baileys and flour and mix until combined. Don’t overmix.
- Grab your greased cake loaf pan and pour in all the batter. Make sure to spread it out evenly.
- Put your cake in the oven for about 40 minutes. You can check with a toothpick to see if it’s well cooked. Poke with the toothpick, if it comes back with wet batter, leave in a few minutes longer, until the toothpick comes out clean. Then remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
- While your cake is cooling, prepare your icing. Mix all ingredients and mix well combined. Use a spatula and spread over the cooled cake. Enjoy!
Background
Let's answer that last question first. Does coffee cake get its name from its flavor or because it's meant to be enjoyed with a cup of coffee? As it turns out, it can be either.
British coffee cake, for example, is a simple sponge flavored with coffee. What most people know as a coffee cake is completely devoid of coffee flavoring, however.
Ask anyone on the street what coffee cake is, and you'll most likely get a variation of the same answer: usually a single layer cake, flavored with cinnamon, with a crumb topping (called streusel).
Coffee cake is a cake that wasn't created by any one person or culture, rather it gets its name from being part of a class of cakes intended to be enjoyed in the morning as a part of breakfast.
One great option for breakfast is this coffee cake muffin recipe.
It's believed by most people that modern coffee cake originated from a German/Polish cake called Streuselkuchen, German for "crumb cake". This is because the two cakes share a common thread: a sweet, crumbly topping, called "streusel" or "crumb".
When and How Do You Make Coffee Cake?
Coffee cake was popularized in the U.S. as an accompanied for that morning cup of coffee, or at least that was the intention. You won't see coffee cakes made for breakfast as much anymore, but people bake them for a variety of occasions: company, fundraisers, events, special family gatherings, and more.
The cake is typically made with butter, flour, white sugar, a flavoring agent, and baking soda. Sour cream is sometimes used in traditional coffee cakes to activate the baking soda and give the cake a more complex, sour flavor.
The streusel topping is made from butter, water, flour, and cinnamon.
As crumb cakes reached the United States, people began using cinnamon as a common flavoring for the cake. Fruit is also very commonly used for flavoring, often alone or as a complement to the cinnamon.
Variations
Because of coffee cake's versatility, it's been changed in a variety of ways to fit the palates of those who make it for its intended purpose of accompanying a meal in the morning, or for any other occasion.
Along with (or instead of) cinnamon, many fruits are used to flavor coffee cake, including apples, blueberries, strawberries, cherries, cranberries, and others.
These cakes can also be tinkered with to fit dietary restrictions and preferences. Vegan coffee cakes, paleo coffee cakes, and gluten-free coffee cakes have all been born out of the standard recipe, albeit with some tweaks.
Finally, the streusel topping isn't the only option, despite being the most popular. Nuts like almonds and walnuts, powdered sugar, and other toppings, savory or sweet, are often used.
