Coffee cake

Does this recipe include things from the CSA share? Not necessarily...but it's fantastic and easy, and allows for a lot of creative freedom.

While I was growing up my stepmom would make a great coffee cake - but when I tried to make it a few years ago, it came out like a dry brick. I probably baked it too long; it seems that every apartment I have is cursed with an oven that runs hot. After the research assistant in my lab, Donna, brought in what was an incredibly tasty coffee cake, I had to try again. This is the kind of coffee cake you could eat many, many pieces of and just want to keep eating. I asked her for the recipe, and she knew it off the top of her head - clearly, this is a classic in her house.

I've played with the recipe a bit, but only in terms of the coffee cake flavoring. Cinnamon sugar is traditional (and delicious), but you can substitute other spices, or even fruit, between the layers of cake. The version in this picture? Rhubarb compote in the bottom filling layer, then a mixture of white and turbinado sugars and cinnamon in the top two layers. P says this one is the best one yet. Trust me: you'll want to lick the plate.

Donna's coffee cake

for the cake:
1 cup butter (2 sticks, or half a pound)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

for the sugar/spice filling:
3/4 cups sugar (half white sugar and half brown works well)
2 tsp cinnamon (substitute any other of your favorite spices)
optional: 1/4 cup toasted chopped nuts

Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Dissolve the baking soda into the sour cream. Add 1/3 of flour and baking powder to mixture, then half of sour cream mixture; alternate flour and sour cream, ending with flour and baking powder. Mix only until ingredients are just moistened after each addition - do not overbeat. Combine the sugar(s), spice(s), and nuts in a small bowl.

Pour 1/3 of the mixture into a greased tube pan or bundt pan. (A tube pan works better for getting the cake out and not losing any of the topping.) Sprinkle 1/3 of the sugar mixture over the batter. Layer the batter and sugar twice more, ending with a layer of sugar on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 55 - 60 minutes. Be sure to watch it carefully - test the cake 10 minutes early to ensure you do not overbake.

Some possible alternatives:
- Cardamom instead of (or combined with) cinnamon; a dash of fresh-ground (always fresh-ground) nutmeg would be a tasty addition, as well.
- Try using sugar with larger crystals (such as Demerara) or darker color (like a dark-brown sugar), or even granulated maple sugar in the sugar filling.
- Toasted slivered almonds, with an additional 1/2 tsp of almond extract, makes for a more almond-flavored cake. Almond paste in one of the layers could also be a delicious addition.
- Berries, or compote, spread into one of the layers. Be sure it's not too wet - this will interfere with the cooking of the cake.