Classic Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake (small batch)

 

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake. You might think if you are a single person or a pair of empty nesters that this is off the menu for you, unless you are eating out and pick up a piece in a bake shop.

By coffee cake here, I mean a cake that is meant to be enjoyed with coffee, not a coffee flavored cake. They are two very different things.

This very classic coffee cake recipe is a sturdy pound cake type of cake, with a moist rich batter and a crisp and crumbly sweet cinnamon sugar and nut crumble topping. It is a very North American thing.

 

This recipe I am sharing today was adapted from the cookbook entitled, The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook, by America's Test Kitchen.  If you are a single person or a couple of empty nesters, I cannot recommend this book more highly.

Everything I have cooked from it has worked out perfectly.  My adaptations today include converting the measurements to UK measures.  I know how frustrating it is to have a recipe in measurements you don't understand.

Having said that, I love to bake by weight, and I always do as it is much more accurate than baking by volume. A gram is always a gram is always a gram.

 

Rich and buttery, this cake is especially sized for just two people to enjoy. Its quite a generous size for two people however. You can each enjoy a slice on the day and then another slice the day afterwards!

In this recipe the butter is cut back to give you a cake that is not greasy, but still rich.  Buttermilk is used to create the same rich and moist results that are usually present in a full sized coffee cake.

I am a person that loves nothing more than to sit down mid morning with a nice hot cup of herbal tea and a piece of cake.  I don't drink regular teas and coffees, but this is a cake that would also go admirably well with one of those hot drinks also.

It is also a cake that would work very well for breakfast. Cake for breakfast?  Count me in!

 

It is recommended that you use a six in round cake tin for this cake, which I just happen to have.  Don't worry if you don't have one however!

An 8 by 4 inch loaf tin will also work. Do note it is not meant to rise up to fill the loaf tin.   It will still be a regular cake, just longish instead of round, ready to cut into 4 delicious slices.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CINNAMON STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE (SMALL BATCH)

Simple baking cupboard ingredients that most of us always have in the cupboard.

For the Streusel:

• 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1 TBS butter, softened
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup (40g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

 

For the cake:

• 3/4 cup (75g) all purpose plain flour, unsifted
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large free range egg, at room temperature
• 2 TBS butter, melted and cooled

 

About the only thing you might not have is the buttermilk, but that isn't really a problem. You can substitute the butter milk by whisking together 3 TBS of whole milk yogurt and 1 TBS of milk.

You can also add 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup (120ml) of milk, and leave it to clabber.  You won't need the full amount for this recipe.

You can also use powdered buttermilk reconstituted to make liquid buttermilk.

You might be reluctant to buy a whole liter of buttermilk for fear of it being wasted, but did you know that  you can easily freeze buttermilk?  Here is how:

Place some small paper cups  (Double them so they are not flimsy.) on a baking tray. Fill each cup with 1/2 cup/120ml of butter milk and place the baking try in the freezer.

Once it is frozen, you can wrap each cup in some plastic cling film, placing all the frozen cups in a strong zip lock freezer bag.  When you know you are going to need some buttermilk, simply thaw in the refrigerator prior to using.

 

HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE (SMALL BATCH)

This is a cake that goes together in a very similar way to a muffin batter, except you want the batter to be smooth, and there is a streusel topping which is created separately.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*c/ gas mark 4. Butter a six inch round cake tin and line with baking paper. Butter the paper and lightly dust with flour, shaking out any excess.

Make the streusel. Mix the flour, both sugars and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Drop in the butter. Rub everything together with your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Fork in the nuts and set aside.

 

To make the cake whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.

Whisk the buttermilk, both sugars, egg and melted butter together in a beaker. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and gently fold together to combine thoroughly.

Scrape into the prepared cake tin, smoothing over the top. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over top of the cake batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through the bake time. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes longer prior to serving. I like to dust a bit of icing sugar on top to pretty it up to serve, but this is not necessary.

 

I was extremely pleased with how this simple cake turned out.  The crumb was moist, tender and well flavored.   The streusel topping, buttery, crunchy and sweet.

Slices of this would also be lovely served as a dessert with some fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream.  But really, its pretty gorgeous just as it is!

If you love cakes that are meant to be enjoyed with a hot drink, might I also suggest the following:

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CAKE - This is another small batch recipe. Baked in a loaf tin it yields a delicious cake with a moist and tender crumb, studded with plenty of fresh blueberries. Topped with a moreishly crunchy streusel topping and a sweet lemon drizzle glaze.

GLAZED CHERRY COFFEE CAKE - A lovely and moist sour cream vanilla cake, studded with pockets of sweet cherry filling and drizzled with a lush almond drizzle icing.  This makes for a perfect breakfast cake.  It is a real family favorite!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake (small batch)

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This beautiful cake delivers the perfect coffee cake, sized just for two people (plus leftovers) with a tender and moist cake, and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping. This cake is every bit as delicious as it's full sized counterpart!

Ingredients

For the Streusel:

• 1 1/2 TBS plain all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 TBS granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 TBS soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1 TBS butter, softened
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup (40g) chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

For the cake:

• 3/4 cup (75g) all purpose plain flour, unsifted
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large free range egg, at room temperature
• 2 TBS butter, melted and cooled

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*c/ gas mark 4. Butter a six inch round cake tin and line with baking paper. Butter the paper and lightly dust with flour, shaking out any excess.
2. Make the streusel. Mix the flour, both sugars and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Drop in the butter. Rub everything together with your fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Fork in the nuts and set aside.
3. To make the cake whisk the flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
4. Whisk the buttermilk, both sugars, egg and melted butter together in a beaker. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and gently fold together to combine thoroughly.
5. Scrape into the prepared cake tin, smoothing over the top. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over top of the cake batter.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, turning the pan around halfway through the bake time. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few moist crumbs attached.
7. Leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes longer prior to serving. I like to dust a bit of icing sugar on top to pretty it up to serve, but this is not necessary.

Notes

You will need a six inch round pan for this recipe. If you don't have a six inch round pan you can substitute an 8 inch by 4 inch loaf tin.

If you don't have any buttermilk, you can substitute 3 TBS of whole milk yogurt stirred together with 1 TBS of milk.

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