In the kitchen, I was driven by two separate yet equally important goals; bake and cook, doing the best I can to be true to my great-grandmother's recipes; and create something delicious to share with those I love. These are my stories.
In "Law and Order," the crime would now be investigated, lots of grizzly details would be revealed, and there would most likely be an "oh shit" moment at some point. My first attempts at recreating Estella's coffee cake followed a very similar pattern. In fact, the second attempt was more of a cliff hanger than an absolute resolution. So, before we descend into Mordor (this may be a slight exaggeration), here is a picture that you may find heartwarming...
What does this black and white fur ball have to do with coffee cake, you may ask? Well, if we're very lucky, nothing. Stay, Minou, stay.
Okay, here we go. First step, decipher the recipe. With the advent of the printing press (again, I exaggerate) and the internet, recipes have become much easier to read. Also, most recipes have been translated from old-timey speak and ingredients to current ones. Paging through the recipe book we see things like yeast cakes, potato water, cobs, etc. Thus, the first step. I chose coffee cake to start with since it seemed pretty cut and dry.
The first recipe was a bit of a flop. I ended up burning the crap out of it. What did I learn? Always, ALWAYS, check your recipe at the halfway point. You'd think I was a total newb for not doing that, but, alas, I'm not perfect. A few pointers from this first recipe. The cake will be very thin. It is a good idea to add the yolk to the batter as indicated, beat the whites until they're stiff, and then fold the whites into the batter. It's also very important to CHECK THE OVEN OFTEN. Or else your "coffee cake" will become a "coffee slab of darkness." The recipe instructs you to bake the cake in a moderate oven for 45-60 minutes, I checked the cake of disappointment at 45 minutes in. I guessed that moderate meant 350 degrees. After researching this a bit, it seems like most sources indicate moderate as between 325 and 375 degrees. So the temp was okay, but the cooking time was way off. Here I am, full of hope, assembling my coffee cake:
Let's move on, shall we? The second attempt was much more successful than the first. I was even encouraged by the more specific oven temperature and cook time: 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Great! I can do that! Time for a montage!
Having learned from my mistakes the first time, I separated the yolks from the whites, added the yolks to the batter, and beat the whites... a lot. Like, hurt your arms permanently. Like, try to get your man to do it for you. And no, I don't have a hand mixer. Plus, my KitchenAid was busy mixing the rest of the batter. What's a girl to do at time like this? Man up! Girl power! Keep switching arms so that they don't fall off, and ask for a hand mixer for Christmas (hint hint).
Eventually, your arms will cease to exist, and you will have adequately beaten egg whites. I don't care if they're not totally perfect, they're close enough. Shut up.
Pour half of that shit into a cake pan. You'll want to grease and flour the pan first, though. This is very sticky business. My tip, try to cover the bottom of the pan with batter as you pour rather than trying to spread it all out with the spatula. It's the spreading part that gets tricky. Don't worry though, I know you can do it.
This next step is a genuine test of nerves. The test: try not to eat all of the filling so that there is some still left for the cake. It's very scrumptious. Also, there's a cup of pecans in it. Did I mention there is a CUP of pecans in it? That is all, carry on.
Now layer. Half of the pecan goodness goes on top of the first layer, then we have another layer of batter (again, try to spread it around as you pour it), and then sprinkle the second half of the pecan mixture on top. What was the measurement on the pecans again? You got it.
Now, I'm an expert by now on this coffee cake thing, right? Wrong! I followed the directions exactly, and the cake was still jiggly when I checked on it after the 30 minutes. So, I cooked it another 15 minutes, and I had my husband take the picture below.
Looks delicious and ready to eat, right? Wrong again! Still mushy. Delicious, but mushy. Back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Total cooking time: 65 minutes. Outcome: the cake still seems slightly undercooked. I would recommend using a 9" x 9" pan instead of an 8" x 8," increasing the cooking time, and/or increasing the oven temp slightly.
See? Cliffhanger. The cake was delicious, but not perfect. I may revisit this recipe later, but for now, I'm moving on. Plus, I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of their pecans.
Coffee Cake #1
1 egg
2 T. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Filling
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. flour
2 T. melted shortening
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients 4 times (you can cheat here a little). Add dry ingredients alternatively with milk and vanilla. Add egg yolk. Stiffly beat the egg white and fold gently into the mixture.
Mix the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Put half of the batter in a greased 9" x 9" pan (8" x 8" may work better if you have one). Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter on filling, and sprinkle the remaining filling on top.
Check cake after 25 minutes. Bake until cake is set and a toothpick inserted halfway between the middle and side of the pan, comes out clean.
Coffee Cake #2
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. milk
2 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
Filling
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. nuts
1-2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. flour
1 T. butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Sift dry
ingredients 4 times (you can cheat here a little). Add dry ingredients
alternatively with milk and vanilla. Add egg yolks. Stiffly beat the
egg whites and fold gently into the mixture.
Mix the filling ingredients together in a medium bowl.
Put half of the batter in a greased 9" x 9" pan.
Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Spread the remaining batter
on filling, and sprinkle the remaining filling on top.
Check cake after 30 minutes. Bake until cake is set
and a toothpick inserted halfway between the middle and side of the pan,
comes out clean.
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