Barbara Breen's Coffee Cake

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 package yellow cake mix

1 cup water

1/4 cup cooking oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Process

For streusel, in a medium mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter or margarine, chopped nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, cooking oil and eggs. Beat on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.  Pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan into a greased 13x9 cake pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel mix. Carefully spread the remaining batter over streusel, sprinkle with the remaining streusel.  Carefully pat streusel down a little.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly, then drizzle with powdered sugar icing. Let cool for 30 minutes.

Powdered sugar icing: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and enough water to make it drizzling consistency.

Taste Test

This coffee cake blew me away. The cake mixture is extremely moist while the powdered sugar icing adds perfect sweetness. The streusel brings a fantastic crunchy texture to the soft cake. The cinnamon and brown sugar add a depth to the flavor that brings the entire dessert together.

Leftover Quality

Nothing was lost while Barbara’s concoction sat wrapped overnight. The cake remained moist while the crunch of the streusel remained intact. The flavor remained as delicious as when it came out of the oven.

Overall Grade

Barbara’s coffee cake gets an A+. It’s tough giving an A+ two weeks in a row, but I had no other choice. This coffee cake will become a staple in your recipe book for years to come.