Mama’s Coffee Cake

This week my beautiful mother celebrates her 77th birthday. The woman who has been my biggest cheerleader my entire life, my wise instructor who has loved me even during some very unloveable times.

My love for cooking began with her. When I grew up she prepared just about every meal we ate because in those days you didn’t pick up take-out and we only went to restaurants occasionally.

Everything was homemade, a luxury that I didn’t quite appreciate as a child. I remember spending the night with a friend once. The next morning her mother baked canned biscuits for us. I can recall it like it was yesterday because I thought that her mother had done the greatest thing and those canned biscuits were delicious to me at the time.  I can remember wondering why we always had to have homemade biscuits.  I probably came home and boasted about the wonderful biscuits that Sara’s mother fixed.  I am sorry mama!!

Believe me; my thought process has changed! Now I understand the trouble she went to for her family. She was a “farm to table” person way before it was the popular thing.

There are not enough words in the English language to tell my mother just how much I appreciate all of those homemade biscuits; the advice, the spankings, and the love. She will probably never know how important she is to me, but I would not be here today without her.

In honor of my mother, I wanted to share her coffee cake recipe. My brother and I have always loved this.  She made it for us on special occasions growing up and sometimes just to surprise us and she still makes it when we gather for Christmas brunch.  It is easy enough to prepare before work or school.  I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

Mama's Coffee Cake

 

Author:

Amye Melton

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Ingredients

• 1 egg, room temperature
• ¾ c. granulated sugar
• ¼ c. shortening
• 1½ c. self-rising flour
• ⅓ c. milk
• ½ c. sour cream
• Streusel Mixture:
• ½ c. brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted
• ½ c. chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Grease a 10-inch skillet and set aside. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, melted butter, and pecans. Set aside.
3. Using a whisk, combine and egg, sugar, and shortening. Add flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in sour cream.
4. Spread about half of the cake mixture in the prepared skillet. Sprinkle all of the streusel mixture over batter then drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the top. You can swirl with a knife if desired.
5. Bake at 350° F for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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