easy like Sunday morning

I love Sunday mornings. We have a standard routine around here that involves sleeping in followed by a nice breakfast, coffee, and CBS Sunday Morning. Calm. Peaceful. A nice reprieve before the last ditch effort to get everything done before another weekend is over all too soon.

This coffee cake is easy to pull together and is nicely balanced. Moist yet pleasingly crumbly (the topping perhaps more so than your usual coffee cake). Sweet yet not too sweet. And the addition of nutmeg adds a little something extra to the appeal.

This is perfect for an afternoon get together or… if you’re me… with your Sunday morning coffee. And, if you’re feeling really decadent, pile on a dollop of lightly whipped cream and take this one to a whole other level of goodness.

Cinnamon Streusel Buttermilk Coffee Cake
(from Sunset magazine)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cups (1/3 lb.) melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large egg, beaten to blend
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, nutmeg, and 2/3 cup butter.

Transfer 1 packed cup of the sugar mixture to a small bowl. Add nuts and cinnamon, mixing well.

To the mixture in the large bowl, add egg, buttermilk, baking powder, and baking soda; mix well. Pour batter into a buttered 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Sprinkle cinnamon-nut mixture evenly over batter.

Bake in a 350° oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake begins to pull from pan sides, about 40 minutes (about 35 minutes in convection oven).

Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes. Remove pan rim. Serve warm or cool.