Crazy Busy and Mom's Coffee Cake

Full disclosure. 

I have been running around like a maniac trying to get this family of five plus one large puppy ready for a road trip. 

Laundry

Cleaning

Packing

Blogging (okay, I like doing that)

Baking 

Gifting 

Gardening

Meeting with House Sitter - yes! My house, not my children, needs a sitter. When did my house get so complicated? 

Yesterday I made a few batches of fresh mozzarella cheese for gifting along the way:

It turned out beautifully and I packed the little bits of cheese in garden fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil. 

I'm also gifting some homemade strawberry jam: 

Yesterday, I made two blueberry pies that are making the journey and today I decided to make my Mom's coffee cake. I do hate to show up anywhere empty handed. 

I updated mom's recipe by adding blueberries and almond slices to it. Yum. 

You think so? 

Even the best of cooks make mistakes. 

My mistake? 

I made it in one pan instead of two. In my frazzled mind I thought the square disposable pan was much larger than the two round cake pans I would normally use. 

The whole thing baked over, onto the bottom of my oven, because, DUH.. it had twice as much batter in the pan as it could hold and still rise. The smoke alarms alerted me to my mistake. This is what it looks like:

This is what its supposed to look like:


I'm going to give you the recipe because it's easy and delicious - just promise me you will use the two cake pans required. 

Mom's Coffee Cake (2 cakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Crisco

2 eggs beaten

1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar added

1 teaspoon baking soda

Optional: 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup slivered almonds

OR 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix flour, sugar and crisco together until coarse crumbs form. Reserve a giant handful of crumbs. 

Add baking soda to sour milk, add mild to beaten eggs, add everything together in mixer with the crumbs (NOT THE RESERVED CRUMBS). Mix until smooth. 

Pour into buttered, floured pans (TWO OF THEM).

If you are using blueberries or chocolate chips, sprinkle them on now. 

Top with reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and dot with butter.

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. 

Eat one, take one along on a road trip and settle down will ya?