Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Interesting that this cake goes into a cold oven.

It's good, especially warm from the oven. I tried it again after it had cooled, and it was still moist with really nice flavor, but needed coffee, tea, or milk to wash it down.

Taking a closer look at this recipe, I realized after the fact that I missed the part that says to put only half the cinnamon mixture between the batter layers, then sprinkle the other half on top. I put all of the cinnamon mixture inside the cake, which made a very thick layer, and the cake slices crumbled apart a bit when I transferred them to a plate. It didn't ruin anything, but the cake might have held together better if I'd done it the right way.

There are similar recipes that call for a box of cake mix, and that version is super-moist-and-rich, more so than this one. However, I like making things totally from scratch, so I'm inclined to stick to recipes like this. It isn't quite as good as Pattie Wheeler's Night Before Coffee Cake, but there are more than a half-dozen coffee cake recipes in the Yellow Box, so there's more to come!

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UPDATE: I made this again, following the directions to put half the cinnamon mixture between layers of batter, then top with the remaining mixture. This, of course, results in a cinnamon-nut layer on the bottom of the cake when served. My husband pointed out that the cake looks more attractive in the pan (upside down). He's right. So, to make it look prettier on the plate, I made a simple maple glaze (¾ cup of powdered sugar stirred with ¼ cup maple syrup) to pour over the top of the cake while it was still warm.
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Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Cold Oven [do not preheat]

1 cup butter
1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cups sour cream
2 cups flour
½ tsp soda
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

¾ cup nuts + 1 tsp cinnamon + 2 tbsp sugar [combine separately]

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and eggs. Beat until fluffy.
Blend in sour cream. [Or blend in gradually, alternating with flour.]
Sift flour. Measure and sift with soda and baking powder into creamed mixture.
Add vanilla and blend well.
Spoon half of mixture into 9" tube pan or 10" bundt pan which has been buttered and floured (batter will be thick).
Spread half of cinnamon mixture on top, then add mixture and remaining cinnamon.
[In other words: spread half the batter in the pan, then sprinkle on half the cinnamon mixture, then spread the remaining batter, then add the remaining cinnamon mixture.]

[Set pan in a] cold oven. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.

[Optional: After about 10 minutes, turn the cake out onto a serving platter and drizzle a simple glaze over the top (e.g., ¾ cup of powdered sugar stirred with ¼ cup maple syrup)]
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Banana Cake (#1)

For some reason, I was surprised by how good this is: very moist, good texture and flavor, not too sweet. Nut-free for those who don't care for banana nut bread. A little cinnamon wouldn't be a bad idea, though I can't say I missed it.

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In fact, after several days of enjoying it for breakfast, I am editing this post to declare this to be the best banana bread I've ever made.

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I made a loaf, and it filled the 10" pan completely. Whenever I get around to making a layer cake, I'll provide more details on pan size and baking time, since the recipe card doesn't specifiy.

The only thing I want to point out is the part about mixing the buttermilk and baking soda together before adding it to the batter. This is the second recipe out of the Yellow Box that says to do that, and I'm not sure why (I could probably look it up, but I don't feel like it right now). Anyway, when I first started getting all the ingredients set out, I went ahead and mixed the soda with the buttermilk. By the time I was ready to add it to the batter, the mixture had expanded by about 25%, and I worried that the cake wouldn't rise as much as it should in the oven. I dumped it out, prepared a new mixture, and added it to the batter immediately. I choose to believe it made a difference.

Next time, I'll make it as a cake.
But what kind of frosting should I use?
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Banana Cake
½ cup shortening
1½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup buttermilk
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla

For a loaf, grease (and flour?) a (10") loaf pan and preheat oven to 350°.
For a layer cake, grease (and flour?) two cake pans and preheat oven to 375°.
Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs. Blend in flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir soda into buttermilk, then mix that into the batter. Blend in bananas and vanilla. Pour batter into pan(s).

Bake loaf for 1 hour (check for doneness with a toothpick).
Bake layer cake 25-30 minutes(?) (check for doneness with a toothpick).

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Forgotten Cookies

These cookies are so easy to make! They're pretty hard to mess up, too. I think somebody came up with this recipe with me in mind, because I am really terrible about forgetting about cookies in the oven and burning them. Here, though, you're supposed to leave them in the oven, and as long as you remember to turn the oven off, there's no risk of burning them.

Simply put, Forgotten Cookies are soft, slightly chewy meringues packed with chocolate chips and nuts. The meringue really just functions as a light, very sweet vehicle for the chocolate and nuts. I used dark chocolate chips and pecans.

There isn't much to them: beat two egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla; then stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Silly me, I had the whites all whipped up before I realized I'd forgotten to add the sugar, but I don't think it made a difference in the outcome. There are penciled-in notes that include adding a half-teaspoon of cream of tartar, which I may try next time just to see if it changes anything, but I followed the recipe without the notes and was very pleased with the result. Since they don't rise or expand, you can set them very close together on the cookie sheet (make sure it is greased!).

I suppose the only drawback is that they are not a last-minute treat; you need to be able to leave them in the oven overnight (which I did), or at least be sure you don't need to use the oven for a couple of hours.

Next time you have a couple of egg whites you don't want to let go to waste, give these a try!
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Forgotten Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°
Beat 2 egg whites until foamy (do not use a plastic bowl)
Add ⅔ cup sugar (or ¾ cup)
dash of salt (⅛ tsp)
1 tsp vanilla
(½ tsp cream of tartar)
Beat together until stiff
Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped nuts*
Drop on well-greased cookie sheet [heaping teaspoon]
Put in oven and turn oven off immediately
Leave at least 2 hours or overnight

*You could alternatively use all nuts or all chocolate chips by increasing the total amount to 2 cups
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