Cake 'n Stuff

Know what I hate most about summer?

No wait, it's not even summer yet.

Ok ok, know what I hate most about the months April-October in California? 100-114+ degree weather by 11 AM, makes it kind of a *EXPLETIVE DELETE* to bake, if you will. It's not a pleasant thing to set out on one of your life's missions, only to be dredged with sweat and fill the house with swealtering heat from the oven which makes it about 10 degrees hotter than before. Sure you can always use the air conditioner, but you may as well be a millionaire too.

Ah yes, these are the months I resort myself to staying up late to bake at night, if I can manage it, when its cooled down considerably. Plus its kinda exciting, staying up late to bake. Everyone wakes up to find a magically-appearing cake or bread or whatever strikes my fancy. Its like you become a magical baked goods fairy, bringing cheer and glee to all in the form of a pastry as they sleep.

Feast your eyes on this!


I found this "Deluxe Sunday Morning Coffeecake" in my Joy of Cooking book, and there was a variation to add chocolate and coconut. Naturally I added the chocolate, but I left the coconut out for some unknown reason. It was pretty good, though as far as coffeecakes go, I still haven't had one better than what my mom made almost every Sunday growing up. Try it, though!

Coffeecake
Dry breadcrumbs
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 sticks butter
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. pecans, chopped
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 c. chocolate chips

Grease the bottom and sides of a springform pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with breadcrumbs and set aside. In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter. Remove 1 cup of the crumbs to a seperate bowl and set aside. Add to the mixture in the large bowl the baking powder and soda. Add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Stir vigerously until batter is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. In the 1 cup of flour crumbles that were set aside, add the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle the struesel topping on top, and lightly press into batter. Bake in a heated 350 F degree oven for 50-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Huh. I hope that didn't confuse you, cause it confused me a bit.

Well, I'm off to teach my 6 yr old nephew to play chess. Ta-ta!

~lacey
"My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M's and a chocolate cake. I feel better already."
-Dave Berry