Saturday, January 24, 2009

German Coffee Cake That Will Make You Yodel

This is some of my great-grandmother's china. Which we found when we were moving houses. I remember the sugar bowl that sat on the counter with a silver sugar spoon and it was used to make me Tang when I walked next door to their house. I also remember this bowl was put in the summer kitchen to feed the cats. I know. I know. Welcome to my world.
Anyhoo, it got me reminiscing and thinking about Grandma and Auntie and soon I started thinking about their German Coffee Cake. Oh. Hello. Lover. I knew I had that recipe somewhere so I started looking through my recipe box.And it gave me an excuse to put on my new apron. I {HEART} my new apron.
And let me tell you. This German Coffee Cake is two things.
1) Good. So good it will make you confess your undying love and wanna make babies.
2) Really German. Like for real. Like they were from Germany. And like this is their recipe. From Germany. Seriously.
The Line Up: brown sugar, white sugar, vegetable oil, flour, salt, egg, baking soda, buttermilk, and cinnamon.

Notice that half gallon of whole milk? Pretend like it is not there. It is NOT in this recipe. It was just feelin left out like a red headed step child. Bless its heart.

That is all the ingredients. Simple. Sweet. Beautiful. Although I always wanna add butter. But there is no butter. Unbelievable, I know.
Start with 1 scant cup of brown sugar (not packed). Scant means NOT QUITE. I had to ask my mom. Add 1 scant cup of white sugar.
Add 1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt (I have a thang for salt and pepper shakers. I have to keep it under control or I will be one of those people who have ones from every state and a dancing Elvis set. I know. You are jealous of my coolness.)
Then add 2 1/2 cups of flour and mix it all together. It should become a crumb mixture like above.
Set aside 1 cup to later become the topping. Trust me.
To the remaining mixture add 1 egg.
1 cup of buttermilk.1 teaspoon cinnamon.
and 1 teaspoon of baking soda (which grandma said to add to the buttermilk, but I never listen)Mix it all together.
Grease and flour a baking dish.
Pour in....And remember that 1 cup of crumble mixture stuff you saved back....it is now time for it to step into its glory. Sprinkle it all over the top.Sprinkle with some more cinnamon and sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 to 45 minutes....
And then I kid you not, you will start saying Vohn Ingle Schintzel Mon Ditz Bernardaitz Scheadri Klantz.
You you might even yodel. Is that Germans? or Swiss People?
I don't know, but you will thank me for - ev - er for this new lover I have introduced into your life.
Love,
Country VanGirlitz

26 comments:

Jenn said...

That looks amazing. And my father's side of the family is like 100% German. So I will appreciate this recipe. Alone. Because I don't share desserts well.

Thanks for sharing!!

Linda said...

I'm starving! This looks awesome. Thanks for the recipe!

Linda said...

Oh and LOVE the apron!

Pony Girl said...

MMMM...looks yummy, perfect for a mid-winter's day! ;)I have German heritage...but I don't have a cute apron like that!

"Hello... It's Me Again..." said...

This recipe looks like a keeper!

Kim said...

I can smell its goodness from here! Oh, and you look mahvelrous in your new apron!

Carrie said...

I love, love, love the apron!!! Did you get it at Kirklands? I was checking it out the other day and didn't get it! Now I want to do back and get it b/c it's soooooo cute!

Dreams of a Country Girl said...

Carrie -- YES I DID. It was like 75% off and then another 20% or something like that. I ended up getting it for like $5....i love me some deals...

and PS you are GORGEOUS>....i am kinda jealous....but just a little and in a friendly way....muh wha

Vashti said...

Looks yummy....and I heart your new apron aswell!

These Are The Days said...

Oh my, that cake looks awfully sinful. I will have to try it soon. BTW - who uses such pretty dishes to feed a cat? :)

edie said...

CG, Ummm....German...Martin Luther was German...lutheran.....I think you must be Lutheran and not know it. And I am so stealing that most gorgeous china when you aren't looking. Can you please fax me a piece of that?

Anonymous said...

CG........I LLLLLLUUUUVVVV you!!!! I to have a thing for salt and pepper shakers!!!!!! i have a pretty good collection. I should have gotten an Elvis set when we were at Graceland yesterday. lol Your sisters and brother always make fun of me when I fix family dinners......they say everyone has their own set. Minimum of 2 sets go on the table so it's not that bad.
Your other mother,
Meemaw
It must have something to do with being born in OK transplanted to Indiana and visa versa!
PS I ALSO eyeballed the Kirkland apron....your sister liked it,too but I came home with new mirrors instead.

Dana and Daisy said...

that was weird, I just clicked on make a link which I have never done before. Okay, now, I posted about aprons yesterday, and thank you for sharing this recipe. You are a true friend CG. And I have been noticing that lots of cool chicks are getting out their grandma's china lately! uhm, like me recently. lol! Is it something in the air?

Your grandma's is really pretty! I would totally have a whole wall filled with it in your dining room if I were you!

Lo said...

I'm speaking German just thinking about making it!

Unknown said...

You are such a clever writer--writess-writee! The cake looks great too. Thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

hi, cg.
i (platonically) love you. really truly. the "german coffee cake that will make you yodel" is in the oven as i type. mmm. the batter was delish. i let my dad try some. he didn't yodel, but he made some primitive grunting noises instead. i think that's cuz he's almost 100% norwegian and yodeling must not come naturally to them. the grunts are probably some vikingesque heritage thingy. my only problem was that the sugars, flour, oil, and salt didn't come to a crumb-like consistency. it was more like cookie dough. is that normal? cuz yours looked normal and crumb-like and it made me nervous. i am really excited anyway. i will probably attack it straight outta the oven and burn my tongue, but it'll be worth it.
thank you thank you thank you!!!

Dreams of a Country Girl said...

Jill -- Did it work??????

Anonymous said...

Yum. Gonna give this a try in the morning. Love the apron!

Anonymous said...

Hey Cat, is that is a 9x13 cake pan?

Dreams of a Country Girl said...

yes....9x13......

Marchelle said...

meemaw is SO not kidding about the salt & pepper shakers. like when we have family dinners there's barely room for the food becuase there are so many salt & pepper shakers on the table. seriously, like we all have our own personal set. she has a sickness about it i tell ya.

and she's right, i totally wanted that apron for christmas because it even matched my kitchen, and did i get it? no. but meemaw got herself a couple nice mirrors! mmmm-hhmmm.....

Lo said...

uh yeah. welcome to my kitchen cabinet. where i have a shot glass from every freakin state in the country, cuz my mom thinks my husband needs a gazillion forty shot glasses cuz he's russian and all. sigh.

Anonymous said...

hi, cg. yes, it worked. fabulously. it came out sorta streusel-y. (i am not entirely sure what streusel is, but i think that's the word i am looking for.) anyway, it is AMAZING!!! it is already half gone. my dad (mr. fussy himself) loves it! yay yay yay!!!
thank you again!

Dana and Daisy said...

I wish I had made this cake for Steve's birthday instead of the one I did. darn it. Is it too much to have TWO cakes in the house?

Tammy TX said...

Hi. My grandma has been gone for 8 years. She always had a coffee cake or two stored in her freezer for guest. My husband loved it. No one has the recipe. :(
I am baking your recipe now hoping it taste the same. Thanks for sharing.

Tammy from Texas

Tammy TX said...

Hi. My grandma has been gone for 8 years. She always had a coffee cake or two stored in her freezer for guest. My husband loved it. No one has the recipe. :(
I am baking your recipe now hoping it taste the same. Thanks for sharing.

Tammy from Texas